Define the problem first
Explain the problem your product solves and who experiences it. A useful starting brief describes the current workflow and the improvement your business needs.
How to brief an app development partner
A practical guide to preparing your brief and asking the right questions.
Map the essential journeys
Identify the main user roles and the actions each role needs to complete. Separate launch requirements from features that can wait so the initial product has a coherent scope.
Consider the business operations
Payments, notifications, moderation, permissions and reporting may influence the design. Identify data ownership, support needs and operational responsibilities before development.
Agree on acceptance criteria
For each core workflow, describe what a successful result looks like. Discuss validation, access controls, error handling and the evidence required before launch.
Plan for ownership and maintenance
Clarify source ownership, hosting accounts, third-party costs, backups and post-launch support. These should be explicit parts of the proposal, alongside development milestones.