| 1 | # Mode: briefing |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Neutral information delivery. Lay the facts out plainly and completely, organized for scanning and lookup — no thesis to argue, no story to tell, no lesson to build, no spectacle. For status updates, reference decks, catalogs, meeting packs, FAQs, data references. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | --- |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ## 1. Narrative skeleton |
| 8 | |
| 9 | **No thesis, by design**: the deck informs rather than argues. Don't manufacture a conclusion-first claim (that's `pyramid`) or a turn (that's `narrative`) where the material is simply "here is what's true". |
| 10 | |
| 11 | **Topic titles, not assertions**: the page title names its subject plainly ("Q3 headcount by team", "Supported file formats") — clarity for lookup beats a persuasive finding. This is the deliberate inverse of `pyramid`'s assertion titles. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | **`core_message` states coverage, not a claim**: when filling `design_spec.md §IX`, write each page's `core_message` as what the page lays out ("Q3 headcount across teams"), not what it proves ("headcount is concentrating in engineering"). The §IX field reads as an assertion under the other modes; under `briefing` it names scope. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | **Complete over selective**: include the full reference set the audience needs to scan, not only the points that support a case. Coverage is the value here. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | **Parallel, even treatment**: sibling items get the same shape and weight so they can be compared and located quickly; nothing is dramatized over its peers unless it genuinely differs. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | **Sectioned for navigation**: group related facts, label the groups, keep order predictable (chronological / categorical / alphabetical) so the reader can jump to what they need. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | --- |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ## 2. Page-structure tendencies |
| 24 | |
| 25 | - Tables, definition lists, status cards, reference grids, dashboards — scannable structures over hero compositions. |
| 26 | - Even hierarchy within a section; consistent layout across sibling pages so the eye always knows where to look. |
| 27 | - Where one figure genuinely matters (a total, a status flag, an exception), surface it — but don't invent a punchline the content doesn't have. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | > Table / list / dashboard / status-card geometry lives in [`templates/charts/`](../../templates/charts/); this mode decides *that the page informs completely and neutrally*, not pixel positions. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | ## 3. Speaker-notes register |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Even, factual, plain. State what the page shows without building tension or pressing a "so what". No rhetorical questions, no suspense — a clear read-out the listener can follow or skim. Numbers stated plainly. (Common framework: [`executor-notes.md`](../executor-notes.md) §1.) |
| 34 | |
| 35 | ## 4. Page skeleton example |
| 36 | |
| 37 | ``` |
| 38 | Title: "Q3 deliverables by workstream" ← a topic label, not a claim |
| 39 | Body: status table — workstream | owner | status | due — rows at equal weight |
| 40 | Notes: "Three workstreams are on track; payments is at risk on the integration." (plain read-out) |
| 41 | ``` |
| 42 |