How to generate a briefing

A briefing document exists to get someone ready to make a decision quickly, unlike a report that may be read from beginning to end. The order matters more than the length: start with the situation and background, move into the key facts the reader needs, state the decision or action being requested, then finish with next steps. If the requested decision or action is buried several paragraphs down, the briefing becomes harder to use no matter how polished the writing is.

A briefing note and brief memo generally refer to the same type of document, with the preferred name varying between organizations. A meeting briefing follows the same basic structure but focuses on one upcoming meeting. In most cases, one or two pages is enough to give the reader the context they need without turning the briefing into a full report.

Once the content is clear, there are several ways to create the brief. The best approach depends on what source material is available and whether the priority is writing the content, formatting the document or getting both done at once. The following methods cover generating a brief with Gridset, writing one manually in Word or Google Docs and using an LLM to draft the text.

See the step-by-step process below to turn your source material into a briefing:

1. 1.
   Log in or sign up for a free Gridset account.
2. 2.
   Start generating your briefing by clicking the upload box.
3. 3.
   Add the briefing details by entering the topic, instructions and key information, or upload files and connect sources such as Google Drive, Notion, Claude or a ChatGPT folder. After that, click “Write as draft” to generate the initial briefing.
4. 4.
   Answer any follow-up questions that appear to provide additional details or clarify the briefing.
5. 5.
   Add brand details by entering a website URL or uploading brand guidelines.
6. 6.
   Choose the document length (brief, standard or detailed) and spelling (US or UK English).
7. 7.
   Click “Generate” to create the briefing. Edit the content directly or ask Gridset to make changes.
8. 8.
   Click “Design this document” to apply the layout. Hover over the top-right corner and click the arrow to change the layout, images, background, text or page order.
9. 9.
   Export the finished briefing as a PDF to save and share.

0:000:00

The result is a finished document rather than a block of draft text. It can be shared as a link, exported as a PDF or handed off for the next step without a separate design pass. Start creating a brief and see what Gridset builds from the next set of notes.

A plain document editor is still a practical way to create a short internal briefing, especially when the content is straightforward and the format is already familiar.

1. 1.
   Open a blank document and create sections for the situation, key facts, decision or ask and next steps.
2. 2.
   Write the situation and background first, keeping only the context needed to understand the issue.
3. 3.
   State the decision or action required in one direct line so the reader can find it quickly.
4. 4.
   Format the headings, spacing and other elements manually, then add a logo or letterhead if required.

This approach gives full control over the wording and structure, but the formatting and brand work also need to be handled manually each time.

Claude, ChatGPT and other LLMs can turn source material into a first draft of a briefing. This is useful when the information already exists but needs to be organized into a clear structure.

1. 1.
   Paste the source material and ask for a briefing focused on a specific decision, update or issue.
2. 2.
   Specify the audience, desired length and sections needed, then review the draft for missing context or unsupported claims.
3. 3.
   Ask follow-up prompts to tighten sections that are too long, clarify the ask or reorganize information.
4. 4.
   Copy the finished text into Word or another document editor and format the headings, spacing, tables and other visual elements manually.

The main limitation is the handoff between writing and design. An LLM can produce the text, but the resulting output still needs to be formatted and designed before it becomes a polished document. Charts, tables and other visual elements also need additional work if the briefing would benefit from them.