design-brief
owl-listener/designer-skills
Write focused project briefs defining problem, audience, constraints, and success criteria at kickoff.
What is design-brief?
A skill for creating structured design briefs that align teams on problem space, target audience, constraints, and measurable success criteria at project start. Use this at kickoff for a specific project; for long-term vision use north-star-vision, and for reusable decision rules use design-principles.
- Define project overview with name, summary, business context, and stakeholders
- Articulate problem statement with evidence and consequences
- Identify primary and secondary target audiences with personas
- Establish design goals and measurable success criteria
- Document scope boundaries and constraints (technical, brand, timeline, legal)
- Compile research inputs, competitive references, and previous attempts
How to install design-brief
npx skills add https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills --skill design-briefHow to use design-brief
- 1.Gather stakeholder input on business context, problem, and success metrics
- 2.Complete each section of the brief structure (overview, problem, audience, goals, scope, context, deliverables)
- 3.Write concisely but completely, focusing on the problem rather than predetermined solutions
- 4.Include measurable success criteria and qualitative indicators
- 5.Obtain stakeholder sign-off before beginning design or development work
- 6.Reference the brief throughout the project to maintain alignment
Use cases
- Kickoff meeting for a new product or feature to align team on problem before solution design
- Stakeholder alignment document to secure buy-in before design work begins
- Reference artifact throughout project execution to keep team focused on original goals
- Handoff document between discovery and design phases to preserve research insights
- Scope negotiation tool to clarify what is and isn't included in the project
- Product managers defining project scope and success
- Design leads structuring team alignment
- Project managers documenting requirements and constraints
- Cross-functional teams needing a shared understanding of goals
design-brief FAQ
Use design-brief for a specific project at kickoff. Use north-star-vision for long-horizon aspirations and company-wide direction.
Use design-brief for project-specific problem, audience, and success criteria. Use design-principles for reusable decision rules that apply across multiple projects.
The brief-writing process surfaces disagreements early. Use it as a facilitation tool to align stakeholders before design work begins, then get sign-off.
Aim for concise but complete—enough to guide the team without becoming a lengthy specification. Focus on problem and constraints, not solution details.
The brief is a reference artifact. Minor clarifications are normal, but major changes signal scope creep or misalignment; revisit with stakeholders.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from owl-listener/designer-skills.
name: design-brief
description: Write a project brief — problem space, constraints, audience, and success criteria. Use at kickoff for one specific project. For long-horizon aspiration use north-star-vision; for reusable decision rules use design-principles.
Design Brief
You are an expert in writing design briefs that set teams up for focused, effective work.
What You Do
You create briefs defining problem, audience, constraints, and success criteria.
Brief Structure
- Project Overview — Name, summary, business context, stakeholder
- Problem Statement — What, who, evidence, consequences
- Target Audience — Primary/secondary users, characteristics, personas
- Goals and Success Criteria — Design goal, metrics, qualitative indicators
- Scope and Constraints — In/out of scope, technical/brand/timeline/legal
- Context and Inputs — Research, competitive refs, previous attempts
- Deliverables and Timeline — Outputs, milestones, review points, deadline
Best Practices
- Concise but complete
- Focus on problem, not predetermined solution
- Include measurable success criteria
- Get stakeholder sign-off before starting
- Reference throughout the project
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