Ask three developers to quote on 'an app like Deliveroo but for my industry' and you'll get three wildly different prices — because they're each guessing at what you mean. The brief you give is the foundation of the whole project. A clear one gets you accurate, comparable quotes and an app that matches your vision. A vague one gets you padded estimates, endless back-and-forth and, often, the wrong product.
Here's how to write a brief that does its job — without needing to be technical or write a novel.
What a brief is for
A brief exists to give developers everything they need to understand your idea and quote accurately, while leaving the how to them. The goal isn't to specify every technical detail — it's to communicate clearly what you want to achieve, for whom, and why. Get that right and the rest of the project starts on solid ground.
What to include
The problem and the goal
Start with why the app should exist. What problem does it solve? What does success look like? This matters more than any feature list, because it lets developers suggest better solutions you hadn't considered.
Your users
Who will use the app? Describe them — their needs, their tech-savviness, the context they'll use it in. An app for busy tradespeople is a different beast from one for teenagers.
Core features
List what the app needs to do, ideally split into 'essential' and 'nice to have'. This distinction is gold: it lets developers scope an MVP and shows you've thought about priorities. If you're unsure where to draw the line, our guide to building an MVP first can help.
Examples and references
Point to existing apps you admire and say what you like about each. 'Like this app's checkout' communicates more in a sentence than a page of description.
Budget and timeline
Give a realistic range for both. It's not weakness — it helps developers propose something achievable and filters out poor fits before anyone wastes time.
What to leave out
Knowing what not to include matters just as much:
- The technology. Don't dictate the tech stack — that's the developer's expertise. Specifying it can lock you into the wrong choice and waste the advice you're paying for.
- Exact designs. Share rough ideas and references, but leave detailed design to the professionals.
- Rigid solutions. Describe the problem and let developers propose how to solve it. You'll often get something better than you imagined.
The pattern is simple: be specific about the what, flexible about the how.
A simple structure to follow
You don't need anything fancy. A few clear pages covering this will serve you well:
- Overview — what the app is, in two or three sentences.
- The problem and goals — why it should exist and what success looks like.
- Target users — who they are and what they need.
- Features — essential vs nice-to-have.
- References — apps you admire and why.
- Budget and timeline — realistic ranges.
- About you — your business and any relevant context.
Use the brief to get comparable quotes
The real payoff comes when you send the same brief to several developers. Because they're all pricing the same clearly defined scope, the quotes you get back are genuinely comparable — so you're choosing on fit and value, not trying to decode wildly different assumptions. It also makes the conversations sharper, because everyone's starting from the same understanding.
Take your brief to the right developers
A strong brief deserves strong candidates. Once yours is ready, browse vetted UK app development companies in our directory, shortlist three whose past work matches your sector, and send each the same brief. Pay attention to how they respond — the best teams will ask sharp questions and suggest improvements, showing they've genuinely understood your idea. A clear brief plus the right shortlist is the surest path to accurate quotes and an app built the way you intended.