Checklist
Design client kickoff checklist
A kickoff is not a status meeting. It is where the team agrees on the problem, the audience, the scope and the person who approves the work. This checklist covers the decisions that are expensive to change later.
The problem
- Business goal
Write the business result the work should support, such as a launch, a sales target or a repositioning. A design goal without a business goal is hard to judge.
- Audience
Name the primary audience and what they need to understand or do. Add the secondary audience only if it changes the work.
- Success
Agree on what a successful piece looks like and how the client will judge it. If the metric is not available, agree on the qualitative test.
The scope
- Deliverables
List the files, formats and page counts. State what is not included, such as copywriting, photography or production management.
- Rounds
Agree on the number of review rounds and what counts as a round. A round is a full set of consolidated feedback, not a stream of messages.
- Timeline
Put the kickoff, the internal review, the client review, the approval and the delivery on one calendar. Work backwards from the client's real deadline.
The people
- Decision maker
Name the person who can approve the work. If a committee approves, agree on how the committee consolidates its feedback.
- Reviewers
List the people who will comment and the person who collects their comments. The studio should not receive five conflicting versions.
- Assets and access
Collect the brand assets, the copy, the images and the access the team needs. A missing font or image is a schedule risk, not a design problem.
- Communication
Agree on the channel for decisions, the meeting cadence and the response time. The review tool is for feedback; email is for the record.
Questions
What should be in a design kickoff?
The business goal, the audience, the deliverables, the review rounds, the timeline, the decision maker and the assets. The kickoff should end with a written summary.
How many review rounds should a project include?
Two or three rounds fit most projects: a concept round, a design round and a final production check. Put the number in the proposal and the engagement letter.
What if the client cannot name a decision maker?
Ask how the final decision will be made and who signs off. A project without a decision maker will stall at the first approval.
Sources
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Public pages can change; check the source before relying on a date or a price.