What kinds of businesses does nanushi work with?

nanushi works with businesses of all sizes — from local cafes and retail shops to tech startups and established companies. If you need a website, web app, mobile app, or AI integration, nanushi can help.

How long does a project take?

A simple marketing website can be delivered in 1–2 weeks. A full web application or mobile app typically takes 4–12 weeks depending on scope.

Does nanushi build AI chatbots?

Yes. nanushi builds custom AI assistants and chatbots using Claude (Anthropic) and OpenAI. These can be integrated into websites, mobile apps, or internal business tools.

Where is nanushi based?

nanushi is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team works remotely and serves clients globally.

What is a nanushi mission?

A mission is a 6-week collaborative React Native app-building challenge. Teams of developers work together to ship a real, production-quality mobile app.

how to write a good brief for a web developer (with template)

most web project problems start before a line of code is written — with a vague or incomplete brief. when a developer has to guess what you want, they guess wrong. when they guess wrong, you get revisions. revisions cost time and money and erode the working relationship.

a clear, complete brief upfront makes everything better. here's what to include.

the core sections of a good web brief

1. about your business (1–2 paragraphs)

who you are, what you do, who your customers are. include your industry, your size (number of employees, rough revenue is optional but useful), and your geographic focus.

the goal: give the developer enough context to make sensible decisions. "we're a three-person landscaping company in kanata serving residential clients in ottawa's west end" is more useful than "we're a landscaping business."

2. what the project is

be specific. are you building a new site from scratch, redesigning an existing one, or adding features to something that exists? if redesigning, what's the current URL?

list the pages or sections you need. a rough sitemap is even better:

home
services (with sub-pages for each main service)
about / team
portfolio / gallery
blog
contact

3. what the site needs to do (functional requirements)

list every feature the site needs to have. don't assume anything is obvious. common items to include:

contact form (and where submissions should go)
appointment booking (with which system, if any)
ecommerce (products, payment processing)
user login / accounts
search functionality
integration with crm, email marketing, or other tools
multilingual
any specific third-party service connections

4. the problem you're trying to solve

this is the most valuable thing you can tell a developer and the most often omitted. why does this project need to happen? what's not working about the current situation? what does success look like?

"we're losing leads because our current site doesn't work on mobile" gives a developer a clear success criterion. "we want a better website" does not.

5. your target audience

who uses this site? describe your ideal visitor: their age range, what they're trying to accomplish, how tech-savvy they are, whether they're primarily on desktop or mobile. if you have multiple audiences with different needs, list them.

6. design direction

do you have a brand guide (colours, fonts, logo)? examples of sites you like (and what specifically you like about them)? examples of sites you don't like?

be honest about your design preferences. "clean and minimal" means something different to different people — a link to a site that represents what you mean is worth a paragraph of description.

7. content

are you providing the written content for each page, or do you need the developer to include copywriting? if you're providing it, when and in what format?

do you have photos, or do you need stock photography sourced? do you have a logo in the required formats (vector/svg)?

content is the most common cause of project delays. be realistic about when you can deliver it.

8. budget range

providing a budget range helps developers propose solutions appropriate to your resources. a developer who knows your budget is $5,000–$8,000 won't spend time pricing a custom-built solution with a headless cms when a well-configured wordpress site would serve you better.

if you're not sure what your project should cost, sharing your budget range is still useful — it filters out proposals that were never going to be a fit.

9. timeline

when do you need to launch? is there a hard deadline (seasonal event, product launch, etc.) or is it flexible? what's your availability for feedback and approvals?

10. ongoing needs

after launch: do you need a maintenance plan? will you need regular content updates, or will you manage them yourself? do you need training on how to use the cms?

the template (short form)

business: [name, what you do, location] project: [new build / redesign / feature addition] — [current URL if applicable] pages needed: [list] key features: [list] problem this solves: [one paragraph] audience: [description] design: [brand guide Y/N, examples] content: [who provides what, when] budget: [$X–$Y] timeline: [desired launch date or deadline] ongoing: [maintenance plan needed Y/N, CMS training Y/N]

a brief that covers all of this typically takes 30–60 minutes to write and will save you weeks of friction over the course of the project.

nanushi works well with clients who've thought through their brief — and equally well with those who haven't and need help getting clarity. if you'd like to start a conversation, reach out with as much or as little as you have.