You should know as much as possible about a project before kick-off. It allows you to do the best job possible and to be aware of all the opportunities and constraints.
A thorough brief provided at the beginning of the process ensures that all stakeholders are aligned, and gives ample opportunity to minimise any issues that might arise. As much detail as possible is a good thing.
We’ve put together this template based on our experiences, and use it with our own projects. It's been used for product briefs, creative campaigns, funding proposals, posters and even more.
Share it with your friends and colleagues to get aligned quicker. We're interested to know how you use it!
To memorise it, remember the 6 key words Why, How, What, Who, When and Resources.
Why does this project exist?
What's the background & context?
What’s the problem it’s solving?
What’s the process?
How will it shape this project?
How will it solve the problem?
What is the product to solve the problem?
What will the outcomes or outputs of the project be?
What format are they in?
Where are they to be delivered or presented?
Who are the main audience/s? Who are the personas?
Who are the decision makers and stakeholders?
Who is taking part in the project?
How long should the project take?
Which key dates and milestones are we trying to reach?
When should it start and finish?
What are the resources we need?
What are the resources we have?
What’s the budget we’ve assigned to the project?
