Start with the question
The example asks: “What around the house needs attention next?” The tool needs two things to answer: when you last checked each item, and how often to check it.
From those, it works out what’s due next and sorts by it.
The purchase price and serial number don’t help answer that question. Keep them in a document instead.
Every field is something someone has to keep filled in. If a field doesn’t serve the question, it won’t get filled in.
Decide when to check each item again
Call the interval field something like “Check every (months)”. The brief builder needs a time unit in the name to work out the next date, so “Frequency” on its own won’t work.
Leave a date blank until you know it, like the washing machine’s until you find the manual. It still shows at the bottom, marked “find interval”, so you can follow up without inventing a deadline.
| Field type | What the brief adds | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Date + number interval | Next due = date + interval; an overdue view | The tool answers the question without you scanning rows |
| Person | A “mine” filter | You see at a glance whose job each item is |
| One of a few options | A rule for which status leaves the main list | Replaced items stop cluttering the view without being deleted |
| Link or file reference | A place to point at the manual or receipt | The evidence stays where it lives; the tool remembers where |
Run it as a spreadsheet first
Try it as a spreadsheet for a month first.
If keeping it current becomes a chore, hand the downloaded brief to a person, or to your Nym, to build. If the spreadsheet still works after a month, keep it.
