Phase 1 — Initial Concept Meeting

Your first meeting with the client should be about their project's concept and vision, style inspirations (if any), and project schedule. The two parties will then determine what design work is needed and a deliverable schedule for the designer to complete her work.

Here are some helpful questions to guide the initial meeting:

1. What is the goal of your project? What are important features that the layout should have?

2. Do you have an existing sketch or mockup to work off of?

3. Do you have a website or app whose aesthetic you really like?

4. What would the deadline be?

5. What deliverables / end products are you expecting?

6. What is your budget?

Phase 2 — Midway Checkpoint

Halfway before the deadline, the designer should have produced an initial mockup for review by the client. This is to ensure both parties are on the same page in terms of aesthetics, functionality, and UX.

Any feedback from client would be used to get ensure the project is on track.

Phase 3 — Deliverables

This will depend on what was negotiated with the client as well as what programs you use to mockup the project, but at the very least, a designer should produce:

1. Interactive layouts with basic links between the pages.
2. Theme colors, fonts used, component sizes, and all assets created
3. Optional, but helpful: a run-through of the project

A designer’s work is concluded when the client accepts the final deliverables with all feedback addressed.