Create a Project Brief in Asana
Use the project overview and brief to explain the outcome, scope and ownership before tasks proliferate. A useful brief helps contributors make consistent tradeoffs without opening every task.
Step-by-step guide
Check access and scope
The project needs an owner and permission to edit its overview resources. Agree on which artifact is authoritative for detailed requirements.
State the user problem
Open the project overview and describe the user problem.
Set scope boundaries
State the intended outcome and explicit exclusions.
- Worked example: An invite-flow brief should say whether administrator controls are included, which behavior changes and how success will be observed. Link design details instead of repeating them inconsistently.
Name decision owners
Identify decision owners and workstream responsibilities.
Link current resources
Attach authoritative requirements, designs and evidence.
Test contributor understanding
Ask a contributor to explain the scope using the brief alone.
Verify the result
A new collaborator can identify the problem, scope boundary and person who resolves disagreements.
Common mistakes
Check the handoff edge case
Assigning several people as an unnamed collective owner obscures who resolves scope disagreements. Identify a clear decision maker.
Sources and verification
Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.