01
Identify the object and the details being requested
Start with what the customer wants made and how it will be used. For the display-box example, record the object intended to sit inside it and distinguish that object’s dimensions from the proposed box dimensions. Add the requested finish and any reference images, identifying which aspect of each image matters. A photograph of another box might illustrate a colour preference without specifying its construction. Mark unanswered questions clearly. The brief should not silently convert an approximate conversation into precise production values the maker has never reviewed.
02
Attach the selected sample and confirm the revision
When the maker proposes a finish or layout, give the sample or drawing a version identifier and attach it to the same brief. Record the customer’s response to that specific version. If the customer asks for a change, describe the affected detail and ask the maker to confirm the resulting proposal before treating it as settled. In the fictional example, a darker finish could change the selected sample without changing the box size. Keeping those decisions separate helps avoid an informal message being interpreted as approval of every other detail.
03
Check the current brief at the handover point
Before the agreed stage begins, compare the current brief with the confirmed drawing and sample. Identify the responsible contact for any remaining question and record which matters are still open. Keep earlier versions available but label the current one clearly. At the eventual handover, use the same record to discuss the delivered work and any follow-up, rather than relying on memories of the first conversation. The value of the sheet is a traceable description of the shared decisions; commercial terms and production requirements belong in the separate arrangements appropriate to the project.