Turn the customer’s visit into page requirements
Specify the framing customer’s first enquiry, showroom visit, existing-order question and appointment preparation separately. Name the page, operational source and action required for each. This gives the designer concrete acceptance tasks while leaving unconfirmed service terms and booking promises outside the public page until the owner settles them.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Visit type | Customer question | Required page/action |
|---|---|---|
| First visit | Can you frame this size and material? | Service fit and enquiry with project details |
| Showroom visit | Where do I enter and when are you open? | Verified location and hours |
| Repeat customer | How do I ask about my order? | Supported existing-order contact route |
| Appointment | What should I bring? | Confirmed preparation details and booking state |
Write one scenario for each important visitor and list the facts needed to complete it. Collect approved business information, product photographs and commercial conditions before treating them as design inputs. Name an owner and review frequency for hours, availability and booking instructions. Explain where the site hands the customer to a booking provider or email app. Keep technical preferences secondary unless they change the customer or editor task.
Attach each brief requirement to an acceptance task
Turn the framing-shop requirement into a test: find whether a large print can be framed, locate the entrance and request the right appointment. Name who supplies dimensions, hours and preparation instructions before design starts. For each task, state what the customer must understand or submit. A feature such as a calendar is insufficient without its booking state and operational owner.
Decision: Approve the brief when the owner can point to the primary action, supporting facts and success condition. Leave unconfirmed claims outside public copy until they are resolved.
An appointment request is not a reserved slot: A business can accept appointment requests without providing instant confirmation. The brief must distinguish those states so the website does not promise a reserved slot after merely sending an enquiry.
Should the brief include every page the owner might want?
Start with the buyer tasks, required facts and operating responsibilities, then assign the pages needed to support them. Keep later ideas in a separate decision list. A long page inventory cannot replace a clear primary action.
Continue with Guides for stores, software teams and local businesses, Website design for local businesses and Plan an appointment business website.