Freelance Templates

Take back control of your design business.

The client has what feels like hundreds of revisions, you’re not sure what they want (actually you’re not sure they know what they want) and the late-night design marathons are stealing any motivation you have to focus on growing your own business. Does this sound familiar? This was me a few years ago so I decided it was time for a change. No more admin on the fly because as creatives, we deserve to grow our own businesses too.

Where do templates fit into your design process?

CLIENT ENQUIRY & ONBOARDING

  • After a potential client gets in contact and is interested in working with you it’s time to establish if you’re a good fit together. Send through a discovery questionnaire ask them for:

    • Budget

    • Deliverables

    • Location and currency

    • Their mission and what they want to achieve with the project

    • What the business name is and if they have a web site or social media

    • A link to a Pinterest board or set of images so you can see what design style they like

    You could also consider asking for competitors, their brand goals, and their vision.

  • A Service & Pricing Guide is useful to send to a potential client when you’ve received an enquiry, alongside the Discovery Questionaire. It outlines what services you offer, what the average price of a service or package is and answers important questions:

    • What you do

    • What you offer

    • Who is in your team

    • How you run a project

    • How to book a project

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Project Timeline

    The template is a must-have for setting expectations and is packed full of ready-to-use content so all you have to do is update your business information and adjust your pricing and services, then hit send.

  • After you’ve decided the project is a good fit and the client wants to proceed send them a Project Proposal. This is a summary of all the information you’ve gathered so far and includes a quote and project timeline.

    If the project is smaller (like some additional brand collateral) send your client a Return Brief and separate Quote instead. It’s much smaller and contains just enough information to make sure you’re both on the same page. My Return Brief template includes information on the design process and the creative direction so your client feels confident you’re on the right track.

    Now is also a good time to set up a Client Folder in your system to save your admin and all work for the project.

  • It’s important to send your client a contract or agreement so they understand the project requirements and deliverables. It also safeguards both parties if something goes wrong (like scope creep or unforeseen circumstances). I’m not a legal expert so I recommend googling ‘design contract’ or similar, there are tonnes of great resources out there.

    At this point, you should also send the Invoice for the project and a Payment Receipt once you have received the deposit. This outlines the amount paid, the balance owed, and when the final payment is due.

  • It’s finally go-time for the project and you’re ready to get started! Set up your client portal (many designers like to use Notion) as a hub for useful files and all work and admin sent. This gives your client easy access to them and streamlines the process so you can both keep track of feedback and versions (making everyone happy!).

    If you want to go the extra mile, send a Welcome Pack with useful information including:

    • Frequently asked question

    • How to provide feedback

    • A guide on file types and design terms

DESIGN, DELIVERY & OFFBOARDING

  • Research is an important part of creating a brand or design. The aim is to produce something that resonates with the target audience and reflects the mission, goals, and vision of the brand.

    Sending through a creative direction is also just as important as it lets you know you’re both on the same page and you’re not going to spend hours on a concept that doesn’t align with what your client wants.

    The Research & Creative Direction Template includes:

    • Background info and competitor analysis

    • Brand Mission, goals, and target market

    • Brand archetypes

    • Research findings

    • Creative Direction options

    From here your client will select a creative direction option and you get to move on to the design work!

  • Once your client has selected a creative design option, you’ll create your design based on this and send it through as a presentation. It’s great to send through a screen recording of you walking through the presentation if you can’t do it in person.

    There is a debate around how many concepts you should send, and my rule of thumb is to send as many as I need and no more. If you’ve nailed it in one? Great, send that. If you feel there might be more than one approach to the project then send multiple. Just be sure to back all of the concepts you send through.

  • You’ve sent the presentation, they’ve picked an option but they’d like a few changes. Totally normal. They want to change it completely? Also normal (sometimes you just don’t nail it on the first go).

    When making changes, remind your client that they have a set amount of amendments which has been outlined and agreed on in the contract. If you’re offering additional amendments make sure to let them know in advance if you plan to charge them for it and send through a Quote in writing.

  • When your client is happy with the project, or they’ve used up their amendments it’s time for the client to sign off. Get this in writing, and if you need to, send a copy of the Payment Receipt as a reminder of the amount due.

    Once the remainder of the project balance has been paid you can send the final files for the project. It’s good practice to set up your exported files in a separate folder so you have the assets at hand if you do another job with them. Many designers use a file-sharing service like Google Docs or Dropbox because the file can be quite big.

  • With the project completed you can send through the Brand Guidelines which act like a rule book for the brand and include:

    • Brand Background

    • Brandmarks (logos)

    • Colours and typography

    • Graphic elements

    • Imagery

    • Brand applications and mockups

    • Your contact details

    For smaller jobs use the Mini-brand Guidelines template to save you time.

    If both parties are happy with the outcome and how the project ran, consider asking for a testimonial to add to your website and social media (social proof does wonders for your brand!).

You've done an amazing job, I can see all the thought that's gone into it... it's so beautifully laid out… Worth it for the content alone.

Gaby, Tomia Studio

Freelance Templates