Client feedback and approval rounds
Each project runs on an agreed number of revision rounds, and work waits on written sign-off before the next stage or the final files are released.
For graphic designers
Keeping client approvals, licence dates and asset renewals in one place
A designer's week disappears into version approvals, licence dates and the same client questions arriving after the brief has closed.
No account needed to see the proposed desk.
The recurring work
What graphic designers have to keep on top of
Every one of these has a date attached, a document behind it, and somebody who notices when it slips. This is what goes on the desk.
Retainer contract renewals
Monthly retainers carry an end date, a scope limit on hours or deliverables, a notice period and a rate that should be reviewed before the term rolls over.
Software and subscription renewals
Design suites, stock libraries, font services and prototyping tools renew annually or monthly, and unused seats or tiers quietly renew at the higher price.
Font and typeface licensing terms
Desktop, web and app licences for a typeface are separate permissions, so a client asking for the font files needs the licence checked first.
Stock image, icon and template licences
Extended and editorial licences carry limits on print runs, territories and duration, and asset records need checking so a placed image stays covered.
Copyright assignment and usage scope
Commission letters and contracts should state which rights transfer, for which media, in which territory and for how long, because the default position favours the designer.
Self-assessment and payments on account
Invoices raised, expenses claimed and any VAT registration all feed the tax return, with payments on account due in January and July and the filing date on 31 January.
Professional indemnity renewal
A yearly professional indemnity policy covers claims arising from design work, and the renewal date needs to be met so client contracts that require cover stay satisfied.
Portfolio permissions and credit records
Showing client work in a portfolio usually depends on permission and a credit line, and each project needs its release recorded before the work is published.
Project file and asset handover pack
Clients ask for source files, fonts, image links and a usage note months after launch, so each project's handover pack needs a record of what was supplied and when.
What it costs to carry it
The drawing is the shortest part of most jobs. The rest is chasing written sign-off, checking which font licence covers a client's website, remembering when a stock licence runs out, and answering the same question about source files six months after launch. When a licence lapses or a retainer rolls past its notice period without review, the studio either carries the risk on published work or loses a client it could have kept.
What the desk takes over
The desk works this list to its own schedule and reports what it did.
Chasing approvals and sign-off
The desk tracks which stage each project has reached, prepares the reminder to the client, and records the approval or the change requested against the job.
Renewal watch on tools and licences
Software, stock, font and hosting subscriptions are listed with renewal dates and prices, so a decision can be made before the term renews automatically.
Licence and usage records per project
Each project keeps the fonts, images and templates used with their licence terms, so a client query about usage rights can be answered from the file.
Retainer and scope dates
Retainer end dates, notice periods and included deliverables are held against each client, with a reminder ahead of the review point.
Handover pack assembly
The desk gathers the supplied file list, usage note and asset links for a completed project into one pack and sends it when the client asks.
What stays with the graphic designer
The person still sets the direction, presents the work and decides which feedback is worth acting on, because taste and the client relationship cannot be handed over. Approvals, prices and final files stay under the person's control, with the desk holding the dates and the paperwork behind them.
Questions
What happens if a font licence expires on a client website?
The desk records the licensee, the permitted use and the end date, and warns before it lapses. Continuing past the term is a licensing matter between the client and the foundry.
How does the desk handle a client who goes quiet mid-project?
It sends a prepared reminder on a set cadence and logs each attempt against the job. If nothing comes back, the next step is raised as a decision rather than taken silently.
Does the desk send anything before a mailbox is connected?
No. Until a mailbox is connected the desk prepares and records the messages and nothing sends. Once connected, messages go out on approval.
Put the graphic designer's recurring work on the desk
Start with a name, a website and one sentence about what the business does. The desk proposes the list; the graphic designer corrects it.