How to write an app brief
A clear brief saves more time than any tool. Answer these five questions in a page before you start.
1. Who uses it?
Name the real people: the receptionist who books appointments, the manager who approves a request. List what each of them needs to do, in order.
2. What records does it keep?
Write down the things the app stores, such as customers, bookings or invoices, and the few fields each one needs. Fewer fields make a better first version.
3. What decisions does it make?
Note every rule, such as "a booking needs approval above 4 people". These rules are where mistakes hide.
4. What can go wrong?
Describe the exceptions: a double booking, a missing document, a customer who cancels. Decide who handles each one.
5. How will you know it works?
Write three or four checks you can run by hand. If you cannot test it, you cannot trust it.
Keep the brief to one page. You can always add detail after you have seen a first version.