# Project brief template: put your task on one page

## Fill in enough to discuss, then start

A brief does not need to become a long document. Write what is known and list the gaps. Ask AI to restate the intended result before it processes material or changes the project.

## Copyable template

```text
Task name and date:
Goal: Help [person] do [task] in [situation].
Current approach and difficulty:

Material:
- Files, original text or data, with sources and dates:
- Confirmed rules and definitions:
- Missing information and who will provide it:
- Files or folders allowed for use; originals that must not change:

Expected result:
- Format: website / tool / table / report / content draft / workflow
- Required content and formatting:
- One example of a correct result:

Scope this time:
- Steps to do first:
- Things to leave out:
- What to do if information is missing, an error occurs or sources conflict:

Checks:
- How I will verify sources, numbers or actions:
- Unusual inputs or cases to try:
- If accounts exist, who may read or change which data:

Confirmation and records:
- Actions needing my confirmation, such as sending, publishing, deleting or paying:
- Where to keep originals, current work and the previous version:
- Material and conditions to change for the next run:
```

## Filled example: event supplies

This is a fictional teaching exercise. The amounts and conditions are not real quotes.

```text
Task: Compare canvas-bag quotes for an event, 2026-10-20.
Goal: Give the organiser a table and short brief to decide on further enquiries.
Difficulty: Three quotes differ in minimum order, tax and arrival terms.
Material: Original quotes A, B and C; do not change the sources.
Conditions: 300 bags, no more than 3600 CNY including tax and delivery,
arriving within 10 calendar days of design approval.
Output: Sources, purchase quantities and formulas in a table, plus questions.
Correct example: A 500-bag minimum must be calculated at no fewer than 500.
Scope: Extract, compare, check and summarise; do not order.
Gaps: Mark missing tax terms for confirmation; do not assume a tax rate.
Checks: Compare every field with the quotes and recalculate totals; no accounts involved.
Confirmation: I approve enquiries or sending; save the quotes, table and brief.
Reuse: Replace the sources, quantity, budget and deadline, then calculate again.
```

Find the full sources and reference answer in the [comparison exercise](https://vibecoding.ivheli.com/en/guides/ai-native-workflow/).

## Adapt the brief to another task

- **Website or tool:** define inputs, actions and expected results, including mobile display, errors and publishing.
- **Research or report:** define sources, comparison rules and readers. Trace conclusions to source text and retain missing-information questions.
- **Content draft:** identify the audience, channel, confirmed facts and tone examples. Check the information again before publishing.
- **Repeated workflow:** say what changes each time, what each step produces and where a person must confirm.

When a new idea appears, update the scope before asking AI to change the work. That way, the intended result is still clear when you return later.