--- name: creative-brief description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "write a creative brief", "build a motion brief", "the client doesn't know what they want", "turn this vague client request into a brief", "what questions should I ask the client", or "make a brief I can get sign-off on". It turns a fuzzy client ask into a structured, sign-off-ready motion design brief and the exact clarifying questions to send back. version: 0.1.0 --- # Creative Brief Convert a vague client ask ("we need a cool animated explainer") into a structured, sign-off-ready creative brief, and generate the exact clarifying questions to send when the client cannot articulate what they want. ## When to use Use when starting any motion project, when a client request lacks the detail needed to scope or quote, when a brief needs to be drafted for client approval, or when a "make it cool" request must be translated into concrete direction. A locked brief is the contract for creative intent; everything downstream (estimate, scope, revisions, delivery) depends on it. ## Core principle A brief is not a wish list — it is a decision document. Every project decision should trace back to one line in the brief. The job is to interrogate eleven dimensions until each has a concrete, written answer, then lock it with a sign-off line. Vague answers are not acceptable; convert each one into a specific, testable statement. ## Decision tree — how far to take the brief The judgment is *how much rigour this brief needs* and *what to do with each gap*. Don't over-process a one-day social cutdown; don't under-process a broadcast campaign. ``` Is the creative intent already clear and agreed in writing? ├─ YES → write a 1-page lightweight brief, confirm, proceed. Don't re-interrogate. └─ NO → run full 11-dimension interrogation. │ For each dimension, classify the answer: ├─ Concrete & testable → record it, move on. ├─ Vague ("cool", "modern") → run vague-translator → offer bounded choice. ├─ Blank → pull matching clarifying question (by gap). └─ Contradictory / 3 messages → force-rank, surface the conflict to the decision-maker, do NOT average them. │ Can you proceed without the answer? ├─ Cosmetic gap → write best assumption, flag [ASSUMPTION — confirm]. └─ Scope/cost-defining → BLOCK. No budget, no air date, no single message, gap (budget, no named placements = stop and resolve before date, message, design. These set the price and the spec. distribution) ``` Rule of thumb: gaps that change the *price or the spec* are blockers; gaps that only change *execution detail* become flagged assumptions. ## The 11 interrogation dimensions Capture a concrete answer for each. If the client cannot answer, send the matching clarifying question (see references/clarifying-questions.md). 1. **Business goal** — what the business needs to change (awareness, sign-ups, sales, comprehension). Must be measurable, not "engagement." 2. **Audience** — who watches, where their head is at, their objection. Specific persona, not "everyone." 3. **Core message** — the ONE thing a viewer must remember. One sentence. If there are three, the brief is not done. 4. **Tone / feel** — 3-5 adjectives plus a "but not" (e.g. "playful but not childish"). Tie to reference frames. 5. **Mandatories** — brand assets, logo lockup rules, colour/font system, legal disclaimers, super/endcard, clearcast/regulatory needs. 6. **Deliverables** — exact count, durations, and versions (e.g. 1× 30s hero, 3× 6s cutdowns, 1× static endframe). 7. **Distribution** — exact placements (IG Reels, paid YouTube pre-roll, trade-show loop, broadcast). This drives spec and aspect ratios. 8. **References** — 2-4 links with a note on what to steal from each ("the pacing here, not the colour"). Also anti-references. 9. **Timeline** — final air date working backwards through delivery, revisions, animation, design, script/board, kickoff. 10. **Budget** — a real number or a band. "No budget yet" is a red flag to resolve before design starts. 11. **Success metric** — how success is judged 30 days post-launch. Defines "done well," not just "done." ## Question bank by gap (which question fixes which hole) Match the gap to the single highest-leverage question. Full send-ready bank in references/clarifying-questions.md. | Gap in the ask | The one question that closes it | |---|---| | No measurable goal | "If this works, what number on a dashboard moves?" | | Audience = "everyone" | "Who must act first? That's the audience." | | Three messages | "Rank these 1-3; the brief carries #1, the rest become later assets." | | Tone with no guardrail | "Pick 3-5 words — then the important one: what must it NOT feel like?" | | Vague tone ("modern") | Run vague-translator → "Closer to A (calm/slow) or B (punchy/fast)?" | | No mandatories listed | "Send logo files, brand guide, fonts, colours, and any legal super." | | Fuzzy deliverables | "Exactly how many videos, what durations, which ratios/versions?" | | "Social" (no platform) | "Which exact placements — Reels, TikTok, pre-roll, web hero, TV?" | | No / endless references | "Send 2-4 you love (one line each on what to steal) + 1 you hate." | | No date | "What's the hard air date, and who gives the final yes?" | | No budget | "Projects like this run X-Y — which end are we?" | | No success metric | "30 days out, what makes this a win?" | ## Workflow 1. **Intake.** Read the raw client ask. Extract whatever maps to the 11 dimensions; mark the rest as gaps. 2. **Triage gaps.** For each blank or vague dimension, pull the matching clarifying question. Group them into one consolidated email — never drip-feed questions across days. 3. **Draft the brief.** Fill the template below. Where the client was vague, write the best assumption and flag it `[ASSUMPTION — confirm]`. 4. **Pressure-test.** Check the message is singular, the tone has a "but not," deliverables have counts and durations, and distribution maps to real specs. 5. **Send for sign-off.** Include the sign-off block. No design work begins until it is returned approved. ## The brief template ``` PROJECT BRIEF — [Project name] Date: ___ Version: ___ Client: ___ Main contact (decision-maker): ___ Prepared by: ___ 1. BUSINESS GOAL We are making this so that: [measurable change] 2. AUDIENCE Primary: [persona, context, mindset, key objection] 3. CORE MESSAGE (the one thing) After watching, the viewer thinks/does: [one sentence] 4. TONE / FEEL It feels: [adj, adj, adj] — but NOT [adj, adj] 5. MANDATORIES Logo: [lockup + rules] Colour/Type: [system] Legal/super/endcard: [required text] Regulatory: [Y/N — body] 6. DELIVERABLES [count × duration × ratio × format] (full list in delivery section) 7. DISTRIBUTION Placements: [exact channels + paid/organic] 8. REFERENCES • [link] — take: [what to steal] • Anti-ref: [link] — avoid: [what] 9. TIMELINE (back from air date) Air: ___ Final delivery: ___ Rev rounds: ___ Animation: ___ Design/boards: ___ Script: ___ Kickoff: ___ 10. BUDGET [number or band] — covers: [scope] 11. SUCCESS METRIC 30 days out, success = [metric + target] ASSUMPTIONS TO CONFIRM • [ASSUMPTION] ... SIGN-OFF This brief is the agreed creative intent. Changes after sign-off are handled as change requests. Approved by: __________ Title: ______ Date: ______ ``` ## Handling "I don't know what I want" Do not ask the client to design. Offer bounded choices instead of open questions: - Replace "What tone do you want?" with "Closer to A (calm, premium, slow) or B (punchy, bold, fast)?" - Replace "Any references?" with "Of these three styles, which is nearest — and what's wrong with it?" - Force a single message: "If the viewer forgets everything but one line, which line?" - Anchor budget with a band: "Projects like this usually land between X and Y — which end are we?" Convert every vague adjective using the translator in references/vague-translator.md ("clean" → which of: minimal layout / lots of negative space / limited palette / slow easing?). ## Worked examples **GOOD — a core-message line that closes decisions:** > *After watching, the viewer thinks: "Invoicing that takes 30 seconds."* One sentence, one idea, testable. Every scene can be checked against it; pacing, copy, and the endcard all trace back to this line. Full start-to-finish brief in references/worked-example.md. **ANTI-PATTERN — the "kitchen-sink" brief that guarantees revisions:** > *Goal: drive engagement and awareness and sign-ups. Audience: everyone who'd love our product. Message: we're innovative, affordable, easy to use, and trusted. Tone: modern, cool, fun but professional. Make it pop.* Why it fails: no measurable goal, no real audience, four competing messages, a tone with no guardrail, and an untranslated "pop." Nothing here can be approved or disproven, so round 1 becomes a discovery session on the client's dime. The fix is the entire workflow above: force one goal, one audience, one message, one "but not," and translate "pop" into a bounded choice before any design. ## Common mistakes | Symptom | Why it happens | Fix | |---|---|---| | Brief reads like a wish list | Captured the client's words verbatim instead of decisions | Convert every line to a concrete, testable statement | | Round 1 turns into "what do you actually want?" | Started design with blockers unresolved | Block on goal/budget/date/message/platform before design | | Tone keeps drifting in reviews | No "but not" guardrail set | Add the guardrail adjective; it prevents ~80% of tone revisions | | Three messages, muddy film | Averaged competing messages instead of ranking | Force-rank; carry #1, park the rest as future assets | | Spec/quote keeps changing | Distribution left as "social" | Pin exact placements — they define ratio, length, and price | | Client "approves" then reopens it | No sign-off block / decision-maker unclear | Identify the single decision-maker; lock with the sign-off line | | References pull in five directions | Endless refs, no "take" notes | Cap at 4, require a "what to steal" note + 1 anti-reference | ## Deliverable spec — what a good brief contains The output is a one-page document (the filled template) plus, when gaps exist, one consolidated clarifying email. A good brief: - Fits roughly one page — long enough to decide, short enough to read. - Has a concrete, testable answer in every one of the 11 dimensions (or a flagged `[ASSUMPTION]`). - Carries exactly one core message and a tone with a "but not." - Lists deliverables with counts, durations, and ratios, and distribution as named placements. - Names the single decision-maker and ends with the sign-off block. ### Before you finish — checklist - [ ] Core message is ONE sentence (not two, not three). - [ ] Tone has a "but not" guardrail. - [ ] Goal is measurable; success metric has a target and a timeframe. - [ ] Budget is a real number or an agreed band (no "TBD"). - [ ] Air date set; schedule runs backwards from it. - [ ] Deliverables have counts + durations + ratios; distribution is named placements. - [ ] References capped at 4, each with a "take," plus 1 anti-reference. - [ ] Every vague adjective was translated to a concrete choice. - [ ] Assumptions flagged `[ASSUMPTION — confirm]`; decision-maker named; sign-off block present. ## Related frameworks The brief sets *intent*; two sibling skills turn that intent into motion direction — reference them, don't restate them here: - **`motion-art-direction`** — once tone is locked (dimension 4), pick a named **Motion Personality** preset there and cite it in the brief so everyone animates to the same numeric feel. - **`animation-principles`** — the **Three Pillars** (intent → tone → craft) are the upstream version of this brief's logic; the **Primary/Secondary/Ambient** motion layers and the **1/3 Rule** belong in execution, not the brief — don't pull them in here. ## Quick reference | Symptom | Move | |---|---| | "Make it pop / cool / modern" | Run the vague-translator; offer 2 bounded options | | Three core messages | Force-rank; brief carries one, others become future assets | | No budget given | Anchor with a band before any design | | "Everyone" is the audience | Ask who must act first; that is the audience | | No air date | Set delivery date first, schedule backwards | | Endless references | Cap at 4 + require a "take" note + 1 anti-reference | | Tone with no "but not" | Add the guardrail adjective; it prevents 80% of revisions | ## Reference files - `references/clarifying-questions.md` — the full bank of send-ready clarifying questions, one set per dimension, plus the consolidated intake email template. - `references/vague-translator.md` — vague-adjective → concrete-question lookup table and the bounded-choice question patterns. - `references/worked-example.md` — a real vague ask turned into a completed brief, start to finish.