Brief · Template
Landscape.
LiveLandscapeGive the board a view of a market in three sentences and then the evidence: the boundary and inclusion rule, the size with every source side by side, who plays where, and what it means for you.
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When to use it
You need a board-ready picture of a market or a field, and you need to know who is in it, how big it is and where it is heading.
Who it is for. Leads preparing a partnership, a launch, a sourcing decision or a strategy: corporate development, market access, clinical operations, evidence and safety leads who have to put a map in front of a board.
Why landscapes disagree
Two reports on the same market can give very different sizes, because they count different things. A landscape that picks one number, or averages them, hides that. This template defines the market and an inclusion rule first, shows each estimate with its source, year, definition and geography, and never averages conflicting figures.2,3
What you get
The picture in three sentences. The market and its size, the structural fact that shapes it, and what that means for you. A board member who reads only this has the answer.1
A boundary and an inclusion rule. One defining sentence, then what is in scope, what is out, the geography and period, and the rule for including a player. Players that do not meet the rule are counted and set aside.2
The market in numbers, side by side. A table of estimates with source, year, definition, value and geography. When estimates conflict they are shown together and never averaged. A table of segments and sizes appears when three segments are sourced.3
Who plays where. Players grouped by one primary segment, with the inclusion rule and the number excluded. At Comprehensive length, a two-axis map appears only if both axes are defined and each placement is cited.2,5
What is shaping it. At Comprehensive length, three to five forces, each with its effect and evidence.4
What it means for you, and what could not be sourced. Two to four moves tied to findings, then the closing list of what could not be sourced and what each gap limits.
What is in it, by length
| Section | Brief | Standard | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| The picture in briefMarket and size, the structural fact, the implication | – | ● | ● |
| Scope and boundaryWhat is in and out, and the inclusion rule | – | ● | ● |
| The market in numbersThe estimates, the segments and the sources | – | ● | ● |
| Who plays whereThe players by segment | – | ● | ● |
| What is shaping itThe forces and their effects | – | – | ● |
| What it means for usThe moves that follow from the findings | – | ● | ● |
| What we could not sourceThe missing items and what each limits | – | ● | ● |
A Standard landscape reads in about 1,500 words. A Comprehensive landscape reads in about five. Brief is not offered for a Landscape.
Choosing a length
Choose Standard for most landscapes. Choose Comprehensive when the forces behind the market matter to the decision, such as regulation, consolidation or capacity.
The standards and practice behind it
The structure and the checks come from published practice in board writing, market analysis and chart design. These are the references we drew on and what we took from each. None of their authors has reviewed the template.
| What we took | From | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Lead with the answer and keep the paper to what the reader must decide | A university board’s guide to writing a request for decision1 | The picture in brief comes first, in three sentences |
| Publish the criteria for including a player, evaluate each on stated dimensions, and list what falls outside | The Gartner Magic Quadrant methodology, as described in Gartner’s FAQ2 | The inclusion rule and the count of players excluded |
| Treat evaluation criteria and weights as the analyst’s opinion, and say so | The Forrester Wave vendor review policy3 | Any positioning is labeled analyst judgment, with its axes defined |
| Name the forces that set an industry’s profit potential: rivals, customers, suppliers, entrants and substitutes | The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy (Michael Porter, Harvard Business Review, 2008)4 | What is shaping it: each force with its effect and evidence |
| Group players so that the groups do not overlap and together cover the field | The Pyramid Principle (Barbara Minto)5 | Who plays where: one primary segment for each player |
| Choose the chart for the question and draw it only from sourced data | The Financial Times Visual Vocabulary6 | Segment charts are drawn only from sourced sizes |
What it will not do
It does not give a single market size when the sources disagree. It shows each estimate and says why they differ.
It does not rank players. A map places them on defined axes and labels the placement as judgment.
It is a snapshot of one date, from public sources. A player it could not find is listed as a gap.
References
- [1] University of Saskatchewan, Board of Governors. Preparing a High-Quality Request for Decision (RFD): guide for board document preparation. March 2026. Sets a two-page limit and tells authors to focus on what the board must decide.
- [2] Gartner. Magic Quadrant FAQ. The page could not be opened from our tools; the methodology is as described in search excerpts: published inclusion criteria and evaluation on ability to execute and completeness of vision. Check the page.
- [3] Forrester. Forrester Wave vendor review policy. Read in the template review of 8 October 2026: criteria, scales and weightings are the analysts’ expert opinion.
- [4] Porter, M. E. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, January 2008. Publisher listing; the article is behind HBR’s paywall.
- [5] Minto, B. The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking. Pearson, 3rd edition. Retailer listing; the book was not read. Editions and dates differ between listings.
- [6] Financial Times Visual Journalism Team. Visual Vocabulary. Financial-Times/chart-doctor repository.
Links checked 9 October 2026
These are the sources the template drew on. None of their authors or issuers has reviewed it.
About the Brief service
A Brief is a written answer from one specialist, at the depth you asked for. It arrives with its sources, and it closes by saying plainly what would change the conclusion. Nothing is hidden behind a summary, and anything the expert could not source is marked as a gap rather than filled in.
Use cases for the Landscape
8 ready-to-run use cases. Each opens its own page with the question, the specialists, the standards and the references.
To edit a saved template, open New → Brief → From template, or the library rail on the service form.