Before the first call, write down the problem you need to solve, who is affected, and what would make the work worthwhile. You do not need a perfect brief. Clear requirements and consistent evaluation criteria make supplier proposals easier to compare, as the UK Government's digital services buyer's guide recommends.
1. Who would actually work on our project?
Ask to meet the people who will lead research, design, and delivery,not only the person presenting the pitch. Ask what each person will own, how much time they expect to spend, and whether any roles are still to be staffed.
Listen for: named roles, realistic availability, and a straight answer about subcontractors or team changes. A well-known agency name matters less if the proposed team is unavailable.
2. How would you get up to speed on our users and business?
Ask what they would want to learn before recommending a solution. Depending on the problem, that might mean reviewing existing research and analytics, speaking with customers, observing workflows, or testing the current product. Ask what they need from your team and what they would do if access to users is limited. The U.S. Web Design System's research guide describes usability research in practical terms: learn what people need and observe where they struggle.
Listen for: a plan tied to your actual uncertainty, rather than the same workshop-and-wireframe process for every brief.
3. Can you show a similar project and explain what changed?
Ask for a case study that resembles your challenge in a meaningful way: user group, product complexity, constraints, or stage of work. Then ask what the agency personally did, what shipped, and what evidence they can share about the result.
Listen for: a clear account of the agency's contribution and limits. A visual portfolio is useful, but it does not tell you by itself whether the work solved the right problem.
4. What would make you recommend a different approach?
Ask what they still need to find out, what assumption could change the plan, and what evidence would lead them to recommend a smaller or different engagement. You can also ask about a project where the first idea did not work.
Listen for: considered trade-offs and an ability to change course. A proposal should be a reasoned starting point, not a promise that every detail is already known.
5. How will we know whether the work helped?
Ask what user or business outcome the design work can reasonably influence, what baseline you have today, and how you could check progress after launch. The right measure depends on the product: it could involve task completion, support demand, activation, conversion, or another agreed signal.
Listen for: measures you can actually observe and a clear account of what the agency can and cannot attribute to design. No agency can credibly guarantee a business result that depends on factors outside its control.
6. What exactly is included, and what is not?
Ask the agency to walk through the proposed phases, outputs, review points, and decisions your team must make. Clarify whether research recruitment, testing, content, accessibility checks, implementation support, and revisions are included or priced separately.
Listen for: a written scope with assumptions, owners, and a way to handle changes. The GOV.UK guidance on managing digital service contracts likewise recommends making the work, people, duration, and cost explicit.
7. How did you arrive at the estimate?
Ask what the price assumes about access to stakeholders, number of product areas, feedback rounds, and delivery pace. Find out how the agency will flag work that falls outside the estimate and whether you can stage the project to learn before committing to a larger scope.
Listen for: a transparent explanation of effort and dependencies,not just a single number with no way to understand what changes it.
8. What will you need from our team each week?
Ask which people need to attend, how quickly your team needs to review work, who can make decisions, and what happens if a key stakeholder is unavailable. Be honest about your capacity; the best plan is a plan your team can support.
Listen for: a practical collaboration rhythm and a plan to share knowledge so your team can keep moving after the engagement. GOV.UK's guidance for working with contractors also highlights knowledge transfer and building capability within the buyer's team.
9. How do you handle accessibility, privacy, and other constraints?
Tell the agency about relevant accessibility standards, sensitive data, security reviews, regulated content, and technical limits. Ask how these shape research, design decisions, and testing,and who on each side is responsible for checking them. For U.S. federal projects, Section508.gov's procurement guidance recommends defining accessibility requirements early and asking vendors how they will test and demonstrate conformance. Section 508 is a federal procurement requirement; other organizations should identify the standards that apply to their own work.
Listen for: specific experience and a process for raising risks early. If they do not have a particular specialist, ask how they will bring that expertise in.
10. What will we own and receive at the end?
Ask what files, prototypes, research notes, design system assets, and documentation will be handed over, in what format, and when. Confirm who can reuse the work, whether any tools or fonts have separate licences, and what support is available after handoff.
Listen for: terms you can understand before signing. The AIGA standard design services agreement is a useful reminder to discuss deliverables and intellectual-property rights explicitly; the right terms for your project should be agreed between you and the agency.
Make the answers easy to compare
Use the same questions with every agency and take notes against your priorities. Compare evidence and fit, not just confidence or polish. It is reasonable to ask for clarification where an answer is vague, and to choose a smaller discovery phase when the problem is still uncertain.
Ready to build a first-call list? Browse our UX agency shortlists, see published UX design rates and project minimums, and read how we assess agencies.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Digital Services Playbook , understanding user needs, building experienced teams, and structuring budgets and contracts to support delivery.
- U.S. Web Design System: How the public can participate in research , an accessible introduction to usability research and observing how people use digital services.
- Section508.gov: Buy accessible products and services , federal guidance for defining accessibility requirements and evaluating vendor evidence.
- GOV.UK: Digital Outcomes and Specialists buyer's guide , preparing requirements and evaluating supplier proposals.
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Working with contractors or third parties , choosing suppliers, knowledge transfer, and team capability.
- GOV.UK: Managing a Digital Outcomes and Specialists contract , scope, roles, time, payment, and measuring performance.
- AIGA: Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services , a reference for discussing design deliverables and rights.
Last reviewed October 25, 2026. This is general buying guidance, not legal or procurement advice.