Graphic design client questionnaire

The questions to ask a client before you design anything, and why each one matters. Copy them as they are.

Questions for every project

Ask these first, whatever you’re designing.

What’s the business or brand called?
Why ask: You need the exact name before anything else. Spelling mistakes in a logo are expensive.
What does the business do?
A sentence or two is enough.
Why ask: In their own words, you hear how they see the business. That’s often different from their website.
What should this project achieve?
Why ask: This is how you’ll both judge the work later. “Look modern” is a style. “Get more bookings” is a goal.
Who are we trying to reach?
The people this work is for: who they are and what they care about.
Why ask: You design for the people who will see it, not for the client. This keeps feedback about them.
What should people think or feel when they see it?
A few words is fine.
Why ask: A few words here save rounds of “I’ll know it when I see it”.
What do you like, and what should we avoid?
Brands, links and examples welcome.
Why ask: Examples show taste faster than words. What to avoid matters just as much.
Anything else we should know?
Key dates, must-haves, anything we haven’t asked.
Why ask: Dates, must-haves and surprises come out here, before they wreck the plan.

Logo design questionnaire

Add these for a logo or a brand identity.

How should the name appear, and is there a tagline?
Exact spelling and capitals.
Why ask: Capitals and spacing change how a mark is drawn. Get them right first.
Where will the logo be used most?
Web, signage, packaging, social…
Why ask: A logo for a street sign and one for an app icon need different detail.
Is there an existing logo or anything we should keep?
Why ask: Clients are often attached to one color or symbol. Find out before you throw it away.
Who are your main competitors?
So the new identity stands apart from them.
Why ask: You can only stand apart from brands you know about.

Website design questionnaire

Add these for a website or a landing page.

Do you have a site now? What isn’t working?
Paste the link.
Why ask: The problems with the old site tell you what the new one has to fix.
Which pages or sections do you need?
Why ask: Pages decide the scope, the price and the timeline.
What’s the one thing visitors should do?
Book, buy, sign up, get in touch…
Why ask: One clear action shapes every layout. Five actions means none stands out.
Who supplies the words and images, and are they ready?
Why ask: Missing words and photos delay more websites than design does.
Which tools must it work with?
For example Shopify, Webflow or a booking system.
Why ask: The platform limits what you can build. Ask before you design something it can’t do.

Packaging design questionnaire

Add these for boxes, labels and bags.

What’s the product, and what format is the packaging?
Box, label, bag, bottle…
Why ask: The format decides the canvas: a label and a box are different jobs.
Do you have dielines or exact dimensions?
Why ask: Designing without a dieline means redoing the artwork later.
Where is it sold, and what sits next to it on the shelf?
Why ask: Packaging is seen next to competitors. It has to win on that shelf.
Any print or material constraints?
Finishes, materials, cost per unit, required legal text.
Why ask: Finishes, materials and legal text change the design. Some add real cost.

Print and presentation questionnaire

Add these for brochures, decks, posters and reports.

What are we making, and roughly how many pages?
Brochure, deck, poster, report…
Why ask: A 4-page flyer and a 40-page report are different projects.
Who supplies the words and images, and are they ready?
Why ask: Layout waits for content. Know when the words and images arrive.
Will it be printed, presented live, or sent as a PDF?
Why ask: Print, screen and live slides need different sizes, type and color.
If it’s printed: size, paper, quantity and printer?
Skip this if it’s digital only.
Why ask: Size, paper and printer specs decide how you set up the file.

How to use this questionnaire

Send the questions for every project, plus the ones for the project type. Ask before you quote, so the price matches the work. When the answers come back, list what’s still missing and ask again before you plan.

Then turn the answers into a design brief and a dated timeline.

Send these as one link your client fills in.

With Briefscope, your client answers one question at a time on their phone. No account, no attachments. You get the answers read and sorted.

Free during beta. No card needed.