# App development brief template

From DFY Games: https://dfygames.com/guides/app-brief-template

Fill in each blank in plain words. No technical language is needed. Mark every role, screen and integration as launch or later. When you are ready, paste your answers into the quote form at https://dfygames.com/apps/quote and you will get either a short clarifying question or a written scope with assumptions, timeline and quote.

## 1. The problem and the people

- The problem in two sentences (what goes wrong today, and for whom): ____________________
- The current workaround (spreadsheet, group chat, paper forms, an existing tool): ____________________
- Who uses the app (customers, members, employees or the general public): ____________________
- Platforms (iPhone, iPad, Android, and whether staff need a web admin): ____________________
- What success looks like three months after launch, in one measurable line: ____________________
- Why existing software does not solve it (have you tried it?): ____________________

Be honest about the last line. If an off-the-shelf tool covers most of the job, renting it is usually cheaper than building.

## 2. Roles

Each role is a separate set of flows and permissions, so roles shape the cost more than any other part of the brief. Copy this block once per role.

Role: ____________________

- Who they are: ____________________
- What they must be able to do: ____________________
- What they must never see: ____________________
- Launch or later: ____________________

Example: Client. Members of the public booking a service. Must be able to browse services, book and pay a deposit, reschedule, cancel and delete their account. Must never see other clients' bookings or contact details. Launch.

## 3. Screens

Copy this block once per screen, for each role. Count only the screens marked launch when you compare quotes, and keep the later ones as your roadmap.

Screen: ____________________

- Role: ____________________
- Purpose: ____________________
- Data shown or entered: ____________________
- Launch or later: ____________________

Example: Slot picker. Client. Pick staff and time. Live availability. Launch.

## 4. Integrations

Copy this block once per outside system the app connects to. "Two-way sync" is much more work than sending data one way, so be precise about direction.

System: ____________________

- Why it is needed: ____________________
- Data direction (app sends, app receives, two-way sync, one-time import): ____________________
- Account owner (whose name the account is in): ____________________
- Launch or later: ____________________

Example: Payment provider. Deposits and refunds. App sends charges and the provider sends status. Business owns the account. Launch.

## 5. Data and compliance

- Personal data the app collects (basic profiles, location, health, financial, children's or biometric data): ____________________
- Will anyone under 18 use the app? ____________________
- Countries where users live: ____________________
- Do you already have a lawyer for privacy terms? ____________________

Each sensitive category adds safeguards, store disclosures and often legal review. A developer can build to a checklist, but the legal call belongs to a lawyer.

## 6. Constraints and existing material

- What already exists (brand guide, wireframes, a clickable prototype or an existing app): ____________________
- Timing (flexible, a rough month, or a fixed date and why): ____________________
- Budget range, or a note that you want guidance: ____________________
- What you expect next (more users, more integrations, a second platform): ____________________
- Who signs off decisions on your side: ____________________