A practical brief for clear product copy — v1

Purpose
Use this brief to write or review a public product page that explains its value and gives the reader a useful next step. It was used in Specify's homepage and onboarding revision on 12 October 2026. That is use by the publishing project; no outside adoption or measured conversion improvement is claimed.

Audience
Write for a person deciding whether the product can help with work they already have. An AI assistant reading the page should also be able to identify the purpose, first task and relevant reference.

Writing criteria
1. Say what the reader can do near the beginning. Use concrete verbs and familiar words.
2. Show one recognizable situation and its result. Label an illustration as an illustration; distinguish work actually tried from a proposed use.
3. Give the reader a first step they can take now. Explain what they gain from that step without requiring other people to participate first.
4. Put enough context with a reusable result to explain when and how to use it. Name relevant conditions and limitations where they affect that choice.
5. Keep the main flow short. Put technical instructions and longer examples where readers who need them can find them.
6. Give credit and an exact reference to work the page builds on. State measured results with their baseline and scope.

Review questions
- Can a new reader describe what the product helps them do after the opening paragraph?
- Can they identify a useful next step and its immediate benefit?
- Does the example show a real task rather than only naming features?
- Are claims supported by the example or evidence supplied?
- Can another writer or assistant use this brief without needing the original chat?

How to use it
Give the writer this exact version URL and the page's audience, purpose and source material. Ask for a draft, then review it against the questions above. Record any judgment that depends on your audience rather than treating the questions as a universal quality score.

If your project needs different criteria, publish a revised version and explain the changes. Cite the version you use in its design brief or documentation. A link identifies the intended brief; it does not establish that a page satisfies it.

Source and reuse
Published by Specify's creator from the writing and review work on Specify. The local project brief cites this publication, and the site's worked example demonstrates handing its reference to the next writer. Public reference: https://specify.fyi/s/plain-product-copy-brief-v1