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Project Management

How to Write a Project Brief

Write a clear project brief that aligns stakeholders before work begins. Learn what to include, how to structure it, and how to get faster sign-off.

6 steps

  1. Write a one-sentence project summary

    Start with a clear headline: what is being built, why, and when it will be delivered. If you cannot summarize the project in one sentence, the scope is not clear enough yet. Work on the summary until it fits in a single sentence.

    Pro tip

    "We are [building/redesigning/launching] X for Y users, to be delivered by Z date" is a useful format.

  2. Define the problem and objective

    Describe the problem this project solves and the measurable business objective it serves. Tie the project explicitly to a company goal or OKR. Projects without a clear "why" struggle to get resources and are the first to be cut.

  3. Specify scope and deliverables

    List every specific deliverable the project will produce. Be explicit about what is not included. Ambiguous scope is the most common cause of project delays and stakeholder disappointment.

  4. Identify stakeholders and decision-makers

    Name the project owner, team members, key stakeholders, and the final decision-maker for any scope or priority disagreements. Clear decision rights prevent the endless review cycles that kill project momentum.

  5. Set timeline and milestones

    Break the project into 3–5 major milestones with dates. Include the kickoff, key reviews, and final delivery. A milestone-based timeline is more useful than a Gantt chart for alignment conversations — it shows progress without false precision.

    Pro tip

    Add a risk register: list the top 3 things that could delay the project and a mitigation for each.

  6. Define success criteria

    Write down how you will know the project was successful. Use measurable criteria where possible ("homepage bounce rate decreases 15%"). Qualitative success criteria ("stakeholders are happy") are too vague to drive aligned decisions.

Start with a free AI template

Use Inktrail's AI to generate a customised write a project brief in seconds. Refine, design, and publish — all on one surface.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a project brief and a project plan?

A project brief is a short alignment document created before work begins — it answers why, what, and who. A project plan is a detailed execution document covering tasks, timelines, resources, and dependencies. The brief comes first and informs the plan.

How long should a project brief be?

One to three pages for most projects. The brief should be readable in under 5 minutes. If stakeholders need to read a 20-page document to understand the project, alignment will be slow and approval will be slow.

Who approves a project brief?

The project brief should be approved by the project sponsor (the person with budget authority) and any key stakeholders whose resources or sign-off are required. Get written approval — a verbal "sounds good" is not alignment.