Day 3
Write your first formal AI work brief
Put the real problem, allowed scope, completion criteria, and evidence in one brief before Codex touches the project.
- Suggested time
- 50-70 minutes
- Completion evidence
- Formal work brief and change plan
What a work brief must align
A good brief connects four things: why the change matters, what may change, what completion means, and what evidence proves it.
Name the user and the change they need.
State allowed files and forbidden changes.
Make every requirement testable.
Add the judgment only a person can supply
Combine goal, boundary, and test
Formal work brief
Work brief: Add a Public Making Plan to the personal maker page
Context:
The existing personal maker page opens locally and its button feedback works.
Target user and real problem:
Target user: [who will view or use this page]
Real problem: [what information or action support is missing in the real situation]
Goal:
Add a "My Public Making Plan" section showing who I serve, what release one includes, and how I will validate next.
Allowed changes:
Only the existing web and style files required for this section.
Forbidden changes:
Do not rewrite or delete existing content, change the current button behavior, install dependencies, add a database, login, payment, or external services, or modify files outside the project.
Completion criteria:
The page opens and refreshes as before. The new section is complete. Existing content and button behavior remain. At 390 pixels wide, nothing is cut off and there is no horizontal scrolling.
Process:
First return a current-state summary, files to change, ordered plan, test plan, and risks. Wait for approval.Stop before execution
Today's finish line is an approved executable plan, not a rushed page change.
Formal work brief and change plan
Save both. Day 4 will execute and test this exact plan.
Go to Day 4