Design Is a Job

Hello!

We assume you are here because you read to page 18 in the first edition of Design Is a Job and typed in the URL for our prospective client screener. Good news! Since that book is now over 10 years old, there is a new edition, totally updated, with a much stronger focus on working on in-house teams and all sorts of good stuff about protecting yourself as a worker.

Design Is a Job—The necessary second edition, now available at A Book Apart.

Client Screener

What is the primary business and structure of your business/organization?

Please, summarize the project.

Is this a redesign of something that exists or designing something new?

What are your major goals for this project?

Where do you see us adding the most value/complementing your existing team?

Who will be working on this project from your end? Will any additional outside partners or agencies be involved and how?

What is motivating you or enabling you to do this project now?

When does our work need to be finished? What is your target total completion date? What is driving that?

What is most important about this project?

How important is each of these?

  • Change in company strategy

  • Rebranding/New image/Look and feel

  • Engineering/Backend development

  • Improving key metrics/Quantifying success or results/Conversion

  • Content strategy/writing

  • Understanding your audience or organization

  • Getting it done as fast as possible

  • Getting it done as inexpensively as possible

  • Differentiating from competition

  • Reach new audience

  • Better demonstrate value or correct misconceptions

  • Working relationship/communication with your design partner

  • Who is/are your audience/your target users/your customers?

What does success look like? How will you know this project has succeeded?

What are you worried about? What do you imagine going wrong?

Is there anything about your organization that might make this project easier or harder in any specific ways?

What is your budget range?

What does the selection process look like on your end? How many people are you talking to and when do you expect to be making a decision?