Handbook / Finding clients

Client questionnaire: what to ask before you start a project

Every project depends on information only the client has: what they want to achieve, who they serve, what they already have and who decides. Gathering it through scattered emails is slow and incomplete. A well-designed questionnaire collects it in one place, shows the client you have a process, and gives you a written record to refer back to.

Two types of questionnaire

Pre-qualifying form: short, sent before a discovery call. It checks fit: what they need, timing and budget.

Intake questionnaire: detailed, sent after the contract is signed as part of client onboarding. It gathers what you need to do the work.

Core sections

Goals

• What do you want this project to achieve?
• How will you know it has succeeded?
• Why now?

Audience

• Who are your customers or users?
• What do they care about most?
• What do they misunderstand about you?

Scope

• Which deliverables do you expect?
• Anything you definitely do not need?
• Are there related projects happening at the same time?

Clear answers here help prevent scope creep later.

Existing materials

• Brand guidelines, logos, fonts, photos, previous work.
• Examples from others you like and dislike, and why.
• Who owns the materials you will use? Content created by someone else, such as photos or text, is generally protected by copyright from the moment it is created, so check that the client has the right to use it.

People and approvals

• Who is the main contact?
• Who gives feedback, and who gives final approval?
• How quickly can they usually respond?

Timeline and constraints

• Fixed deadlines or launch dates.
• Holidays or busy periods.
• Legal, technical or industry requirements.

Practical details

• Billing contact and invoicing process.
• Whether they need a Form W-9 from you; the IRS describes it as the form used to give your taxpayer identification number to a payer that files information returns.
• Access needed to tools, sites or accounts.

Service-specific questions

Add questions for your field. A web designer might ask about current traffic sources, the pages that matter most and what visitors should do; Google's SEO starter guide notes that descriptive titles and useful content help people and search engines understand a page, so asking for the key topics of each page helps. A bookkeeper might ask about accounts, software and past filings. A photographer might ask about locations, shot lists and usage.

Design tips

• Keep it short: cut anything you will not use.
• Mix formats: multiple choice for facts, open questions for goals.
• Explain why you ask harder questions, such as budget.
• Allow uploads for files and examples.
• Mark optional questions.
• Give a deadline for completion in your timeline.

Use the answers

Before the kickoff call, read the answers and note gaps or contradictions. Quote the client's own words in your project brief; it shows you listened and keeps the project anchored to their goals. Store the completed questionnaire with the project records.

Improve it over time

After each project, ask: what did I still have to chase? Add a question for it. What question did nobody answer usefully? Rewrite or remove it.

Sample questions by section

Goals. What problem should this project solve? How will you judge whether it worked? What happens if you do nothing?

Audience. Who is this for? What do they already know about you? What do they need to believe or do after seeing the work?

Scope. Which deliverables do you expect? Is anything out of bounds? Are there related projects coming later?

Assets and access. Which logos, photos, copy, logins or style guides can you share? Who owns them?

Approvals. Who gives feedback and who has the final say? How quickly can they usually respond?

Timeline. Is there a fixed launch date or event? What is driving it?

Budget. Do you have a range in mind for this project?

After the questionnaire

Read the answers before the kickoff call and note gaps or contradictions. Use the call to clarify, then summarise the agreed goals, scope and timeline in writing. That summary becomes the basis for your proposal or statement of work, and it gives you something to point back to if the project drifts.

Sharing it with the client

Send the questionnaire with a short note explaining why you ask, how long it takes and when you need it back. A shareable form or document is easier to complete than a long email, and it keeps answers in one place for the whole project.

Ask about goals, audience, scope, materials, approvals, timeline and practical details, keep it short and tailored, and use the answers to brief your project.