# Website project brief: Sample Catalog Studio

Fictional planning example from Plainview Web. The business, people, domain, budgets, schedule and decisions below are invented for illustration. This is not a client case study, a Plainview quote or a report of completed work.
Guide: https://plainviewweb.com/guides/prepare-website-project

The example demonstrates a useful brief with explicit unresolved questions. Week numbers are relative planning milestones; a builder would need to confirm feasibility before agreeing to them. No credentials belong in this document.

## 1. Project and decision owner

- Business or project name: Sample Catalog Studio, a fictional product photography business.
- Existing website, if any: example.com, used here only as a demonstration address.
- Brief prepared by: Jordan, the fictional business owner.
- Last revised: October 8, 2026.
- Final decision owner: Jordan.
- People providing feedback: Jordan and Lee, an example content reviewer.
- How feedback will be collected and resolved: Lee supplies comments in one shared draft. Jordan resolves conflicts and sends one approved list at each review point.
- Who approves changes to scope, budget and schedule: Jordan, before additional work begins.

## 2. Audience and purpose

- Primary audience: Small product brands comparing catalog photography for an online store.
- Their main task or question: Decide whether the service fits their product and learn what is needed for an estimate.
- Evidence: In this fictional scenario, inquiries often omit product quantity and intended image use. Jordan will validate those assumptions against actual conversations before a real build.
- Main visitor action: Send a project inquiry with product type, approximate quantity and intended use.
- Information visitors need before that action: Relevant images, included deliverables, preparation requirements and the next step after inquiry.
- Secondary audiences or actions: Returning customers finding preparation instructions on the Services page.
- Business goal to review after launch: Reduce follow-up needed to understand a new inquiry.
- How that goal will be observed, without promising a result: Jordan notes missing information in inquiries before and after launch, using the same definition. No improvement percentage is promised.

## 3. Current website and migration

- New site, replacement or improvement: Replace a basic holding page.
- What currently works and should be retained: The demonstration domain and established business email service.
- Known problems: The holding page does not explain deliverables or show a representative gallery.
- Existing content, files and records to move; approximate quantity: One introductory paragraph, a logo and 12 candidate images. No customer records are included.
- URLs, downloads or campaigns that must keep working: The homepage address is on existing business cards. Check whether any other public paths exist before agreeing a migration plan.
- Existing systems or email services that must remain operational: Business email. A website move must not change its routing without separate agreement.
- Who will supply an inventory or current-site export: Jordan by the end of planning week 1.

## 4. Launch page inventory

| Page | Current or proposed path | Visitor purpose | Main action | Content owner | Readiness and missing content | Keep, revise, merge, remove or new |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Home | / | Understand the offer and intended customer | Explore the service | Jordan | Drafted; offer summary needs approval | Revise |
| Services | /services | Understand deliverables, preparation and process | Request a quote | Jordan | Not started; deliverables and exclusions due week 1 | New |
| Work | /work | Inspect representative product images | Contact about a similar project | Jordan | Under review; select 8 cleared images from 12 candidates | New |
| About | /about | Learn who is responsible and how the work is handled | Read the process or contact | Jordan | Drafted; factual introduction needs review | New |
| Contact | /contact | Understand what to include in an inquiry | Send a project inquiry | Jordan | Not started; field and delivery decisions due week 1 | New |
| Privacy information | /privacy | Understand collection and handling of inquiry data | Review data-handling information | Jordan | Not started; document chosen providers and actual handling | New |

These paths describe the fictional project, not new Plainview routes. The privacy page must reflect the real implementation and business obligations before publication.

## 5. Content, assets and references

| Item or group | Intended use | Current location | Permission or license status | Who creates or supplies it | Who approves it | Needed by | Readiness |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service facts and contact details | Home, Services and Contact | Owner's working notes | Business facts require confirmation | Jordan | Jordan | End of week 1 | Drafted |
| Written copy | All six pages | One working document | Original draft; review needed | Jordan supplies facts; requested writing help to be scoped | Jordan | Before design review | Not started |
| Logo and brand files | Header and page graphics | Original vector and PNG files | Owner-created in this fictional example | Jordan | Jordan | End of week 1 | Approved |
| Gallery images | Work and Home | 12 original images | Permissions need confirmation; only cleared images may launch | Jordan | Jordan | Before design review | Under review |
| Work examples and supporting claims | Services and Work | Deliverables list and image captions | No testimonials, client logos or result claims supplied | Jordan | Jordan | Before design review | Drafted |

- Copywriting, photography, illustration or migration help requested: Help turning supplied facts into six concise pages; quote that writing work explicitly. No new photography requested.
- Brand rules that already exist: Approved logo and color references; no full identity redesign requested.
- Reference website and specific detail worth learning from: No external reference selected yet. Jordan will supply one gallery reference and explain its useful feature.
- Further reference and specific detail: None required before the first discussion.
- Material that is reference-only and cannot be republished: Any third-party reference screenshots supplied during design review.

## 6. Features and complete workflows

| Feature or visitor task | Required at launch? | Inputs and expected result | Destination or connected system | Follow-up owner | Error or failure handling | Dependencies and unanswered questions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Project inquiry | Yes | Name, email, product type, approximate quantity, intended use and optional timing; clear confirmation after accepted submission | Owner-controlled business inbox; provider to be selected | Jordan | Clear field errors and a submission-failure message with an alternate contact method; do not show success when sending fails | Select delivery provider, storage approach and test method |
| Gallery browsing | Yes | Open a Work page and inspect 8 images with useful captions | Website | Jordan supplies approved images | Images have meaningful alternatives where appropriate; missing images are corrected before launch | Confirm image rights and update frequency |
| Content updates | Yes, method to be agreed | Update service wording and replace gallery images | Editing system or documented maintenance process | Jordan requests or makes updates as agreed | Retain a recoverable version before changes | Decide whether a CMS is justified by the expected editing frequency |

- Content the owner needs to edit after launch; expected frequency: Service details occasionally; gallery roughly four times per year. Compare a simple editor with an agreed update service before selecting the build approach.
- Accessibility requirements and who reviews them: Include accessibility in design and implementation. Builder proposes the review scope and acceptance criteria; Jordan approves them. Keyboard navigation, visible focus, form labels/errors, image alternatives and narrow layouts are explicit review tasks, not a complete conformance claim.
- Languages, browser/device needs or third-party constraints: English launch; agreed browser and mobile checks. No customer login or payment provider at launch.
- Personal data collected and purpose: Inquiry details needed to assess and reply to a project request; no payment information or file attachments.
- Storage, access and retention decisions still needed: Where a submitted request is retained, who can access it and when it is deleted; resolve before implementing delivery.
- Success and failure checks needed before launch: Test required-field errors, one valid inquiry, expected inbox receipt, correct reply handling and a controlled delivery-failure path without sending real customer data.

## 7. Launch scope and later ideas

- Essential first-launch pages and features: Six inventory pages, 8 approved gallery images, inquiry form, agreed content-update method and ownership handoff.
- Later ideas, with a reason to revisit each: Article library only when topics and an editor are ready; customer accounts only if repeat customers need a shared workspace; online payments only if the payment workflow is defined.
- Explicitly excluded work: Booking, payments, customer accounts, newsletter setup, original photography and migration of customer records.
- Assumptions requiring confirmation before a quote: Number of writing revisions, content-update method, delivery provider, existing account access and actual content volume.
- How a new request will be reviewed and approved: Builder explains the change, price and timing impact; Jordan approves or moves it to the later list before implementation.

## 8. Budget and schedule

- Available one-time budget range or limit; currency: Illustrative planning limit of USD 4,500, subject to an actual quote. This is a fictional owner's constraint, not Plainview pricing.
- What that budget must cover: Agreed planning, six-page build, specified writing assistance, testing and handoff.
- Recurring services budget and what it must cover: Not decided. Request itemized hosting, domain and delivery-provider charges separately from any ongoing care or content work.
- Spending approver: Jordan.
- Target launch date or window: Provisional end of week 6 after scope and access are agreed.
- Reason for that date; fixed or flexible: Preferred campaign window; distribution has not been booked. Flexible until a tested launch is scheduled.
- What can change if a dependency is late: Move the campaign date or explicitly reduce the launch scope; do not publish images without permission.

| Milestone or dependency | Responsible person | Needed by | What it blocks | Current status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service facts, image permissions and current-page inventory | Jordan | End of week 1 | Final scope and content work | Under review |
| Account access and email-routing record | Jordan | End of week 1 | Build and launch planning | Not confirmed |
| Scope, quote and review schedule | Jordan and selected builder | After week 1 information is ready | Start of agreed work | Not agreed |
| Content and design approval | Jordan | Proposed week 3 | Final page build | Not started |
| Working-site review | Jordan and builder | Proposed week 5 | Corrections and final testing | Not started |
| Corrections and final testing | Builder, with Jordan checking inquiry receipt | Before launch approval | Publication | Not started |
| Launch approval | Jordan | Proposed end of week 6 | Publication | Not approved |

## 9. Accounts, ownership and ongoing work

| Service or asset | Provider or location | Account owner | Access confirmed? | Invitation or recovery task | Billing/renewal owner | Ongoing responsibility |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Domain registration | Existing registrar; name to confirm | Sample Catalog Studio, represented by Jordan | No | Jordan confirms access and arranges appropriate builder access | Jordan | Review renewal and current contact information |
| Website hosting | To be selected after scope | Business-controlled account requested | Not created | Agree provider and invitation method | Jordan | Hosting arrangement and recovery process to document |
| Business email | Existing provider; name to confirm | Sample Catalog Studio | Owner access assumed; must confirm | Record routing and protect continuity during launch | Jordan | Continue existing service |
| Website editor or CMS | Decision pending | Business-controlled access requested if used | Not applicable yet | Confirm editor roles after selecting approach | Jordan, if a subscription is chosen | Jordan edits or requests agreed updates |
| Form delivery or other integration | Provider pending | Business-controlled access requested | Not created | Agree sending setup and access before testing | Jordan | Monitor delivery and keep routing current |
| Source files, original assets and licenses | Handoff location to be agreed | Ownership and license terms to be written into scope | Not applicable yet | Request source, original assets and applicable license records | Jordan for any continuing licenses | Retain files and update instructions |

- Handoff files and instructions requested: Source or export available under the agreed build approach, editable assets where included, provider list, update instructions and recovery steps.
- Who changes content after launch: Jordan or the selected provider, depending on the editing decision and agreed service.
- Who checks forms, updates, renewals and recoverable copies: Assign each task explicitly before launch; Jordan remains the contact for unresolved responsibilities.
- Support arrangements to agree separately: Correction period, response expectations and any recurring maintenance scope; none assumed by this brief.

## 10. Acceptance checks and open decisions

The following are planned checks. No check is marked complete because this fictional site has not been built.

- [ ] All six launch pages contain approved, accurate content.
- [ ] Visitors can follow Home or Work to Services and then Contact at agreed narrow and wide layouts.
- [ ] Navigation and forms can be reviewed with a keyboard and visible focus.
- [ ] Required-field and delivery-failure messages are clear; a valid test inquiry reaches the agreed inbox.
- [ ] Gallery images have confirmed permissions and useful captions or alternatives as appropriate.
- [ ] The homepage address and business email remain operational after the change.
- [ ] Account control, included files, recovery information and update instructions are handed over.
- [ ] Jordan has reviewed the working site and approved launch.
- Additional project-specific checks: The displayed service deliverables match the approved scope; the privacy information describes the implemented form and chosen providers.

| Question or assumption | Who resolves it | Needed by | Decision and date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Can the owner confirm registrar and email account access? | Jordan | End of week 1 | Open |
| Do all 8 selected gallery images have publication permission? | Jordan | Before design review | Open |
| Does quarterly editing justify a CMS or an update service? | Jordan and builder | Before final quote | Open |
| Which form provider, storage and retention approach fits the workflow? | Jordan and builder | Before implementing the form | Open |
| What are the total recurring costs and assigned maintenance tasks? | Jordan and builder | Before final scope approval | Open |

## 11. Revision log

| Date | What changed | Who approved the change | Effect on scope, budget or schedule |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| October 8, 2026 | Fictional initial brief created | No actual project approval | Illustrative scope and milestones only |