Often deadlines loom over our heads, so the pressure is on to get a project completed. However, if you take the time to determine all aspects of the project at hand, you will inevitably save time and of course money. Brainstorm ideas, devise a plan and determine the desired outcome. Keep in mind every revision costs money!

While this concept is straightforward, unfortunately new ideas, collaborators and goals often change the course and timing of the project. Behind the scenes, we refer to this as scope creep. Scope creep refers to unaccounted-for changes in a project’s original scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. A few hours here and there – next thing you know, 20 hours have been tacked on.

Here are a few strategies for thoroughly planning and defining a project that solve for some of scope creep’s favorite weak spots:

• Creative brief: A creative brief is a document used to develop creative deliverables: visual design, copy, advertising, web sites, etc. Make sure the creative brief is completed before the work begins – especially in advance of copy writing or design. Be sure to review it over the phone or in-person with your client to ensure that all questions are addressed. Check out this workshop from the people at Dare for more information on developing a solid creative brief.
• Role playing: Imagine you are the target audience. What happens next? What information is important? What is left to be desired? Have a colleague that hasn’t worked on the project evaluate it. Make sure that you’re communicating what you intended.
• Call to action (CTA): Determine what you want the audience to do and how you will measure success. Once the audience has reacted according to your CTA, what happens next? Are statistics and metrics needed? Do you want to capture email addresses for an opt-in?
• Q&A: As always, don’t be afraid to ask questions during the planning process. The key from an agency perspective is to provide an insightful question that gets your client thinking. Instead of “What color do you like?” say “Blue is calming and red is action-oriented. What emotion do we want to communicate through our color scheme?” The client will take the time to think through the various options instead of going with a gut reaction that might be second-guessed in the next round of revisions.

While scope creep is inevitable for almost every project, there are steps you can integrate into your workflow that will lessen the blow. Expect that the scope will change and make sure you address this with your client. Some clients may want to pay for these changes as they go in the form of a change order, and others may want you to include room for revisions in the original estimate. If you go with the latter, make sure you clearly define the terms of the revisions that are covered in the original contract.