Process
5 min read
How we run a one-week brief
Five days, one room, a signed page at the end. The exact schedule we use to start every project, including the awkward parts.
Every Halfturn project starts the same way: five days, one room and a single signed page at the end. The page is the brief, and nothing is designed until both sides agree on it.
The schedule
Monday is interviews with the client team. Tuesday is customers. Wednesday we audit everything that already exists: the site, the product, the support inbox. Thursday we write. Friday we read the brief aloud together and edit it until everyone signs.
It is a paid week with a fixed fee, and about one client in ten decides not to continue. We think that is a good outcome for both sides.
The awkward parts
Someone always discovers the real problem on Wednesday, and it is rarely the one in the original request. The brief is where we say that out loud.