The request list
Everything starts from one shared list. It can live in a spreadsheet, a project board or a shared document your team already uses, or we can set one up. Each request needs four things: what it is, where it will be used, the words that go on it, and any date it has to be ready for. Photos and examples help but are optional.
Anyone you name on your team can add to the list. One person, usually the owner or office manager, has the final say on order and sign-off, which keeps the desk from getting conflicting markups.
Order and pace
We work on one or two requests at a time, from the top of the list down. You can reorder it whenever you like. If a piece has a fixed date, such as an event or a print deadline, put the date on the request and move it up. The number of requests per month and how the queue runs are written into your quote, so both sides know what to expect.
An example month
The calendar below is a concept month for an imaginary real estate team. Each numbered tile sits on the day a request was added, colored by type, and the meter shows how many of the month's requests were used.
- 1Listing flyerPrint
- 2Open house post setSocial
- 3Listing flyerPrint
- 4Just sold postSocial
- 5Email signature refresh for the teamUpkeep
- 6Neighborhood postcardPrint
- 7Listing flyerPrint
- 8Market update templateSocial
- 9Cover slide for listing presentationsDigital
Markups
Every request gets a first version for you to mark up. Comments can be as plain as "bigger phone number" or "use the other photo". We apply them and send the revised piece. Your quote states how many rounds a request includes, and we flag it before a request goes past that.
The brand folder
Finished pieces go into a shared brand folder, sorted by type, with the source files next to the exports. When someone on your team needs last spring's flyer or the logo on a dark background, they can find it without asking. If you ever stop the desk, the folder stays with you.
Setting the monthly count
The right number of requests depends on how often you post, how many events or promotions you run, how many printed pieces you reorder, and how many people send requests. We look at a normal month and a busy one and suggest a count that covers the normal month without leaving most requests unused.
Questions
Can we change the number of requests later?
Yes. The quote explains how to raise or lower the monthly count, and how to pause the desk during a quiet season.
What if a request needs copywriting?
Short headlines and captions are part of the design. Longer copy, such as brochure text, can count as its own request; the quote will say how it is handled.
Got a list of design jobs that keeps growing? Tell us how big your team is and what you put out in a typical month. We'll suggest a monthly request count and send a written quote.
Request a quote