Generate comprehensive design briefs for design projects. Use this skill when designers ask to "create a design brief", "structure a design project", "define design requirements", or need help planning design work.
Generate comprehensive, well-structured design briefs that align stakeholders and guide design projects. This skill helps designers create clear project briefs that define scope, goals, constraints, and success criteria.
Built for:
Run the interactive script:
scripts/generate_brief.sh
This will guide you through creating a comprehensive design brief covering:
Check brief completeness:
scripts/validate_brief.sh <brief_file.md>
Ensures all critical sections are included.
Use a design brief for:
Skip for:
What it includes:
Example:
## Project Overview
**Project:** Mobile app redesign
**Background:** Current app has 2.8 star rating with users citing confusing navigation
**Business Goal:** Increase app retention from 15% to 40% (Day 30)
**User Problem:** Users can't find key features, leading to frustration and abandonment
Define what success looks like:
Example:
## Design Goals
**Primary Goal:** Create intuitive navigation that helps users complete core tasks in < 3 taps
**Secondary Goals:**
- Reduce visual clutter by 40%
- Improve accessibility (WCAG AA compliance)
- Establish reusable component library
**Success Metrics:**
- Task success rate: 90%+
- Time on task: -50%
- SUS score: 75+
Who are we designing for:
Example:
## Target Users
**Primary Persona:** Sarah, Marketing Manager
- **Age:** 32-45
- **Tech Savvy:** Medium
- **Goals:** Create campaigns quickly, track performance
- **Pain Points:** Current tool too complex, takes too long
- **Context:** Uses on desktop during work hours, sometimes mobile
Guiding principles for the project:
Example:
## Design Principles
1. **Clarity over cleverness** - Users should never wonder what to do next
2. **Progressive disclosure** - Show what's needed, hide complexity
3. **Consistent patterns** - Use established design system components
4. **Accessible by default** - WCAG AA minimum, aim for AAA
What's in and out of scope:
In Scope:
Out of Scope:
Constraints:
Example:
## Scope
**In Scope:**
- Dashboard redesign (5 screens)
- Mobile responsive (iOS, Android)
- Dark mode support
- WCAG AA compliance
**Out of Scope:**
- Admin panel (separate project)
- Native mobile apps (web only)
- Marketing website
**Constraints:**
- Must use existing design system
- Launch deadline: 8 weeks
- Development team: 2 engineers
- No custom illustrations budget
Key user paths to design:
Example:
## Key User Flows
**Flow 1: Create Campaign**
1. Land on dashboard
2. Click "New Campaign"
3. Choose template
4. Customize content
5. Preview
6. Publish
7. Success confirmation
**Flow 2: View Analytics**
[Define the flow]
What will be delivered:
Design Deliverables:
Timeline:
How we'll measure success:
Qualitative:
Quantitative:
Example:
## Success Criteria
**Usability Testing:**
- 8/10 users complete primary task without help
- Average SUS score: 75+
- Zero critical accessibility issues
**Business Metrics (post-launch):**
- 40% Day 30 retention (up from 15%)
- 90% task completion rate
- < 5% error rate
Focus areas:
Brief template: Standard brief with emphasis on user flows
Focus areas:
Additional sections:
Focus areas:
Additional sections:
Focus areas:
Additional sections:
Ask before starting:
Brief review checklist:
Every design brief should include:
WCAG Compliance:
Testing Plan:
See references/accessibility_guidelines.md for complete checklist.
PM provides:
Designer provides:
Engineering needs from brief:
Design provides to Engineering:
Design Briefs:
User Flows:
Prototyping:
# Design Brief: In-App Messaging
## Project Overview
Add direct messaging between users within our fitness app.
**Business Goal:** Increase engagement, reduce churn
**User Problem:** Users want to connect with workout partners
## Design Goals
- Enable 1:1 messaging
- Keep it simple and focused
- Integrate with existing notifications
## Target Users
Primary: Sarah, fitness enthusiast, 28-45, uses app 4x/week
## Scope
**In:** 1:1 text messaging, read receipts, notifications
**Out:** Group chat, media sharing (future phase)
## Success Criteria
- 40% of users try messaging in first 30 days
- 20% become weekly active messagers
- No increase in support tickets
## Timeline
6 weeks: Research (1w), Design (3w), Prototype & Test (2w)
# Design Brief: Analytics Dashboard Redesign
## Project Overview
Redesign analytics dashboard to improve data comprehension.
**Current Issues:**
- Users overwhelmed by data
- Key metrics buried
- Poor mobile experience
## Design Goals
1. Surface most important metrics first
2. Enable drill-down for details
3. Make it mobile-friendly
## Target Users
- Marketing managers (primary)
- Executives (secondary)
- Data analysts (tertiary)
## Success Criteria
- Users find key metric in < 10 seconds
- Mobile traffic increases 30%+
- SUS score: 75+
## Timeline
8 weeks (Research: 2w, Design: 4w, Testing: 2w)
Problem: "Redesign the entire app" Solution: Break into phases, prioritize
Problem: "Make it look like Apple" Solution: Start with user problems, not aesthetics
Problem: Ignoring technical/time limits Solution: Document and respect constraints
Problem: Designing based on assumptions Solution: At minimum, review existing data
Problem: "Make it better" isn't measurable Solution: Define specific, testable criteria
A great design brief:
Get started:
scripts/generate_brief.sh
This creates a solid foundation for successful design projects.