Purpose: This template defines the structure for Project Overview - Current.md. The META chat uses this template to ensure format consistency when updating the working Project Overview document.
Usage: When updating Project Overview in META chat, Claude will reference this template to maintain consistent structure and formatting.
[Date Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD]
Current Phase: [Brief description of current phase/focus - 1-2 sentences]
Timeline Context: [Current date and where we are in overall project timeline]
Recent Major Developments: [1-3 bullet points of significant recent progress or changes]
Upcoming Milestones: [Next 1-3 key milestones with dates]
Chat Name: [Current Home Base chat name]
Purpose: Brainstorming, check-ins, exploratory thinking, learning discovery
Files to Reference:
Current Focus Areas:
Purpose: [One sentence: what this chat is building/creating]
Files to Reference:
Current Status: [Brief update on progress]
Expected Completion: [Date or milestone]
Purpose: [One sentence: what this chat is building/creating]
Files to Reference:
Current Status: [Brief update on progress]
Expected Completion: [Date or milestone]
[Repeat section for each active Work Unit chat - typically 2-4 active at any time]
Chat Name: META - Project Overview Maintenance - [Start Date] - Active
Purpose: Periodic consolidation and maintenance of this Project Overview document
Files to Reference: All project files for comprehensive overview
Update Schedule: Every 2-4 weeks or after major milestones
[List 3-5 most recently completed chats for context]
[Document major decisions, frameworks, or protocols currently guiding work]
Format:
Examples:
[List all significant files currently in project, organized by type]
Core Documentation:
Research/Theory:
Data/Analysis:
Development/Technical:
Progress Tracking:
[Track all artifacts created during the project with versions and contribution ratios]
Format:
| Artifact Name | Version/Date | Contribution Ratio | Chat Created | Status |
Active/Current Artifacts:
| [Artifact Title - Contribution Ratio] | v2.0 (2025-11-07) | H60-C40 | DEV - Website - 2025-10-15 | Current |
| [Artifact Title - Contribution Ratio] | v1.5 (2025-11-01) | H90-C10 | DATA - Coding Framework | Current |
Superseded/Archived Artifacts:
| [Artifact Title - Contribution Ratio] | v1.0 (2025-10-20) | H50-C50 | DEV - Website - 2025-10-15 | Superseded by v2.0 |
Purpose:
[Any specific instructions or context Claude should know when reading this Overview]
Examples:
Use this prompt when creating the Project Overview for the first time:
Today's date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
I'm creating the initial Project Overview document for this project. Please review:
- Project-Level Instructions
- Project Overview Template.md (for structure)
- All current files in the project
Based on this information, create the first version of "Project Overview - Current.md" following the template structure.
Current context to include:
[Provide bullet points about:]
- Current project phase
- Active chats (Home Base and any Work Units)
- Recent developments or starting state
- Key files that exist
- Any artifacts already created
Create a comprehensive initial overview that will serve as the foundation for future updates.
Use this prompt every 2-4 weeks or after major milestones:
Today's date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Time to update the Project Overview. Please review:
- Project Overview Template.md (for structure)
- Project Overview - Current.md (current content)
- Recent changes and developments I'll provide below
Updates since last Project Overview:
**Completed Work:**
- [List any completed work units, milestones, or deliverables]
**New Active Work:**
- [List any new chats started or focus areas]
**Progress on Active Work:**
- [Updates on ongoing work units]
**New Files/Artifacts:**
- [Any new files added or artifacts created with contribution ratios]
**Retired/Archived:**
- [Any chats retired or files superseded]
**Phase/Timeline Changes:**
- [Any shifts in project phase or timeline]
**Key Decisions Made:**
- [Important decisions or frameworks adopted since last update]
Please produce an updated "Project Overview - Current.md" that:
1. Follows the template structure
2. Incorporates all updates I've provided
3. Updates the "Date Last Updated" field
4. Maintains currency and relevance
5. Keeps content concise and optimized for AI consumption
Use this for small updates between major consolidations:
Today's date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Quick update to Project Overview - just need to reflect:
[Brief bullet points of specific changes - e.g.:]
- New Work Unit chat started: [name]
- Completed chat: [name]
- New artifact: [name and contribution ratio]
- Phase shift: [description]
Please update only the relevant sections of "Project Overview - Current.md" and update the date field.
When updating the Project Overview in META chat:
Project Overview - Current.md for existing contentQuality checks:
Optimization principle: The Overview should enable any chat in the project to orient quickly without requiring extensive context re-explanation from David.
Human Contribution (20%):
Claude Contribution (80%):
Collaboration Type: Template creation - human workflow needs with AI structure-dominant design
Citation & Attribution
Citation (APA 7th Edition): Dawson, D. R., II. (2025). Project overview template for AI collaboration maintenance. Northeastern University. https://github.com/drdawson2/ai-collaboration-reference-guide
Author Information:
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
You are free to:
Under the following terms:
Suggested Attribution:“Based on [Document Title] by David R. Dawson II (2025), available at https://github.com/drdawson2/ai-collaboration-reference-guide. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.”
Last Updated: 2025-11-09