What to ask before commissioning creative work

“Make it eye-catching” is a reaction, not yet a brief. A designer, illustrator or maker needs to understand what the work is meant to communicate, where it will appear and what the audience needs to do with it.

Explain the problem before suggesting the picture

Describe the audience and the situation in which they will encounter the work. A small mobile graphic and a large printed object face different constraints.

References can help explain tone, but they should not become instructions to reproduce someone else’s work. Say what you find useful in the reference: clarity, rhythm, colour or the way information is organised.

Define the deliverable

List the formats, dimensions and versions you expect. Consider whether you need editable working files or only approved final exports. These are different handover requirements.

A concept exploration is also different from a completed production asset. Agree which stage is being commissioned so that feedback is appropriate to the work in front of you.

Make feedback usable

A reason is easier to respond to than a preference without context. “The title is difficult to read at the size we will use” gives a practical problem. “It needs more impact” needs another conversation.

Bring comments together before sending them. Conflicting instructions from different decision-makers can make a revision less clear than the first draft.

Discuss rights and reuse

Ask how the work may be used, for how long and in which channels. Clarify any third-party material, fonts, stock imagery or licences involved. Do not assume that paying for a deliverable automatically settles every reuse question.

For important commercial arrangements, obtain suitable professional advice and record the agreement in writing. This guide is a practical checklist, not legal advice.

Plan a useful handover

Ask for clear filenames and a short explanation of which version belongs in which setting. Check the real display size, not only a presentation mockup.

A well-scoped commission leaves both sides knowing what has been approved, what has been delivered and what would count as a new request. That clarity supports the creative work instead of crowding it out.