In short: a rebriefing is the moment when you come back to a person that gave you a task and you tell them how you understand what you should do in your own words and high light what elements where missing and which one aren't possible in the time or budget frame that is given.

What is a rebriefing?

Most projects, be it a Service Design project, or any other type of project start with a briefing, kickoff or request Basically someone, a client, your boss, a stakeholder, tells you the details, goals, budget, time frame for the project:

A rebriefing is the fact of coming back to the person who told you: "This is what I need". and tell her: "This is what I understood, this is what we can reasonably do, and this stuff you asked is impossible. Can I start?".

Why's a rebriefing important?

A rebrieting is the moment where you disappoint the person who wants to give you a task before you start working on the task. It's so much better to come with the disappointing stuff before time and money got lost.

But you might say: "but Daniele, we are already perfectly aligned!" Then definitely you need the rebriefing. Because you think you understood the person that gave you the task but you haven't tested it. The fact that you re-tell the "client" what you think he wants will reveal also what you missed.

So a rebriefing helps the client see w hat is really possible. It helps you see what you miss understood, and it helps both of you to have a much clearer contract.

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