Start with the format.

A poster, a cover and a screen have different reading conditions. An enquiry can begin with one composition or with a related set; the intended use determines what needs to be agreed.

Possible starting points for a design conversation

A focused layout

One composition

A single visual surface with a clear job: introduce a title, carry a short message or establish a focal point.

Identify the final size and viewing context.
Separate fixed copy from text that can change.
Define the hierarchy of message, image and supporting detail.

Enquire about one composition ↗

A shared visual rule

A related set

A group of layouts that should feel connected while allowing different lengths of text or different proportions.

Name the formats that belong in the set.
Decide which elements remain consistent.
Identify where the content needs room to vary.

Enquire about a related set ↗

Enquiries do not reserve work. Availability, scope, deliverables, revisions, timing and any fee need a separate written agreement.

Define the output before the styling.

Decision	Useful detail
Reading context	Screen or print, intended size, and the distance at which the message should read.
Source material	Approved words, supplied imagery, existing marks and the permissions attached to each.
Handover	Required file formats, editable source expectations and who prepares final production files.
Review boundary	Who approves the work, which variations belong in scope and how revisions will be handled.

Bring the constraint. The useful first question is often concrete: a long title in a narrow cover, a poster read from a distance, or a set that has to survive changing copy.

Prepare a design enquiry ↗