Mobile App Brief Matters — How To Get It Right

Developing an app takes time and money, so you want to do it right. One of the most important steps in the process is the mobile app brief. It helps with communication and assists in determining if the project was successful in the end. However, this document is not easy to create. We want to figure out how to make the best brief for your mobile app. What questions to ask and answer? Let’s find out!

Mobile App Brief: An Explainer

What is a mobile app brief? It is a document you present to developers to explain to them what you want from your app. A lot of things need to be considered for the developers to be able to provide you with what you need. That is why a brief is so difficult to get right. You need to, at the very minimum, include the app’s requirements and constraints of the project.

Do I Need a Mobile App Brief?

Yes. Regardless of who you hire to make your app — a freelancer, an agency, your in-house team — they will need the direction of a brief. Here are a couple benefits to creating one.

• Communication. Indeed, all the key information about your app is going to be communicated to your developers effectively through a brief. If there is no brief, the data is going to be scattered across communication channels. That would make avoiding miscommunication very difficult.
• Assessment. A brief typically includes goals and various success indicators. Those will help you assess the effectiveness of your developers and the end result. It is always crucial to establish what you want to achieve. Then, you will be able to tell if you do achieve it in the end.
• Selection. Your brief will help you select the right developer for the project. In the brief, you will include what you want and what you can do. Your goals, technology, budget — all of it will be contained in your brief. As a result, the developers will be able to tell if they can handle your task. This is a very good method of selecting your team.

If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur. 

Red Adair, firefighter

Things to Include in Your Mobile App Brief

There is no universal way of writing a mobile app brief. It is a creative endeavor. What you need to say might also depend on your developers. However, most developers will want to learn a few specific points. We will summarize them here.

Key Information About the App

• Concept. You need to be able to tell what your app is meant to be. For example, you might want an app for your customers to buy products from you. Or you might be looking into creating a mental wellness app. Those tasks are very different, so communicate the concept to your developers.
• Users. If you have carried out studies of your future users, provide that information in the brief. But if you have no research, you should still define your average user for the developers to know. If you want, you can hire a specialist to carry out some user research for you. 
• Key features. A concept is not enough to determine what your app will do. Try to envision what features you want your app to have. For example, you might want to support browsing products and using the cart. On the other hand, a mental wellness app can have features like a mood diary and a chat with a therapist. State all of the key features in the brief to guide your developers.
• Ideas regarding the design. You do not have to provide mockups (although if you have some, that is great). Instead, you can simply discuss the colors you like and the look you want your app to have. You can also include some examples of existing apps for inspiration. As long as you do not outright steal another app’s design, drawing inspiration from other apps is fine.
• Key technology (if any). If you want to use specific technology, you should state so in the brief. Consider the platform as well. Is it an Android app or an iOS one? Or do you want it to work with both platforms? Those are important things to include in the brief. 

Key Information About the Project

• Objectives. Determine what needs to be done. You will be using these objectives later to determine if the project was successful. You can also include key performance indicators or other methods of measuring the success of your app’s creation.
• Timeline. If there is a deadline to what you are trying to make, state that in the brief. Make sure to also include milestones. For example, an app usually goes through design, development, testing and deployment. You might want to have specific deadlines for each of these milestones.
• Budget. Most likely, you have a specific budget, even if you can afford to spend a little more than that. Specify your budget in the brief. It is very important to make sure that your developers understand what you are willing to pay.

Other Information

Still, you might have to include other information depending on the needs of your developers. Here are some additional recommendations.

• Information about yourself. Sometimes, it helps to include some information about the company, business, or other entity that wants the app produced. You can explain what business goals your app is meant to achieve. They will help you understand if the project was successful.
• Branding. While explaining what your business does, make sure to also include branding information. Your logo is very important, and so is your aesthetic. 
• Competitor and market analysis. It can be a good idea to invest in market and competitor research. Study both and figure out what section of the market you can occupy with your app. Also, discover what your competitors offer and determine how you can stand out. 
• Plans for maintenance. Depending on whether you have developers on your team, all the maintenance of the app might need additional negotiation.
• Integrations. If your app needs integrations, the developers will want to know that as soon as possible.
• Accessibility. In the modern day, it is very common to think about accessibility issues. It is a very good idea to take care of users who need additional accommodations. Consider making your app usable for people with visual impairments, for example. 

How to Write a Mobile App Brief

Here are a few recommendations on how to actually write the brief.

• Do your research (or hire someone to do it). You need to know the market and your audience. Knowing which technologies to use can also help. 
• After research, draft the brief and show it to your developers. They will help in refining the document.
• Review your draft! You might find new things to add to it or improve some sections. Polishing your brief is a good idea. 
• Do not overbloat your mobile app brief. If it is too long, you risk wasting the time of your developers. That is why continuous communication with them is essential! Ask them what they want to know to keep the brief helpful.
• Overall, do not hesitate to ask your developers what they need. They know better what they want to see in a brief.

In Conclusion

A mobile app brief is a crucial document that is necessary to make sure that your app development process goes smoothly. It is particularly important for communication, but it will also help you in assessing the results of your work. You need to include the key information about your app and the project itself. Some examples include the concepts, design and technology, as well as deadlines, milestones and budget. Stay in communication with your developers to make sure that you provide all the information they need.