Project brief template.
Goal, scope in and out, deliverables, milestones and who signs off, agreed before kickoff. Fillable PDF and Word.
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A project brief is the document a team agrees before work starts. It says why the project exists, what the goal is, what is in and out of scope, who decides, and when it is done.
This template covers all of that across three pages to fill, then a filled example for a website redesign, a checklist before kickoff, and a short table on how a project brief and a creative brief work together.
What is in it
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Background and goal | Why now, and the goal in one sentence |
| How we will know it worked | Each measure with today’s number, the target and the date |
| Scope | What is in and, just as important, what is out |
| Deliverables | Each item with its format, one owner and a due date |
| Milestones | Kickoff to launch, with a date for each decision |
| Who is involved | Who approves, who works on it, who is asked and who is told |
| Budget, risks and contact | The money, the people, the risks with an action each, and how the team reports |
| Approval | Name, role, date and signature before work starts |
How to use it
- Keep the goal to one sentence. Two sentences usually means two projects.
- Write today’s number next to every target. Nobody remembers the starting point after launch.
- Name at least three things as out of scope. That is how you stop the project growing a little every week.
- Get one signature. A group gives input. One person approves.
Next step
If the project includes creative work, brief it with our creative brief template, and plan the dates with the production schedule template if there is a shoot. Our guide on how to write a creative brief covers the creative side in more depth.
If you would rather hand the whole project to a team that runs projects like this every week, that is what we do at Moonb.
Frequently Asked Questions
The background, a one-sentence goal, how you will measure it, what is in and out of scope, the deliverables with owners and dates, the milestones, who is involved and who approves, the budget, the risks, and a sign-off. This template has a section for each.
Two to four pages is common. Long enough that a new team member understands the project without a meeting, short enough that people read it. Put detail in linked documents rather than in the brief.
A project brief runs the project: why, what, who, when and how much. A creative brief briefs the creative work inside it: the audience, the message and the tone. Bigger projects usually have one project brief and a creative brief for each piece of creative work.
More free templates
Briefs, plans and production sheets, built the way we use them.
The templates are free. The team isn't.
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