1. Define the decision and constraints
Name the user problem, target audience, business context, and what the team needs to decide. List the constraints that affect delivery: timeline, technology, internal skills, procurement rules, and access to users.
2. Decide which capabilities you need
A discovery engagement, usability study, product strategy sprint, and interface redesign need different skills. Ask agencies to map their proposed work to the decisions you need to make, rather than selecting from a broad services menu.
3. Review relevant evidence
Choose projects that resemble your product, workflow, audience, or operating constraints. Verify the agency’s role and look for the actual shipped experience. Treat reported outcomes as attributed claims and check whether the source gives enough context.
4. Interview the people who will do the work
Meet the proposed team. Ask who will lead research and design, how they handle conflicting evidence, how you will participate, and how findings will be carried into implementation.
5. Compare proposals against the same brief
Compare scope, assumptions, deliverables, team allocation, decision points, and what is excluded. If pricing is not public, ask for a range and the assumptions behind it; do not infer a budget from another agency’s rates.
This guide is original editorial advice, not a substitute for reviewing project sources and proposals specific to your work.