Brief Builder: Designing the Starting Point.

CQuel Brief Builder interface - Optimize view with improvement recommendations and performance metrics
CQuel Brief Builder interface - Optimize view with improvement recommendations and performance metrics

Projects

Projects

Projects

Team

Product Designer + PM + 2 Engineers

Timeline

4 months (May - Aug 2025)

4 months
(May - Aug 2025)

Scope

Product design, research, prototyping, testing

Building an AI-powered tool that turned scattered documents into tender-ready briefs, unlocking CQuel's growth funnel.

CQuel connects real estate with sustainable solutions through bidding, but customers couldn't get started – brief creation was their biggest barrier. Without templates or guidance, potential projects never reached suppliers. We designed Brief Builder to transform this bottleneck into a guided journey, using AI to generate quality briefs from whatever documentation customers had.

01

The Problem

Customers need to create briefs before tendering projects. Most don't know how and get stuck.

  • Information Chaos
    Data scattered across files. No idea what suppliers actually need.

  • Role Confusion
    Who provides technical specs? Who handles strategy?

  • Status Uncertainty
    Is this brief good enough to publish?

  • Manual Coordination
    Endless emails chasing missing information.

02

The Research

Managers needed structure, not blank pages. They wanted guidance that helped them think, not just fill forms.

12

interviews

with managers

50+

existing

briefs

8

workflows shadowed

03

The Solution

What is Brief Builder?

An AI tool that helps customers create quality briefs without needing to know what to include. It guides them from scattered information to a confident "ready to publish" decision.

How it works

Customers upload whatever they have - PDFs, photos, notes. AI generates a structured brief with all required sections filled in.

Design principles:

Three core principles shaped how Brief Builder works

  • Direction over data
    Show what to do next, not just what's missing.

  • Whose court clarity
    Always visible who acts next and what they need to do.

  • Proactive status
    he system tells them when the brief is ready.

CQuel Brief Builder interface - Optimize view with improvement recommendations and performance metrics
CQuel Brief Builder interface - Optimize view with improvement recommendations and performance metrics
CQuel Brief Builder interface - Optimize view with improvement recommendations and performance metrics
Solar PV Project brief showing project details including 101.7 kWp installation size, 90,809 kWh energy demand, and 494.3 m² roof area for a residential property in Germany
Solar PV Project brief showing project details including 101.7 kWp installation size, 90,809 kWh energy demand, and 494.3 m² roof area for a residential property in Germany
Solar PV Project brief showing project details including 101.7 kWp installation size, 90,809 kWh energy demand, and 494.3 m² roof area for a residential property in Germany

Information Chaos → Structured Brief

Upload whatever you have - PDFs, photos, notes, scattered documents. AI analyses the content and generates an organised brief with all required sections filled in.

Role Confusion → Four Clear Ways to Fill Gaps

For each missing piece, choose how to complete it:

  • upload a document,

  • write it manually,

  • delegate to a team member,

  • or request help from CQuel.

No more guessing who should provide what.

Structural assessment recommendation card with Save up to €10k tag, showing four action options: Add details, Upload, Delegate to team member, or Get assistance
Structural assessment recommendation card with Save up to €10k tag, showing four action options: Add details, Upload, Delegate to team member, or Get assistance
Structural assessment recommendation card with Save up to €10k tag, showing four action options: Add details, Upload, Delegate to team member, or Get assistance
Brief Performance panel showing three quality indicators: Pricing accuracy rated Excellent, Time in Tender rated Standard, and Clarity level rated Adequate, with comparison metrics and optimization tips
Brief Performance panel showing three quality indicators: Pricing accuracy rated Excellent, Time in Tender rated Standard, and Clarity level rated Adequate, with comparison metrics and optimization tips
Brief Performance panel showing three quality indicators: Pricing accuracy rated Excellent, Time in Tender rated Standard, and Clarity level rated Adequate, with comparison metrics and optimization tips

Status Uncertainty → Decision Markers

Three quality indicators -

  • Pricing Accuracy,

  • Time in Tender,

  • Clarity - show if your brief is ready to publish.

Good/Excellent/Adequate ratings with clear "Ready to Proceed" signal replace guesswork with confidence.

Manual Coordination → Educational Guidance

Built-in explanations show why each piece matters:

"Without structural docs, contractors add 15% safety margin" or "Visual confirmation reduces electrical estimates by 10%."

Customers learn tender dynamics while building their brief.

Optimize tab showing three priority filters - Accurate pricing, Fastest start, Best bids - with prioritized recommendations and cost savings for each action
Optimize tab showing three priority filters - Accurate pricing, Fastest start, Best bids - with prioritized recommendations and cost savings for each action
Optimize tab showing three priority filters - Accurate pricing, Fastest start, Best bids - with prioritized recommendations and cost savings for each action

04

Testing

What we did:

Built a fully functional prototype using Cursor - not just clickable, but genuinely working like a real site.

  • Tested with 5 customers (asset managers, consultants, engineers).

  • CEO used it for sales demos while we were still designing.

What changed and why:

Percentages → Simple Ratings

Users didn't want scores - they wanted to know "is this good enough?" Changed to Good/Excellent/Adequate with clear "Ready to Proceed" signal.

Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations
Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations
Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations
Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations
Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations
Before and after: percentage-based quality scores replaced by outcome-focused Brief Performance with Excellent, Standard, and Adequate ratings and clear explanations

Our Jargon → Their Words

Terms like "best bids" confused people. Switched to plain language customers actually use in their work.

Terminology changes: Brief quality to Clarity level, Costing Precision to Pricing accuracy, Accurate to Good, Could be reduced to Adequate
Terminology changes: Brief quality to Clarity level, Costing Precision to Pricing accuracy, Accurate to Good, Could be reduced to Adequate
Terminology changes: Brief quality to Clarity level, Costing Precision to Pricing accuracy, Accurate to Good, Could be reduced to Adequate

Everything in One View → Separate Tabs

Editing and reviewing at the same time caused confusion about what state they were in. Split into Review and Optimise.

Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations
Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations
Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations
Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations
Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations
Before and after: combined editing and assessment view split into separate Review and Optimize tabs with clear improvement recommendations

Text Editing → Recommendation Actions

Users wanted to trust the AI baseline, not constantly question it. Removed inline editing.

Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted
Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted
Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted
Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted
Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted
Before and after comparison: inline text editing with incomplete information warning replaced by structured recommendation card with clear action options and cost savings highlighted

05

Impact

Validated foundation for Deal Closing Management - next product phase.

Core insight:
Customers need clarity on "whose turn is it?" This extends beyond briefs to entire project lifecycle.

06

Key Learnings

Validated foundation for Deal Closing Management - next product phase.

  • Functional prototypes enable sales
    Cursor prototype became a sales tool before dev shipped.

  • Design for teams, not individuals
    B2B workflows need delegation built in.

  • Use customer language
    Their words = instant understanding.

  • Show direction, not just data
    Interpretation matters more than information.