Creating Design Studio Systems & Processes: The Blueprint for Your Creative Empire
Processes for your business
The way you run your studio, is just as important as the design work you produce for your clients.
Sunday 5th January 2025
Running a small design studio can feel like juggling flamingos (or was that flaming swords?) while riding a unicycle. Whether you’re balancing multiple client projects, keeping track of emails, or trying to maintain your own sanity, the behind-the-scenes systems and processes are what make everything run smoothly.
Imagine trying to create a beautiful design, only to realize you’ve lost track of client emails or forgotten to send that project proposal. Cue the panic. But with well-defined processes, your creative studio can function like a finely tuned machine—where the emails are organized, clients are happy, and your workday doesn’t end in total chaos.
In this post, we’ll break down some of the best practices for creating studio systems and processes that will save you time, keep you organized, and (hopefully) help you keep your cool when things get overwhelming. And yes, we’ll sprinkle in some humor to keep things light because, let’s face it, we’re all in this together.
1. The Essential Onboarding Process: Welcome to the Design Party
Ah, the excitement of welcoming a new client into your design world! You’re ready to transform their brand vision into reality. But before you jump straight into designing their logo or website, you need a solid onboarding process. A clear and smooth onboarding experience not only sets expectations but also helps establish a professional relationship from the get-go. Plus, it makes you look like a total pro (which you absolutely are).
What to include in your onboarding process:
A Welcome email: A warm, friendly message that outlines what the client can expect and provides them with a timeline of the design process.
A Client questionnaire: Get to know their needs, style preferences, and brand values. This is where you gather the details to make your design sparkle. You can use forms like Google Forms or tools like Typeform to make this step easier, or create a form on your website.
Contract and payment terms: Protect your creative genius with a solid contract. Platforms like HelloSign or DocuSign help with seamless e-signatures, or create and design a form in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Indesign and export an interactive pdf with e-sign cababilities.
Design timeline: Clearly communicate project milestones, deadlines, and deliverables. Trello is a great tool for keeping this all organised.
MILKO Tip:
Always, and I mean always, ask for the client’s preferred communication method. Nothing feels worse than chasing a client for answers through five different channels. Email? Slack? Carrier pigeon? Let’s decide early.
2. Mood Boards: The Secret to Avoiding Client ‘What Were You Thinking?’ Moments
Mood boards are the creative equivalent of setting the stage before the show starts. A well-crafted mood board will save you from having to redo a logo because the client “suddenly” decided they want a totally different color palette halfway through the project.
What to include in a mood board:
Colour palette: Pick colours that align with the brand’s identity and make sure to communicate why these colours work.
Typography pairings: Show different typefaces or font combinations that reflect the project’s personality. Think of it like picking outfits for a fashion show—but with more Helvetica.
Design style inspiration: Share images, textures, patterns, and other visuals that reflect the mood, vibe, and aesthetic you’re going for.
Use tools like:
Milanote: A user-friendly tool for creating mood boards, collages, and idea boards.
Pinterest: Because let’s face it, Pinterest is a rabbit hole of visual inspiration, and it’s where we spend 90% of our “research” time.
Canva: Easy to use and perfect for assembling mood boards, especially if you’re short on time but still want to impress clients.
MILKO Tip:
Share mood boards early in the process to align client expectations with your creative vision. They’ll love you for it, and you’ll love them for not asking you to redesign everything mid-project.
3. The Project Proposal: Your Design Proposal’s Secret Weapon
Ah, the project proposal. Where dreams are made, and expectations are set. A well-crafted proposal will help guide the project in the right direction, both in terms of design and budget. Plus, it protects you from the dreaded “scope creep” where your client suddenly wants 17 more deliverables for the same price.
What to include in your project proposal:
Project overview: What is the goal of the project? Why is it important? Get the client excited about the purpose of the work.
Scope of work: List everything you will deliver, including design concepts, revisions, and files. Be specific so there are no surprises down the road.
Timeline and milestones: Outline key deadlines and when clients can expect to receive drafts and final files. It’s like the roadmap to success.
Pricing and payment terms: Be clear about the cost of the project, including any additional fees or expenses (like stock imagery, licenses, fonts or last-minute requests).
Legalese (terms and conditions): Protect yourself by including basic terms and conditions in the contract.
Helpful tools for proposals:
Proposify: A tool to create beautiful, professional proposals, complete with tracking and e-signature features.
And.co: A proposal tool that also helps you with invoicing, contracts, and time tracking. It’s like a Swiss Army knife for freelancers and small studios.
Bonsai: A tool specifically designed for freelancers, offering templates for proposals, contracts, invoices, and more.
MILKO Tip:
Use the “client education” tactic — explain the value behind your proposal. Clients may not always understand why design costs what it does, so be transparent and educate them about the process. Bonus points for not sounding condescending, just lay it all out on the table, so they get it, and can ask questions to clear up any confusion.
4. Studio Templates & Workflow Management: The Magic Behind the Scenes
When you’re managing multiple projects, staying organized is key. Templates and workflow management tools will save you time and keep you from reinventing the wheel with every new project.
Studio management tools and templates you can’t live without:
Google Drive: A classic for organizing your documents, files, and client feedback. Create templates for proposals, invoices, and contracts, and access them on the go.
Notion: An all-in-one workspace to manage projects, take notes, and track deadlines. You can create custom templates for different stages of your design process.
Zapier: Automate tasks between different tools. For example, you could automatically save email attachments from clients directly into your design folder in Google Drive.
5. The Offboarding Process: Bye-Bye, But Make it Classy
Okay, so you’ve completed the project, your client is thrilled, and you’re ready to wrap things up. But wait, before you start popping champagne, let’s talk offboarding. Just as a good onboarding process sets the tone, a solid offboarding process ensures the client leaves with a smile—and maybe even a referral or repeat business in future projects.
What to include in your offboarding process:
Project wrap-up meeting: Touch base to review the final deliverables and ensure the client is happy. This is also a chance to go over any additional instructions for ongoing use.
Final invoice and payment reminder: Don’t leave money on the table. Set clear terms for the final payment, and make sure your invoicing system is smooth and professional. Use tools like FreshBooks, Odoo or QuickBooks.
Request testimonials and referrals: Don’t be shy about asking for a glowing review. Send an email asking for feedback and testimonials, and offer a discount or incentive for referrals.
The “Goodbye” email: Remind your client of your work together, and leave the door open for future collaborations. No one’s ever said no to a great “Let’s work together again!” email. It’s like closing a chapter on a high note.
MILKO Tip:
Don’t forget to include the most important part—asking for referrals. If they loved your work, they’re probably happy to spread the word. Referral programs can help incentivise them to send clients your way. You can also use these referrals to promote your business on social posts or your website, as a case study or portfolio piece.
Final Thoughts: Systems Are Your Creative Superpower
Setting up processes and systems might not sound as glamorous as creating a killer logo or developing a website, but trust us—these behind-the-scenes strategies will make all the difference. With the right tools and templates in place, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and most importantly, deliver top-quality work to your clients—on time and on budget.
And hey, you’ll be able to spend more time doing what you love: designing, dancing, drinking - no judgement...
Now go forth, create those processes, and remember—if you can design the system, you can design anything!
Until next time…
Sonia Harris