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You have finished the first client conversation.
Discovery brief template
Free discovery brief template
Capture the problem, goals, audience and constraints before the client work begins.
- Free to use
- Your colors and fonts
- One page, usually
BRIEF
Packaging refresh
Rookery Coffee Roasters
Background
Current bags were designed for a single roast and no longer scale to the range. Shelf presence is weak next to the two nearest competitors.
Goals
- 1.Read the roast level from two metres away
- 2.Fit a range that will grow to eight SKUs
- 3.Hold unit cost under 40p
Constraints
Existing bag former. Two spot colours, no varnish.
Example preview with your branding applied
Made for the moment
Use this template when
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The team needs one shared definition of the problem.
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You want written approval before moving into scope or creative work.
A useful structure
What’s inside the template
A brief agrees what is being made before anyone starts making it. Its value is entirely in being written down and read, which is why length is the enemy.
Discovery brief.pdfTemplate
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Background
Why the project is happening now.
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Goals
The outcomes the work should achieve.
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Audience
Who the work is for and what they need.
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Constraints
Budget, timing and the things that cannot move.
A client-ready structure from first detail to final next step.
Make it useful
From a filled template to a clear decision
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First Prioritise the goals
A small, ordered list is more useful than a collection of wishes.
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Then Make the audience specific
Describe a real situation that changes the work.
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Finally Name the constraints early
Visible guardrails prevent expensive rework.
Ready when you are
Make it your own in three steps
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Fill in the details
Add the client, work and terms that belong in this version.
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Generate the document
Your chosen colours and fonts are applied automatically.
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Save, share or sign
Keep it in the project, send it for review or request a signature.
The workspace
More than a downloaded file
Your branding, applied
Set colours and fonts once. Each document uses them automatically.
Review or signature
Share the document for feedback, or request a signature from the same place.
Versions kept together
Keep the document, feedback and version history with the client project.
Questions
- Is a brief the same as a scope of work?
- No. A brief says what you are trying to achieve; a scope of work says what will be produced and when. The brief comes first.
- Should the client sign the brief?
- Signing is not necessary, but explicit written approval is. It is the reference point when opinions change later.
- Can I use this for a design brief?
- Yes. The structure is the same, and constraints do more work on a design project than anywhere else.
Use this template
Free to start. One project, no card needed.