---
type: brief
label: Brief
short: BRIEF
icon: doc
color: fgDim
---

# Brief Investigation

## When to use

The user needs to produce a document for a specific audience — "explain X to my CTO", "write a study guide on Y for junior engineers", "summarize the options for stakeholders." The primary output is a formatted document, not a comparison matrix or research synthesis. The investigation phase may be lightweight (or may reference a prior investigation).

## Interview adjustments

Replace the 8-question interview with audience/purpose definition:
1. Who is the audience? (role, technical level, what they care about)
2. What decision or understanding should the brief support?
3. What's the format? (1-page brief, study guide, slide deck outline, memo?)
4. What's the scope? (single topic, comparison of options, recommendation?)
5. Is there a prior investigation to draw from, or do we need fresh research?
6. What tone? (formal/academic, conversational, executive-concise?)

After Q6, define the document structure (sections, length, style).

## Discovery phase

Depends on whether fresh research is needed:

**If referencing a prior investigation**: Load the prior investigation's notes and synthesis. Discovery = identifying what's already been written and what gaps exist for this audience.

**If fresh research needed**: Conduct a lightweight version of the appropriate type (landscape, question, or survey) — just enough to inform the brief. Don't over-research; the brief is the deliverable, not the research.

Use `add-system` sparingly — only if the brief covers distinct products/approaches that need separate treatment.

## Sensemaking strategy

Notes are oriented toward the output document, not toward comprehensive understanding:

### Expected note topics
- `audience-context` — Who is reading this? What do they already know? What do they need?
- `key-points` — The 3-7 most important things the audience needs to understand
- `options-summary` — If the brief presents options: what are they, pros/cons of each
- `recommendation-framing` — How to present the recommendation in a way the audience will accept
- `draft-sections` — Draft content for each section of the brief

Keep notes focused on what serves the audience, not what's intellectually interesting.

## Analysis phase

Visualizations should be audience-appropriate:
- Simple comparison tables (not dense matrices)
- Decision flowcharts
- Timeline of key events (if relevant)
- Cost/effort/risk summary charts

Keep visualizations simple — the audience is not a researcher, they're a decision-maker or learner.

## Output expectations

**Synthesis report** IS the brief itself. Structure depends on the format agreed with the user:

For a **decision brief**:
1. Context (1-2 sentences: why this matters now)
2. Options (2-4, with 1-sentence description each)
3. Recommendation (which option, why)
4. Risks and mitigations
5. Next steps

For a **study guide**:
1. Learning objectives
2. Prerequisites
3. Core concepts (ordered by dependency)
4. Worked examples
5. Further reading

For a **technical memo**:
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Analysis
4. Conclusions
5. References

**Completion assessment** should confirm the document meets the stated purpose for the stated audience.

## Completion criteria

The investigation is complete when:
- The document exists in the agreed format
- It addresses all the audience's stated needs
- The user has reviewed it and confirmed it serves its purpose
- Any prior investigation referenced is properly cited
