Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for branding and design studios.
A checklist built from how branding and design studios work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Stage-wise project quote
- Proof approval with round count
- Change request log
- Brand asset library
- Studio workload board
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the founder or creative director
- For account managers
- For designers
- For clients
- For the studio accountant
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Projects by stage, with hours spent against hours quoted
- Rounds used against rounds allowed, by project and by client
- Change requests raised, accepted and unbilled
- Deliverables awaiting client approval, oldest first
- Stage invoices raised, deposits held and balances by client
- Designer workload by week with due dates
- Brand packs filed per client and files requested again
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Cloud file storage
- Payment gateway
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it count revision rounds against the quote?
- Who closes a proof round when several people comment?
- Can clients mark up a proof from a phone?
- How are print-ready files and fonts stored?
- Does it replace our design tools?
- Can it send stage invoices to our accounting package?
- Can we move current projects and brand packs across?
- What does the studio own at the end of a project?
- How is the cost set?
- How quickly could the studio run projects on it?
- What does a studio need to hand over at the start?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Rounds are not counted
- Out-of-scope work is agreed on a call
- Feedback arrives from several people
- Old files are requested repeatedly
- Designer workload is not visible
Prefer to talk it through? See the branding and design studios page.