BACKGROUND
This project was for an internal content operations need. The goal was to build a reusable brief template that could be used across every content type, writer, and campaign without producing incomplete briefs or first drafts that required structural reworking.
I built the template around three core principles: that a brief is written for the writer, not the commissioner; that specificity in inputs produces specificity in outputs; and that the brief is a decision document, not a conversation starter. Every field is labeled as either required or if applicable, with guidance notes explaining not just what to fill in but why the field exists and what a weak versus strong answer looks like.
The result was a template covering administrative details, strategic context, audience definition, SEO inputs, key messages, editorial notes, and a definition of done, with a pre-send checklist to prevent incomplete briefs from reaching writers in the first place.
