I find writing short form briefs to be really valuable, particularly when I haven’t been involved with setting up the project or winning the work.
I find the rigour of attempting to answer important questions really useful to check my understanding, keep me honest and to highlight gaps in my knowledge.
I typically write them as soon as possible after project kick off’s and share early versions with the team to check what I’ve misunderstood, get answers to fill the gaps and critically to created a shared understanding of what we’re trying to do and why we’re doing it.
They are also really useful to refer back to when projects inevitably go a bit wonky as a useful aide memoir and informal contract of sorts.
Here’s a simple template I always start with to help you on your way. Do also read Jared Spool’s brilliant article on the topic ‘The Magical Short Form Brief‘ as it’s the perfect primer.
8< – – – – – – – – – – –
[Project Name]
Short Form Brief
[Author] [Date] [Version]
Project objective
[Why are you doing the work? What problem/s are you trying to solve? What is the value of solving the problem?]
Scope
[What is in and out of scope?]
High level approach
[What are you planning to do & why? Which roles will be working on it?]
Hypotheses
[What hypotheses do stakeholders believe are true that you wish to learn more about?]
Guiding Principles
[What are the guiding principles that we will use that will govern the spirit of the approach that we take?]
Assumptions
[What assumptions have we made that have influenced our thinking and approach?]
Key Outcomes
[What outcomes is the project team aiming to achieve?]
Measures of Success
[What will you measure that will indicate whether the work has been successful or not?]
James Chudley 