5 things to ask a designer before your project starts

These are the most important things to ask a designer before your project starts...

There’s nothing worse than muddling your way through a project and getting a final result that wasn’t what you set out to achieve. Preparation is key to kick-off your project. We’ve summarised the most important things to ask your designer before the project starts.

Do you understand our budgetary needs?

This can sometimes be an awkward conversation, and a lot of designers are unsure of how to approach the topic. Be clear about a budget, whether it’s a range or a fixed figure. Make sure the design team is aware of all stakeholders involved in the project, especially if any budget sign-offs have to be approved by someone other than yourself. Being to-the-point on the budget prevents a designer from promising you the world, and enables a more efficient construction of a proposal.

Are you aware of how many stakeholders we’ll have?

Make sure you clarify how many stakeholders are involved from your side. Will they be reviewing the work directly and providing feedback? This helps the designer understand the levels the work will be passed through, and how much responsibility each stakeholder will carry.

Can you really meet my deadline?

Make sure the designer is clear on your timelines and that they can work with them. A ‘yes person’ is great at first glance, but you don’t want to later find out that they’re juggling multiple projects and not giving yours their full attention. Giving reason for your deadline date can help facilitate that conversation and give context to the designer.

What do you need from me?

Asking questions like, “do I need to supply all the assets?”, “Do you need brand guidelines for this?”, “Is this brief enough to work off?” will be very helpful. For example, if the designer needs extra information or documents you don’t have immediate access to, this could slow down the commencement of the entire job.

Will you provide a proposal for this?

Make sure the designer is going to go away and prepare a proposal, outlining their scope and estimates. Going off a verbal agreement or a less detailed document could create chaos the further into the project. Remember, you’ve prepared a brief and provided all necessary documentation on your side, so you should expect the same from your design team.

Admin work and technical questions are vital to a successful project. You also need to work with a design team that you gel with and that understands your overall vision. At Tricks, we pride ourselves on our approachability, communication skills and design expertise. Check out some examples of our work here and share some brain waves with us at hows@tricks.studio.

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