# Module 04: Product Brief

**Your Strategic Foundation in 30-45 Minutes**

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## Module Overview

This module teaches you how to create a Product Brief - the strategic foundation that prevents chaos and saves weeks of rework. Learn what the document is, why it matters, and how WDS makes creating it fast through AI-guided conversation.

**Time:** 46-58 minutes (6 lessons)  
**Prerequisites:** Module 02 completed (WDS installed)  
**What you'll create:** Product Brief (2-3 pages) + optional strategic documents as needed

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## What You'll Learn

- Why projects fail without strategic foundation (and how to prevent it)
- The 5 strategic questions every Product Brief must answer
- What the document looks like and how it's structured
- How WDS makes this fast (30-45 min vs days of meetings)
- How teams use the Product Brief throughout the project
- Additional strategic documents you can create as needed

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## Lessons

### [Lesson 1: The Chaos Problem](lesson-01-chaos-problem.md)

**Time:** 6-8 minutes

Why projects fail before they start:

- The cost of no foundation (wasted design, misalignment, scope creep)
- What the Product Brief does (single source of truth)
- Time investment vs payoff (30-45 min saves weeks)
- Your insurance policy against chaos

### [Lesson 2: The 5 Strategic Questions](lesson-02-five-questions.md)

**Time:** 10-12 minutes

What every Product Brief must answer:

- **What & Why** - Vision and positioning
- **Who** - Target users and stakeholders
- **How We'll Know** - Success criteria (measurable outcomes)
- **Context** - Competitive landscape (alternatives, differentiation)
- **Boundaries** - Constraints (technical, business, design)

### [Lesson 3: The Document Structure](lesson-03-document-structure.md)

**Time:** 8-10 minutes

What a Product Brief actually looks like:

- Template structure walkthrough
- Key sections and what goes in each
- How to keep it concise (2-3 pages max)
- Making it scannable and useful
- Living document approach

### [Lesson 4: How WDS Makes This Great](lesson-04-wds-advantage.md)

**Time:** 8-10 minutes

The unique features that ensure excellence:

- Human-in-the-loop thinking partnership (BMad methodology)
- AI-guided discovery (no blank page paralysis)
- Conversational approach (talk it out, Saga writes it down)
- Structured output (proper formatting automatically)
- Built-in best practices (SMART goals, constraint checklists)
- Two levels: Simplified vs Complete (based on project needs)

### [Lesson 5: Using Your Product Brief](lesson-05-using-brief.md)

**Time:** 6-8 minutes

How this document powers your entire project:

- How designers use it (reference for every decision)
- How developers use it (understand the "why")
- How stakeholders use it (track progress, prevent scope creep)
- How product managers use it (roadmaps, user stories)
- When to update it (and when not to)

### [Lesson 6: Additional Strategic Documents](lesson-06-additional-documents.md)

**Time:** 8-10 minutes

Expanding your strategic foundation:

- Core Features Document (feature prioritization)
- Tone of Voice Guide (brand personality, communication)
- Visual Design Brief (visual direction, inspiration)
- Technical Architecture Brief (platform, integrations)
- Content Strategy (content types, publishing)
- Localization Strategy (multi-language planning)
- Accessibility Requirements (compliance, user needs)
- Data & Privacy Strategy (collection, storage, compliance)

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## Tutorial

**[Tutorial: Create Your Product Brief →](tutorial-04.md)**

Step-by-step hands-on guide to creating your Product Brief with Saga.

**Time:** 30-45 minutes  
**What you'll create:** Complete Product Brief document

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## Key Concepts

**Product Brief:**
- 2-3 page strategic document
- Answers 5 critical questions (What/Why, Who, How We'll Know, Context, Boundaries)
- Single source of truth for entire team
- Created in 30-45 minutes through AI-guided conversation
- Living document that evolves with the project

**The 5 Strategic Questions:**
1. **What & Why** - Vision and positioning (what you're building, why it matters, who it's for)
2. **Who** - Target users and stakeholders (who uses it, who decides, who builds)
3. **How We'll Know** - Success criteria (user, business, technical, design metrics)
4. **Context** - Competitive landscape (alternatives, differentiation, positioning)
5. **Boundaries** - Constraints (technical, business, design limitations)

**WDS Advantage:**
- **Speed:** 30-45 min vs days of meetings
- **AI-Guided:** Saga asks the right questions, no blank page
- **Conversational:** Natural dialogue, not form-filling
- **Professional:** Built-in best practices (SMART goals, checklists)
- **Flexible:** Two levels (simplified vs complete)
- **Living:** Easy to update as you learn

**Additional Documents:**
- Optional strategic documents created as needed
- All live in Project Brief folder
- Same conversational approach with Saga
- Expand foundation based on project complexity

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## Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will:

- ✅ Understand why the Product Brief prevents chaos and saves weeks
- ✅ Know the 5 strategic questions that guide every design decision
- ✅ Be able to structure a clear, concise Product Brief
- ✅ Understand how WDS makes this fast through AI guidance
- ✅ Know how teams use the Product Brief throughout the project
- ✅ Be able to create additional strategic documents as needed
- ✅ Have confidence to create your own Product Brief in 30-45 minutes

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## What You'll Create

**Core:**
- ✅ Product Brief (2-3 pages)
  - Vision & positioning
  - Target users & stakeholders
  - Success criteria (measurable)
  - Competitive landscape
  - Constraints (technical, business, design)

**Optional (as needed):**
- ✅ Core Features Document
- ✅ Tone of Voice Guide
- ✅ Visual Design Brief
- ✅ Technical Architecture Brief
- ✅ Content Strategy
- ✅ Localization Strategy
- ✅ Accessibility Requirements
- ✅ Data & Privacy Strategy

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## Start Learning

**[Begin with Lesson 1: The Chaos Problem →](lesson-01-chaos-problem.md)**

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[← Back to Course Overview](../00-course-overview.md) | [Next: Module 05: Trigger Mapping →](../module-05-trigger-mapping/module-05-overview.md)

*Part of the WDS Course: From Designer to Linchpin*
