Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
2. Explain in broadest terms _what_ you are trying to achieve at the highest level (NOT "here's _how_ I want this to be, tweak it"). For example, instead of saying "I want three equally sized columns because nobody told me that that design is cr(ee|ap)py, and please color them like pee in a swimming pool while you're at it", tell them "I have three product lines, and I want them featured on the homepage in a simple and straightforward manner".
For non web designers, this article and YouTube video are well worth the 5 minutes:
http://boagworld.com/business-strategy/10-harsh-truths-about-corporate-websites http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wac3aGn5twc Pretty much summarises Andrei's sentiment above.
