The briefing is everything the operator reads before the session starts. It sets the scene, tells the operator who they are in this situation, and gives them just enough context to begin. The conversation opening then determines who speaks first and what the first message says. Every scenario shape uses a briefing. Conversation scenarios and journey simulations also use the conversation opening, since they begin with dialogue. Decision tasks lean hardest on the briefing itself, because it frames the case material the operator is about to weigh.

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Briefing fields

Keep the briefing to what the operator would realistically know at the start. If a fact should be earned through questioning, put it in known state instead of the briefing. If the operator should discover it through their professional process, it belongs in hidden state.

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The conversation opening

Every scenario with dialogue sets a first message mode that determines who speaks first:

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Writing the first message

When the persona speaks first, the first message sets the tone and provides just enough information to start the conversation. It should not be a data dump, and it should not be so thin the operator has nothing to work with.
The good opening names the topic, signals the persona’s condition, and gives the operator a clear reason for the call. The vague one forces the operator to guess what the session is about. The detailed one hands over facts the operator should have to earn through questioning, which flattens the scenario.
You can use placeholders like [first-name], [last-name], and [age] in the first message. They are filled automatically from the persona’s identity, so the same opening works even if you swap identities.

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Next steps

Personas

The identity and personality behind the voice that speaks first.

Outputs

The artifacts and decisions the operator produces during the session.