Clarify roles before starting
Who manages the end client and who makes design decisions? The agency often handles communication and supplies an agreed brief. Any direct contact should be arranged explicitly. There should be no uncertainty about whose name is used when communicating.
Provide a complete brief
Alongside the task, include existing brand rules, audience, applications, file formats and deadlines. Separate decisions already made from open questions. Examples of previous applications are useful too. This prevents the external studio having to reconstruct the agreement from scattered messages.
Consolidate feedback through one channel
Agency and client comments may address different issues. Consolidated, prioritised feedback makes clear which changes are required and where a decision is still pending. Resolve contradictory comments before forwarding them where possible. This reduces avoidable rounds of clarification.
Agree presentation and approval responsibilities
Who presents the designs and what explanation do they need? The agency may require presentation views or a short design rationale. Clarify who approves intermediate and final versions too. An internally reviewed draft is not automatically approved by the end client.
Define handover and use explicitly
Discuss source files, export formats and supplied materials before starting. Confidentiality, usage scope and any public attribution should also be agreed. Collaboration should not depend on both sides making identical unspoken assumptions. Legal contract questions can be addressed separately where needed.
Begin with a bounded commission
A manageable first commission shows whether briefing, feedback and handover work together. It then becomes easier to identify suitable recurring tasks. KD Studio already provides white-label services for agencies in the US, UK and Australia. The specific scope is agreed for each collaboration.