---
title: "App requirements template"
description: "A free app requirements template in Markdown: goals, users, must-have features, platforms, timeline and budget. The questions we ask at the start of a project."
canonical: "https://goodtogrid.com/resources/app-brief-template"
updated: "2026-10-02"
---

# App requirements template

> A free app requirements template in Markdown: goals, users, must-have features, platforms, timeline and budget. The questions we ask at the start of a project.

URL: https://goodtogrid.com/resources/app-brief-template · Resource · Published: 2026-10-02 · Updated: 2026-10-02 · By goodtogrid studio

Before anyone draws a screen, these are the questions that decide what gets built. Fill them in for your team, or send them to us. A page or two is plenty.

- **Format:** Markdown · app-brief-template.md
- **Sections:** 6
- **Backed by:** 2 case studies · 1 for a client, 1 concept
- **Updated:** 2026-10-02

## What’s inside

1. **The problem.** What is hard today, for whom, and what they do instead. One paragraph, in the words the people affected would use.
2. **The people.** Who uses it, in what order, and on what screen. A receptionist at a desk and a patient on a phone are two different products.
3. **Must have on day one.** The few things the first release can't ship without. Everything else goes on the later list.
4. **Platforms.** Web, iOS, Android, or a mix, and why. If you're unsure, say so; that's a fine answer.
5. **Constraints.** Regulation, data, integrations, existing systems, a launch date that can't move.
6. **Timeline and budget.** A range is enough. It shapes the plan more than any other answer.

## The template

```markdown
# App brief

## The problem
What is hard today, for whom, and what do they do instead?

## The people
- Who uses it first:
- Who else uses it:
- On what device or screen:

## Must have on day one
1.
2.
3.

## Later
-

## Platforms
Web / iOS / Android / not sure yet — and why:

## Constraints
- Regulation or data rules:
- Systems it must connect to:
- Dates that can't move:

## Timeline and budget
- When it should be in people's hands:
- Budget range (USD):

## Where it is now
Just an idea / designs ready / existing product / needs a rebuild
```

## How to use it

Write it in plain words and keep it short. The goal isn't a specification. It's a shared picture of the problem that a designer and an engineer can both start from.

This is the same set of questions our brief asks on the start a project page. Filled in, it's usually enough for us to reply with a plan and a range.

## Related work

- **[Rekamedika](https://goodtogrid.com/work/rekamedika)** — Electronic medical records system for clinics. _Client project · Health · Web app · 2026_
- **[Clinic Queue App](https://goodtogrid.com/work/clinic-queue-app)** — Patient booking and a live queue for a clinic network. _Studio concept · Health · iOS · Android · 2026_

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to fill in every section?

No. Gaps are useful; they show us what to ask in the first call. The problem and the people matter most.

### Can I send the filled-in template to you?

Yes. Paste it into the brief on the start a project page, or email it to hello@goodtogrid.com.

## Read next

- [Native vs cross-platform apps](https://goodtogrid.com/compare/native-vs-cross-platform) (Comparison) — Native or cross-platform for an iOS and Android app, side by side, with a verdict.
- [Electronic medical records development](https://goodtogrid.com/solutions/electronic-medical-records) (Solution) — An EMR web app for clinics, laid out in the order a visit happens.
- [UI/UX design](https://goodtogrid.com/services/ui-ux-design) (Service) — Research, flows, prototypes and design systems, from the people who build them.

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