A design brief is a foundational document that outlines the core details of a design project, such as its goals, scope, and overall strategy. When answering “What is design brief?” it can be described as a bridge between the client and the design team, ensuring that everyone is aligned and working toward a shared vision. From defining the purpose of the project to identifying target audiences and project deliverables, a design brief lays the groundwork for a streamlined and effective process.
Whether you're designing a website, mobile app, logo, or product interface, a well written design brief is crucial for setting clear expectations and ensuring a successful design project.
The Importance of Design Briefs in the Design Process
A design brief is not just a formality – it’s an essential tool for ensuring the success of any design project. By outlining key details like goals, scope, and deliverables, it keeps teams focused and aligned. Here’s why a design brief is critical:
Prevents Misunderstandings
Without a structured brief, teams can face miscommunications and unclear directions, leading to delays, budget overruns, or designs that fall short of expectations. A gooddesign brief eliminates confusion by providing a clear roadmap that ensures every stakeholder understands the project’s purpose and their role in it. This clarity is vital for avoiding costly missteps and keeping the process on track.
Provides Clarity
A design brief defines the key elements of a design project, such as its project scope, target audience, and desired outcomes. This clarity enables the team to deliver a result that not only meets but often exceeds client expectations. Whether it’s an initial design brief or a more detailed version, clarity is the foundation of a successful design project.
Aligns Expectations
A brief lays out specific goals, objectives, and project deliverables, ensuring all stakeholders have a shared understanding of what the project aims to achieve. When everyone – from the client to the design team – is on the same page, it minimizes misunderstandings and helps build trust. This alignment is especially important during the review phase, preventing surprises or last-minute changes that could disrupt timelines. Whether you’re using a custom design brief template or starting from scratch, aligning expectations is a key step in any design process.
Saves Time and Resources
By clearly defining requirements and deliverables at the start, a project brief minimizes back-and-forth communication and avoids unnecessary revisions. This streamlined approach ensures the team can focus on high-priority tasks without wasting time on misunderstandings. A design brief example that outlines clear timelines, budgets, and milestones helps manage resources efficiently, keeping the design project within scope and on schedule. Ultimately, creating a brief upfront saves time and allows teams to deliver better results faster.
Key Elements of a Design Brief
A well-structured design brief is the backbone of a new project, providing the design team with everything they need to deliver results that meet or exceed expectations. By addressing key components, a brief ensures clarity, alignment, and efficiency throughout the process.
Project Overview
The design brief starts with a summary of the project, explaining its purpose, background, and key challenges. It sets the tone for the design process. For example, a website project overview might highlight goals like improving user experience or boosting conversions. This context helps the team understand the project’s driving factors and objectives.
Goals and Objectives
Clearly defined goals and objectives are vital for a design project. Goals represent broad aspirations, such as building brand recognition, while objectives are measurable outcomes like increasing social media engagement by 20% in three months. This section addresses “What is a desired result of creating a design brief?” by linking design work to concrete results and ensuring the project stays focused.
Target Market or Audience
A strong brief defines the audience to ensure the design resonates and drives results. It answers, “What is the purpose of a design brief?” by detailing demographics, behaviors, and preferences. For example, targeting young professionals might require clean visuals and intuitive functionality. Defining the audience aligns the design with user needs and expectations.
Budget and Schedule
The brief outlines budget and timeline constraints to manage resources and keep the project on track. It establishes financial boundaries and key deadlines to avoid delays or cost overruns. This section focuses on practical planning for project success.
Project Deliverables
Deliverables are the outputs the client expects, such as wireframes, prototypes, or final designs. A clear list ensures no ambiguity about the design project’s scope. For instance, a mobile app project might specify UI designs or development-ready files. This section clarifies expectations and aligns the team with project goals.
By addressing these key elements, a design brief can provide a clear and actionable plan that ensures the success of a new project. Whether you’re starting from scratch or using a design brief template, these components help create a roadmap for a smooth and efficient process.
Crafting an Effective Design Brief
An effective design brief is a cornerstone of any successful design project, ensuring that everyone involved is aligned and the project runs smoothly. Here’s how to create a design brief that delivers results:
Choose the Right Collaboration Tool
Using tools like Nuclino, Figma, or ClickUp makes it easy for teams and clients to collaborate in real time. These platforms allow updates and feedback to be incorporated seamlessly, ensuring the design brief remains accurate and up-to-date. By addressing changes to the project scope or goals instantly, these tools keep everyone on the same page, minimizing delays and confusion. Version control is key when working on a design brief, especially for larger or evolving projects.
Focus on Relevance
A concise, focused design brief ensures that the team has all the essential information without being bogged down by unnecessary details. Include only accurate, relevant, and up-to-date content. Clearly outlining the project scope and goals ensures that the document stays actionable. This approach prevents distractions, helping the design process flow smoothly toward achieving measurable results.
Involve Key Stakeholders
Collaboration is crucial when creating a brief. Engaging all relevant stakeholders – clients, designers, and project managers – ensures the document reflects a shared vision and accounts for all perspectives. Clients contribute insights about business goals and target audiences, while the design team ensures the deliverables are achievable within the given constraints.
By using the right tools, focusing on relevance, and involving all stakeholders, you can create a brief that sets the foundation for a successful design project. Whether you’re exploring “what is a creative brief in graphic design” or tackling a new product launch, an effective brief ensures clarity, collaboration, and success.
How to Write a Design Brief
Writing a clear and actionable brief requires a structured approach. Here are the key steps:
Ask the Right Questions
Start by asking foundational questions, such as:
What are we building?
What design problem are we solving?
What business goals are we trying to achieve with this design?
Align Goals and Objectives
Distinguish between high-level goals (e.g., increasing user engagement) and specific objectives (e.g., boosting click-through rates by 20% within six months). This distinction helps clarify priorities.
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Create a persona for your ideal customer, focusing on demographics, pain points, and preferences. This ensures the design is tailored to the end user’s needs.
Clarify Budget and Timeline Constraints
Address financial and time constraints upfront to avoid misunderstandings. This allows the design team to set realistic expectations for what can be achieved within the given parameters.
Define Project Deliverables
Be explicit about the outputs you expect, whether it’s a complete branding package, a mobile app interface, or marketing visuals.
Design Brief Template
Although every project is unique, a standardized design brief template can serve as a helpful starting point. Here’s what a typical template might include:
Title: Name of the project.
Introduction: A brief summary of the project’s purpose.
Objectives: Specific outcomes the project should achieve.
Target Audience: A description of the intended users or customers.
Deliverables: A list of outputs required from the design team.
Budget and Timeline: Constraints and deadlines for the project.
References: Examples or inspiration to guide the design direction.
Best Practices for Design Briefs
To make your design briefs effective tools for guiding a design project, it’s essential to focus on clarity, alignment, and structure. Here are some best practices to ensure your brief sets the stage for a great design project:
Keep It Concise
A good design brief should be straightforward and easy to digest. Avoid long, complex paragraphs that might overwhelm the team. Instead, focus on presenting the most relevant details about the project scope, goals, and project deliverables. A concise brief ensures that all stakeholders can quickly understand the essentials and act on them without confusion.
Use Simple Language
Write the brief in clear, accessible language that’s easy for all stakeholders to understand, even those who may not be designers. Avoid overly technical terms or jargon that might alienate non-designers. Use relatable examples and straightforward explanations. This approach keeps the design process inclusive and ensures everyone involved in the design project is on the same page.
Ensure Alignment
A brief must reflect a shared vision between the client and the team. Before moving forward, ensure all stakeholders have reviewed and approved it. This step helps clarify the project scope, timeline, and goals, avoiding miscommunication later in the design process. Stakeholder alignment answers all important questions by encouraging collaboration and laying the groundwork for a successful design project.
Leverage Templates
Using a design brief template can save time and ensure consistency across projects. Templates provide a proven structure that reduces the risk of overlooking critical details, such as project deliverables or key objectives. While every brief should be tailored to the project’s unique needs, starting with an design brief template ensures a strong foundation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even the most experienced teams can make mistakes when creating a brief. Here are some common mistakes:
Excluding Stakeholders
Not involving key contributors can lead to misaligned priorities and incomplete information.
Ignoring Constraints
Neglecting to clarify budgets or timelines can derail the project later on.
Misunderstanding the Audience
A design that doesn’t resonate with its target market will fail to deliver results.
Being Vague About Deliverables
Ambiguity around what the project includes can lead to unnecessary revisions and disputes.
Who Writes the Design Brief?
The creation of a brief is a collaborative effort involving both the client and the design team:
The Client
Provides insights into the project’s goals, scope, and overall objectives.
The Design Team
Offers expertise on timelines, processes, and resource allocation, ensuring the brief is realistic and actionable.
Design Brief Example
The structure and content of a design brief can vary depending on the project scope and the goals of the specific design project. A good design brief provides clear direction, helping the design team deliver a solution that aligns with business objectives and user needs.
App Design Brief
An app design brief outlines the key requirements for developing or redesigning a mobile or web application, ensuring the final product is both user-centric and functional. Below is an example of how to structure a design brief for a fitness app.
Example: Fitness App Design Brief
Project Overview
Goal: Redesign the fitness app to boost user retention and engagement.
Background: While the app has a high number of downloads, engagement significantly drops after the first month. Users have reported issues with confusing navigation and difficulty tracking workouts and progress.
Challenges: Address user complaints by simplifying navigation and improving the overall user experience.
Goals and Objectives
Increase user retention by 25% within six months.
Simplify navigation so users can access core features (e.g., workout plans, progress tracking) in three taps or less.
Enhance the onboarding process to reduce drop-off rates by 15%.
Personas
Active Users: Tech-savvy individuals aged 25–35 who work out 4–5 times a week and rely on apps to monitor progress.
Beginners: Users aged 18–50 seeking simple guidance and motivation to start their fitness journey.
UX/UI Requirements
A streamlined navigation system featuring a dashboard that displays daily workouts and progress at a glance.
Customizable workout plans with reminders to keep users engaged.
An interactive onboarding tutorial for first-time users to familiarize them with key app features.
Reference Designs
Apps like Nike Training Club and MyFitnessPal for their intuitive navigation and engaging user experiences.
Clean, minimalist interfaces that emphasize simplicity and functionality.
Project Deliverables
Wireframes illustrating the new user flow and navigation structure.
High-fidelity prototypes for key app screens, including onboarding, workout tracking, and progress monitoring.
Final UI assets optimized for Android and iOS platforms.
This type of design brief answers “What is the purpose of a design brief?” by connecting design decisions to measurable business goals and user needs.
Reviewing and using a design brief example helps demonstrate what is a design brief and how it guides the process. Well-structured examples showcase the importance of setting clear goals, being concise, and addressing key questions such as “What is a desired result of creating a design brief?” These examples highlight how a design brief connects the project scope and objectives with actionable steps for the design team.
Key Takeaways
A design brief is the cornerstone of a successful design project. By providing a clear roadmap, it helps align all stakeholders, define measurable objectives, and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you’re working on an app, website, or branding project, investing time in crafting a detailed design brief ensures a smoother process and better outcomes. By following best practices, involving all relevant parties, and keeping the document concise yet comprehensive, you set the stage for success in your design projects.
The hospitality industry depends a lot on keeping customers happy, but it’s getting harder to attract and keep them. The pandemic hit this industry hard, and now market competition is tougher than ever, with competitive offerings swaying customers. Hospitality businesses are willing to spend big to win customers back. The main questions for many are: how can we stay ahead of the competition, keep our customers, and increase revenue? Keep reading—we’ve got some answers.
Customers today have so many options that getting their attention is a real challenge. It’s not easy to make them choose your business over others. What worked 10 years ago doesn’t work the same way now. Back then, people often chose businesses based on reputation. But with new types of businesses (boutique hotels, craft cafes) popping up or big enterprises getting a new strategy, expectations have changed. The good news is these businesses have shown what works: great customer service. They focus on personalizing the experience, making things easy for customers, offering loyalty programs, and using smart technology.
In this article, we’ll explore these tech strategies and show you how they can help your business grow, and double the revenue. Keep reading to learn more!
The Importance of Customer Satisfaction in the Hospitality Industry
Customer satisfaction, which equals exceptional customer experience, is the backbone of the hospitality industry. It plays a central role in driving revenue and loyalty, as satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend a hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business to others. In fact, a study by the Harvard Business Review found that a 1% increase in customer satisfaction can lead to a 0.5% increase in revenue. Moreover, loyal customers are more likely to forgive mistakes and continue doing business with a company, even if they experience a negative encounter.
Let's quickly review the challenges the hospitality industry is facing right now so we can move on to the solutions and our case studies.
Challenges in Hospitality
As businesses navigate the changes in the hospitality industry, there are some key areas where a little improvement can go a long way. From improving customer service to embracing digital transformation and tackling labor shortages, we’ll take a closer look at today’s biggest challenges—and, more importantly, how technology can step in to help. Let’s get started!
Poor Customer Service
Even with strong and high-quality business offerings, poor customer service can drive potential customers and existing customers away. Common issues include:
Long wait times in customer service queues (it is worth remembering that our attention spans 8 seconds, and we live in a very busy world, so quick and efficient responses are more important than ever.)
Poorly trained customer service representatives
Lack of follow-up
Services not being done properly or quickly
Recall issues that require multiple service calls
These problems can frustrate customers. But, at Intellectsoft, we believe that the right approach, combined with technology, can address them effectively.
Digital Transformation Gaps
Approximately 50% of hotels are adopting new technologies, with 43% automating repetitive tasks and 39% upgrading existing systems. Source: workstaff.app
While many businesses are adopting digital solutions, some still struggle with outdated systems and fragmented data. Legacy companies often face chaos when trying to manage their data and create new systems or add features.
Some of the recent examples include clients coming to us to create AI solutions for their services while their data simply was not ready for the advanced tasks. We advise stepping back, communicating with a company objective, and working on keeping the data clean (centralized, structured, and segmented).
When we’re asked to create advanced systems using AI, we always emphasize the importance of organized data. To train AI and build such complicated systems that truly work, you need to start from the very beginning—collecting, storing, centralizing, and organizing it. We encourage our clients to align all departments to work internally on the data so we can create a unified digital system that delivers personalized experiences.
If you’re unsure where to start with your data, we can help. Collecting feedback at various touchpoints along the customer journey is crucial for gaining insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. Book an IT consultation with us, and our experts will guide you in mapping out a path to get more from your data and build a system that works for your business and team.
Reskilling Staff
The pandemic hit hard in early 2020, especially for the hospitality and travel industries. Even five years later, many businesses are still feeling the impact. Recruiting and retaining skilled staff has become a major challenge post-pandemic.
Reskilling to address technology’s impact is of utmost importance, as about 40% of hotel General Managers place it among their top three workforce challenges.
We strongly believe that adopting the right technology can help. For example, creating an app to train your staff not only saves time but also ensures consistency in learning. AI assistants can also work alongside your team, helping with tasks like recruitment (providing industry insights, crafting emails) and staff training. Imagine having an app dedicated to making your team’s work easier and more efficient!
How Technology Tackles These Challenges and Supports a Customer-Centric Hospitality Culture
Automation, AI, and similar technologies may threaten many. However, the debate about replacing humans isn’t about that—it’s about cooperation and working hand in hand with technology to achieve the highest standards and establish brand-new “golden standards.” Technology is here to assist staff in listening to and collecting customer insights from data.
Let’s review some of our cases to see examples of how technology helps improve customer experience and supports customer service.
Examples of Intellectsoft projects
Property management systems (PMS)
We created a web platform and mobile app that makes managing daily tasks easier and offers extra services to improve residents’ experience. It gives a clear overview of daily activities and helps with managing units and users. Residents can easily book amenities, submit service requests, and report incidents. The platform also includes features for equipment management, key instructions, workflows, and custom permissions. This makes it easier for staff to stay on top of equipment and ensure residents have all the information they need. Plus, tools like announcements, quick votes, a forum, and a community calendar help build a connected and engaged community.
Guest Experience Management App
Our next app helped our client improve their guest experience by replacing printed marketing materials and the need for phone calls with a smart solution. Now, guests can easily order in-room dining, make reservations, and interact with staff— through a simple tablet in their room. The solution includes three parts: a custom in-room tablet with a variety of services, an admin panel for hotel staff and service providers, and a backend system that connects everything together. This approach makes things easier for guests and staff, improving both convenience and efficiency.
Existing Customers First: Building Loyalty with Personalized Touchpoints
Keeping existing customers is not just a strategy; it’s well-known that retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. In fact, research shows that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. KPMG named customer retention as the number one revenue driver for the company.
Moreover, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in profits, showing the significant impact loyal customers can have on a business’s bottom line. Retention strategies, like personalized experiences and loyalty programs, can foster long-term relationships and generate recurring revenue, ultimately making them an invaluable part of any business model.
Personalization: How Technology Can Help?
Everyone loves to feel special—it’s part of being human. In hospitality, personalization has evolved from being a luxury to an essential standard. With the right technology to manage your data effectively, you can deliver those “wow” moments that guests won’t forget.
More than half of hotel chains are already using personalization features on their websites, booking platforms, and apps, and another 39% are planning to follow suit soon. They’re tailoring experiences to fit guest preferences perfectly.
Source: Deloitte
How does technology make it happen?
CRM Systems: They help you keep track of guest preferences, booking history, and special requests so you can offer services tailored just for them.
Loyalty Programs: Personalized rewards and offers show your guests that you value them, keeping them coming back for more.
AI Personalization: AI analyzes guest data to predict what they’ll love (from room upgrades to local recommendations) before they even ask.
IoT Gadgets: Smart room features like voice-activated assistants, or temperature controls adjust to your guests’ preferences, making their stay more comfortable.
With tech-powered personalization, you’re building loyalty and maximizing the lifetime value of every customer.
Our Case Study: Smart Hotel Management & Loyalty Program
For one of our clients, we created a smart room solution, complete with a custom IoT system. Guests can use a mobile app to control services, explore amenities, and find resort information-- with a special touch to their suite type. For the client’s entertainment business, we improved their legacy software by running a full IT and code check, fixing issues, and making the system better for customers.
Along with that, we developed a mobile app for the loyalty program, allowing businesses to effortlessly reward their customers and keep them engaged with exclusive benefits.
Our solutions not only helped the client with special experiences for guests; it also improved operations, cutting costs by eliminating inefficiencies. Here's what our experts shared:
"We transitioned away from ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) systems, which previously cost millions, and replaced them with more efficient, self-managed solutions. Similarly, we’ve implemented Device Farms that improved operations and saved resources."
Leveraging Software to Increase Upsell Opportunities
Here are some examples of tech tactics that will help your team sell more and introduce new offerings to existing customers, improve overall efficiency leaving your team grateful:
Dynamic Pricing Algorithms
For finance and marketing teams, manually calculating pricing by segment to introduce your clients can be incredibly challenging. AI-powered tools can strongly optimize these strategies by analyzing your database in detail.
Upselling via Apps
Boosting revenue in the hospitality business often comes down to personalized experiences. Imagine this: a guest books a room, and then your app suggests a spa package or a room upgrade at just the right moment. Later, it nudges them to book a dinner reservation or a guided tour designed to their preferences. With apps offering these personalized recommendations during and after bookings, you’re not just increasing your revenue per guest but also skyrocketing their experience. And you do it in a sustainable way, not by speculating, but by offering what your customers desire based on their previous experiences. It’s a win-win: seamless, helpful, and far from pushy.
Inventory and Resource Management Software
Making every resource count in your hospitality business is key. Inventory and resource management software allows you to effortlessly track everything from linens to room availability, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Having real-time insights to reduce overstock, avoid shortages, and optimize operations assists sustainably keep everything under control and know what you need to focus more. It helps maximize room occupancy by aligning bookings with available resources, ensuring every room and item is used effectively. This approach leads to smarter management, better guest experiences, and a noticeable boost to your bottom line.
Adopting these strategies not only optimizes your operations but also drives business growth. Ready to discover how technology can elevate your goals? We’re here to create a tailored solution for you.
Steps For Implementing a Customer Service Technology Solution
Improving customer service in hospitality doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right technology, you can smooth the path of your operations, speed up response times, and elevate the overall guest experience. Here’s where you can make it happen:
1. Understand Your Needs
Start by identifying the challenges your business is facing. Are you struggling to manage high volumes of inquiries, track customer feedback, or personalize the guest experience? Pinpointing your needs will guide you to the best solutions.
2. Pick the Right Tools
Choose technology that aligns with your goals. Look for solutions that are scalable, easy to use, and integrate effortlessly with your current systems. Options like CRM software, live chat tools, or a guest experience app can make a difference.
3. Equip Your Team
Technology is only as effective as the people using it. Train your staff to make the most of the new tools, so they can deliver exceptional service and resolve issues quickly. Confident, well-equipped staff creates happy, loyal customers.
4. Keep Improving
Once implemented, monitor how well the solution works. Are response times improving? Are customers more satisfied? Regular evaluations will help you fine-tune your approach and keep things running harmoniously.
Some Tech Ideas for Hospitality Businesses
CRM Software: Manage customer interactions and preferences.
Guest Experience Apps: Delight guests with personalized experiences right at their fingertips.
Amenity Management Systems: Simplify operations for everything from room service to facility bookings.
Live Chat Tools: Offer instant support and answers.
Social Media Management Tools: Keep customer interactions engaging and organized.
Integrating these strategies will not only improve your customer service but also deliver unforgettable customer satisfaction, loyalty, and, ultimately, your bottom line. Ready to take the next step? Book a consultation with our experts.
Conclusion
To wrap up everything we've discussed, customer satisfaction and experience are at the heart of hospitality. Retaining customers is more than just keeping them around—building strong, long-lasting relationships and consistently meeting their evolving needs. By understanding their pain points and offering personalized solutions, you can inspire loyalty and drive progress. With the right technology and continuous improvement, your business can stay ahead, let go of what no longer serves you, and keep growing.
At Intellectsoft, with over 17 years of experience in software development, our expert team is ready to help. We create everything from mobile apps to full-fledged portals and systems, leveraging the latest technologies like AI, Cloud, and Machine Learning. With deep experience in the hospitality industry, we’re here to craft personalized solutions that bring your business unforgettable customer experience and retain your valuable clients.
Ready to double your revenue and level up your customer retention strategy with personalized technology? Contact our experts, and we look forward to working hand in hand with you to build or revitalize the perfect app or system for you.
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