A project brief helps turn raw intake into a clearer summary of the client's goals, requirements, constraints, and missing details. Use it before drafting a proposal when the discovery notes are messy or incomplete.
When to create a brief
Create a brief after you have collected enough intake to understand the shape of the project. This can include internal notes from a discovery call, client-submitted intake, uploaded context, or a combination of those inputs.
What to review
- Goals: Confirm the summary reflects the outcome the client wants.
- Requirements: Check that important deliverables and constraints are captured.
- Missing details: Use the gaps list to ask better follow-up questions before scoping.
- Assumptions: Remove anything that is not supported by the intake you collected.
Before moving to proposal
Edit the project notes or collect more client input if the brief exposes important gaps. Better intake usually produces a stronger proposal draft and fewer revisions later.