Design request form: what to ask clients, and how to keep every project moving

A good design request form turns a vague message like "I need a logo" into a brief you can quote and start from. This page covers what to ask, how to set scope and revision rounds, and how to keep feedback and approvals in one place instead of across your inbox and chats.

What a design request form should ask

Designers who take work from strangers end up asking the same things:

  • The client's name, business, contact details and billing details.
  • What they need: the type of project and the deliverables, such as a logo, a menu or a set of social posts.
  • Who it is for, what it should achieve and who they compete with.
  • References: brands or designs they like, and what they dislike.
  • Existing assets: logo files, fonts, colors, copy and photos, uploaded with the form.
  • The deadline, the budget range and who has the final say.

Keep it to what you need to quote. A client who is asked twenty questions before getting a price tends to leave, and the rest can come in the kickoff.

Ask for references, not adjectives

"Modern" and "clean" mean something different to every client. Ask for two or three examples they like, with a line on what they like about each, and one they would not want. A reference image tells you more than a paragraph of adjectives, and it gives you something to point back to when the first draft is judged.

Write down what is in scope

Most scope creep starts with a deliverable that was never written down. List what the price covers, such as the logo in two formats, and what it does not, such as extra sizes or a second concept. Agree the extras as a change to the order, with a new price, instead of absorbing them one message at a time.

Deposits, and when the final files go out

Designers commonly ask for around a third to a half of the price before starting, and many hold the final files until the balance is paid. Say both on the quote, along with the late-payment rule, so nobody learns them after the work is done. Terms differ by place, so check yours locally.

Keep a clear line between invoiced and paid. Mark a payment as received when you have seen the money in your account, not when the client says they sent it.

Count revision rounds

Say how many rounds of changes the price includes, commonly two or three, and what counts as one. A color tweak and a new direction are not the same amount of work, so many designers count only the second as a new round. Charge extra rounds at a rate you stated up front.

Get a yes or a list of changes

"Looks good" in a chat is not an approval, and feedback scattered across email, chats and file comments leaves everyone unsure which version is current. Send each draft with a clear question: approve, or send back with changes. Keep the answer on the project it belongs to, and name each version so there is only one current one.

When an inbox stops being a project list

An inbox works for two or three projects. It strains when requests arrive by message, email and referral, when you cannot say which drafts are waiting on a client, or when a payment is chased from memory. At that point the form, the list of projects and a page where clients check their own project are worth having in one place.

Taking design requests with Flowtiny

Flowtiny gives you a page of your own with your services and prices. Clients fill in your form with the brief, references, assets and deadline, and anything custom you can quote after they order.

You move each project through phases you name, such as request, quoted, deposit paid, draft, revisions and delivered. Send a draft and your client approves it or sends it back, on the project, where your notes and files stay too. Payments arrive as uploaded proof you mark paid, so the order shows what is still owed, and your client follows the project on their own page. The money goes straight to you. It is free to start.

Set up your design request page

Questions

What should a design request form include?

Contact and billing details, the project type and deliverables, the audience and goal, references, existing assets, the deadline, a budget range and who signs off. Keep it to what you need to give a quote.

How much deposit should I ask for on a design project?

There is no fixed rule. Many designers ask for between a third and a half of the price before starting. Write it on the quote and apply it to every client.

How many revisions should a design project include?

Two or three rounds is a common default. Define what counts as a round, so a small tweak and a new direction are treated differently, and state the price of extra rounds.

When should I send the final files?

Many designers release them once the balance is paid. Say so on the quote, and share proofs or low-resolution previews while the work is in progress.

How do I stop scope creep?

List what the price covers and what it does not, and treat anything new as a change with its own price, agreed on the project before you start it.

Is Flowtiny free?

It is free to start.