Start with the job
Describe who will use the proposed product and what they need to accomplish. Include the setting, the constraints you already know and the problems with existing alternatives. A collection of attractive reference images is useful, but it does not explain why one shape or material is appropriate. Keep requirements separate from preferences so the team can see where a compromise is possible.
Make open questions visible
List what remains unknown: available manufacturing processes, important interfaces, inspection needs and the intended quantity. Assign a person to resolve each question rather than allowing assumptions to become invisible requirements. A brief should change when evidence changes, with a dated record of the revision. The goal is a shared working picture, not a document that appears complete before the design has been investigated.
A practical review checklist
- Describe a real use.
- Separate needs and preferences.
- Assign unresolved questions.
Further reading
General design-planning material. Actual specifications, machine operation and safety decisions require suitable qualified expertise.