What is a project charter?
Two documents, two very different jobs.
A project charter is the formal, often lengthy plan many organizations write before work begins.
A project poster is a lighter, visual planning tool that your team keeps updating as the project unfolds.
Choosing between them is less about which one is better and more about which one fits your project's size, uncertainty, and audience.
This guide walks through what each document does, when each one earns its keep, and how to decide for your next project.
It draws on Atlassian's Team Playbook guidance for project posters, which positions them explicitly as an alternative to traditional charters.
A project charter is the classic planning document.
In most organizations it is a formal statement of a project's purpose, scope, objectives, stakeholders, and authority.
It is usually written once, near the start, and often approved by a sponsor before work begins.
Think of it as a contract: it records what was agreed at the beginning so people can refer back to it later.
Charters work well when the project is well understood, the stakes are high, and formal sign-off matters.
A regulated rollout, a funded initiative with a fixed budget, or a cross-company commitment often needs that level of documentation.
The downside is familiar to anyone who has written one: charters tend to be long, hard to read, and quickly out of date.
Atlassian's own framing asks a pointed question: when was the last time you actually read a project plan or charter?
What is a project poster?
A project poster is a planning tool, according to Atlassian's Team Playbook.
It helps your team think through the problem, possible solutions, and the ideal end result.
The name is a nudge, not a rule.
You do not have to hang it on a wall, but it should be easy to see, like a real-life poster.
The key difference is that a poster is a living document.
Atlassian recommends creating a draft at the beginning of the project.
Update it as you explore the problem space, challenge assumptions, validate solutions, and gather feedback.
Instead of one big writing session, the poster fills out over several conversations.
Atlassian structures the poster in three parts:
- Problem space: explain why solving this problem matters to your customers and to the business, and get clear on your project goals and possible solutions.