Start here
The direct answer
Ask what problem the work should address, who will deliver it, what relevant evidence the team can explain, what happens at handover and what the fee covers. Use the answers to identify what fits your brief and what still needs clarification. Before appointing anyone, confirm the outputs, billing currency, responsibilities, review rounds and change process in writing.
Link to the direct answerKey takeaways
What to take from this article.
- A useful first answer separates observed problems, working assumptions and questions that need research.
- Ask for the people responsible for delivery, review and client approvals.
- Relevant project evidence should explain the team's contribution, decisions and limits of the results.
- Put the finished outputs, billing currency, exclusions, review rounds and client inputs beside the fee.
- Agree the files, account access, usage terms, training and support your team needs after handover.
Working framework · 5 decisions
Five questions to put on the table
Use these prompts to make the discussion specific. Record what each candidate can explain, what evidence supports the answer and what needs a written follow up.
Decision 01 / 05
What problem do you think we have?
Ask which observations support the answer and what the team would need to investigate.
Read all 5 decisions
What problem do you think we have?
Ask which observations support the answer and what the team would need to investigate.
Who exactly does the work?
Name the delivery leads, reviewers and client responsibilities for the proposed scope.
Show me a relevant project and the reasoning.
Ask what the proposed team contributed, why the choices were made and what the result can demonstrate.
What happens after handover?
Clarify the files, usage terms, editing access, guidance and continuing support your team needs.
What exactly does the fee cover?
Put the outputs, billing currency, exclusions, review rounds and change process into the written proposal.
Make the portfolio explain the work
A portfolio earns attention. Ask it to earn the decision too. Choose a project that resembles your brief and ask the candidate to explain its contribution, the choices made and the evidence available. A finished output can show craft; a claimed commercial result needs its own context.
These are Branding Tatva's suggested prompts for a buying conversation. Apply them to this practice with the same scrutiny you give every candidate. The Design Business Association recommends reviewing relevant work and experience, then choosing a selection process that fits the assignment.
Start with the problem and the evidence still needed
Ask what problem the team thinks you have. A useful first answer can be tentative. Ask which observations support it, which assumptions remain and what research would change the recommendation. Share the brief, current materials and customer evidence you already hold.
A clear brief may already settle the positioning or design direction. In that case, discussing defined deliverables can be appropriate. Judge whether the proposed work fits the situation and whether the remaining questions have a sensible route to an answer.
A useful follow up
What would you need to check before recommending the scope?
Name the people and examine relevant work
Ask who leads the assignment, who performs each part and who reviews it. Include any specialists and the work expected from your own team. Put those responsibilities in the proposal and agree how a change in the delivery team will be discussed.
Then ask for one relevant project with the reasoning attached. What was the brief? What did this team deliver? Which choices changed the work? What was measured, and what remains unmeasured? A before and after can help when it is available and the candidate can explain its contribution.
- Record the delivery lead, day to day contact and reviewer for each part of the scope.
- Ask for material the candidate has permission to share. An approved reference or redacted example may answer a specific question.
- Separate delivered work from measured results, and record the limits of the evidence.
Make handover usable and discuss the limits
Ask what your team will receive and be able to do after delivery. Record the agreed files, usage terms, account access, editing instructions and training. Identify recurring licences, maintenance and further production that need their own budget.
Ask which parts of the brief need a different specialist or delivery arrangement. Use those limits to plan the complete assignment. For a remote engagement, agree meeting windows with time zones, a feedback owner and the people who can approve each stage.
For buyers in Canada, Australia, the UAE, the UK, the USA and India, name the markets and languages the work must address. Confirm any language specialists, local review responsibilities and activity that requires physical presence before choosing a remote arrangement.
Make the fee buy a defined scope
A persuasive meeting still needs a usable proposal. The Design Business Association recommends setting out the method, timing, cost, deliverables and people involved. Compare those commitments against the same brief for every candidate.
Resolve essential questions before committing. Keep the answers with the proposal so both teams can use them during delivery.
- Scope: Which decisions, finished outputs and implementation tasks are included, and which need a separate quote?
- Currency and payment: Which currency will be invoiced, what are the payment stages and which taxes, expenses or supplier charges sit outside the fee?
- Client inputs: Which research, copy, images, access and approvals must your team provide, and by when?
- Reviews: How many feedback rounds are included, who approves each stage and when are decisions due?
- Changes: How are extra work, revised fees and delivery dates agreed before work begins?
- Website work: Does the proposal cover page designs, finished copy, development, migration and launch? Who delivers each part?
Before you use it
Questions that can change the recommendation.
What should I ask first?
Ask what problem the team thinks the work should address, which observations support that view and what still needs investigation. Compare the proposed approach with your brief. A clear existing brief may allow the conversation to move directly into delivery.
Link to this answerHow do I know if the people pitching will do the work?
Ask for the delivery leads, day to day contacts and reviewers by name, then record their responsibilities in the proposal. Clarify the role of any specialist and how a change in the team would be discussed. Assess the people assigned to your project.
Link to this answerAre these questions useful for agencies and freelancers?
Yes. Compare the people, capacity, evidence and responsibilities your brief requires. A freelancer may work with specialists, and an agency may allocate a small team. The proposed arrangement and written scope give you something concrete to assess.
Link to this answerWhat should I ask about the fee?
Confirm the billing currency, included outputs, payment stages, review rounds and client inputs. Ask which taxes, expenses, third party costs and continuing services sit outside the figure. Agree how changes affect the fee and schedule before additional work begins.
Link to this answerWhat answers should make me pause the decision?
Pause when an essential requirement remains unresolved, such as who delivers the work, what the fee covers or what your team receives at handover. Request a written clarification or revised scope. If a necessary condition stays unresolved, consider a different arrangement or provider.
Link to this answerResearch record
What this guide draws from.
Each source note describes what the reference supports. Platform guidance, research findings and Branding Tatva's practical suggestions have different scopes.
- How to buy design: Agency selection guide (opens in a new tab)
Design Business Association
Industry guidance on reviewing relevant projects and experience and choosing a selection process suited to the assignment.
- How to buy design: Asking for a proposal document (opens in a new tab)
Design Business Association
Guidance on clarifying method, people, timing, deliverables, costs and changes in a written proposal. The questions in this guide are Branding Tatva's application of that guidance.