5 Things to Sort Out Before Talking to a Design Studio

“We want to rethink our app’s design, but we don’t know what to prepare before reaching out.”
“We’re still at the idea stage – it feels too early to talk to anyone.”

We hear things like this often from people considering a design project.

The short answer: you don’t need to have everything figured out before you get in touch.
That said, sorting out a few points in advance makes the first meeting far more concrete, and helps make the proposal and schedule that follow more accurate.

In this article, we share five things that are worth thinking through before talking to a design studio.

---

1. Why you want to do this (your goal)

The first thing to clarify is why you want to invest in design right now.

The key is to think in terms of business goals, not visual preferences.

• “Make it look stylish” → “Reduce the number of people who drop off during sign-up”
• “It looks dated, so let’s refresh it” → “Increase the number of inquiries”
• “Make it easier to use” → “Reduce the load on customer support”

A clear goal gives you a clear basis for design decisions.
Instead of asking “which option looks better?”, you can ask “which option gets us closer to the goal?”

In many cases, rethinking the experience itself delivers more results than polishing the visuals first. We wrote about this in more detail in “What UX improvements should come before UI improvements?”

2. Who will use it (your users)

Next, think about who will use the product or website, and in what situations.

• What role or age group are they?
• Where do they use it? (On a smartphone during the commute, on a PC at the office, on a tablet in the field…)
• How often do they use it? (A work tool used every day, or a service used occasionally?)

There’s no need to build detailed personas.
Being able to say “our main users are ___, and they mostly use it when ___” is more than enough.

The same feature can call for a very different design depending on whether someone uses it for hours every day or once a month.

3. What’s not working today (current challenges)

If you already have a product or website, it helps to write down the problems you’re running into.

• Numbers in your analytics or usage data that concern you
• Feedback and questions you’ve received from users
• A vague sense around the team that something is “just hard to use”

That last one counts as real information too.
Hints for major improvements often hide inside a discomfort that’s hard to put into words. Finding the cause and putting it into words is our job as designers.

If you’re building something new, think about what frustrates you about the current way of doing things – whether that’s a competitor’s service, manual work, or spreadsheets.

4. Constraints (budget, schedule, team)

It’s also helpful to note your project constraints, as far as you know them.

Budget
Even if nothing is fixed, having a rough range in mind makes it much easier for us to propose a realistic approach. We can also work with you to figure out where to start for the biggest impact within a limited budget.

Schedule
If you have a launch date, a target release window or an internal deadline, let us know. We’ll work backwards from it to build a plan that isn’t overstretched.

Team
Who makes design decisions on your side? Will development be handled by in-house engineers or an outside partner? Knowing how reviews and decisions flow keeps the project moving smoothly.

5. What you like – and what you want to avoid

If there are apps, websites or competitor services you like, please share them.

It’s especially helpful if you add a short note on what you like about them.

• “This app gets you through setup really quickly.”
• “This site uses photography in a way that feels trustworthy.”

On the other hand, knowing what kind of feel you don’t want is just as important.
When we know both what you like and what you want to avoid, it becomes much easier to narrow down the direction.

---

You don’t need to have it all ready

We’ve covered five points, but there’s no need to prepare everything perfectly before getting in touch.

In fact, many people come to us at a stage like this:

• They have a goal, but don’t know what’s causing the problem
• They want to change something, but can’t decide where to start
• Opinions within the team haven’t come together yet

At Super XX Studio, every project begins with research and defining the problem. Through user and market research, we clarify who we’re solving for and what needs solving, and align the whole team on a direction.
In other words, sorting out the points in this article is itself one of the things we can help you with.

Summary

Here are the five things worth sorting out before talking to a design studio:

1. Why you want to do this (your goal)
2. Who will use it (your users)
3. What’s not working today (current challenges)
4. Constraints (budget, schedule, team)
5. What you like – and what you want to avoid

Putting even one of these into words will make your first meeting more concrete and productive.
Even if you feel it might be too early, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.