25 Questions to Ask Your Website Designer Before Hiring
Are You an Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Firm Looking to Hire a Web Designer?
You've come to the right place.
We put together a list of 25 questions to ask your potential designer before you hire them. Read through the questions and answers before your first conversation.
Who you choose to work with will determine both the end product and how much you enjoy the process. A website built without the right partner wastes time, money, and opportunity.
For AEC firms, your website is a business development tool. It needs to attract clients, secure contracts, and recruit top talent. You'll work with this designer for several months, possibly several years. It's an investment and a multi-year relationship.
We're local to the Washington DC and Northern Virginia area and work with local and non-local clients across the US, always operating in Eastern Time. Work with a designer in your time zone to avoid communication delays, and make sure the primary language spoken aligns with your content needs.
Meet your designer before hiring them — schedule a call, video meeting, or in-person conversation to confirm you're a good fit.
Quick Links
What kind of research will you do on our AEC firm and target clients?
Do you have a portfolio of websites built for architecture, engineering, or construction firms?
Can you help develop a marketing strategy to attract clients and recruit talent?
Do you offer logo design, branding, SEO, or marketing services beyond web design?
Will you review our existing website before building the new one?
Should we provide the written copy, including project descriptions and service pages?
How many pages will our new website have, and how should we structure our project portfolio?
Do you follow SEO best practices to help our firm rank for AEC-related searches?
Can you build a project portfolio and a careers page with job postings?
Is our website secure? Will our domain have an SSL certificate?
What ongoing support and marketing services do you offer after the site launches?
Do you include website legal policies, like a privacy policy?
1. What Kind of Research Will You Do on Our AEC Firm and Target Clients?
Excellence in branding and web design requires thorough research. A strategy built on guesswork leads to a website that looks fine but doesn't perform.
At Design Powers, we call our discovery process The Power Plan: a 90-minute working session in which we research your business, competitors, and goals before proposing anything. You'll know exactly what you're getting and what it costs before you sign. No surprises.
For AEC firms, this is especially important. Your ideal clients — developers, municipalities, general contractors, building owners — have specific needs. A designer who understands how the AEC industry works, how projects are won, and how talent is recruited will build a site that speaks directly to those audiences.
If a designer doesn't conduct industry research, that's a red flag. One of the most critical outputs of this phase is defining how your project portfolio will be showcased. Your completed work is your most powerful business development asset.
2. Do You Have a Portfolio of Websites Built for Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Firms?
Most design companies showcase their work on their websites. If you want to see more than what's posted, ask.
When reviewing a portfolio, ask yourself:
Is the work modern and visually strong?
Can you navigate the sites easily?
Is the writing clear and compelling?
Pay close attention to how they've handled project portfolios and case studies — AEC firms need to show not just a high level of quality, but also a clear explanation of the process and outcomes.
Can they design in various styles, or is everything the same?
Check their Google reviews or other third-party sources for client feedback.
We highlight select web, logo, and graphic design projects on our website because we seek that type of work. We write a summary of each project and what it entailed.
3. Can You Help Develop a Marketing Strategy to Attract Clients and Recruit Talent?
Your website needs to do two things: win work and win talent. The language, structure, and calls to action need to speak to both prospective clients evaluating your capabilities and prospective employees evaluating your culture.
Ask your designer: How will the website convert visitors into project inquiries? How will it support recruiting? What strategies will you use?
At Design Powers, marketing strategy is built into every phase. It starts with The Power Plan, continues through The Foundation (where every page is written to move a visitor from curious to convinced), and extends post-launch through our Increased Visibility plans.
The firms winning the work they want aren't the loudest — they're the most prepared.
4. Do You Offer Logo Design, Branding, SEO, or Marketing Services Beyond Web Design?
Your website should function as your firm's marketing engine, not just a beautiful site that no one visits. Ask what additional services tie into the web design project — logo design, content writing, SEO, custom photography, and social media graphics are common needs.
For AEC firms, your visual brand matters more than you may realize. A poorly rendered logo undermines a strong project portfolio the moment a selection committee sees it. Research indicates that users judge a website within milliseconds, meaning visual design plays a critical role in how they perceive a service's quality and trustworthiness, and whether they stay engaged.
In addition to web design, we specialize in logo design and visual brand identity, structured content writing, search engine and AI optimization, custom photography direction, Google Business Profiles, and ongoing digital marketing.
Working with one firm simplifies the project instead of piecing it together across multiple vendors.
5. Can You Design a Website That Fits Our Budget?
Communicate your budget before starting the project and ask for the designer's baseline starting price. Some firms list pricing on their website; others require a custom quote.
A good analogy is a building project — you first want to understand the intended goal/outcome, then the scope of the work, materials, and labor, before giving a number.
In today’s market, and in a competitive industry like AEC, the cost of a bad website can be millions in missed opportunities. User experience is a non-negotiable requirement for winning contracts and is too frequently undervalued as visual icing on a cake.
In a competitive market, good design and interface experience generate revenue and high ROI — data backs this up. So while a good site can feel like a large upfront investment, it can have immediate and long-term revenue growth.
Beyond the strategy, design, and build fee, plan for web hosting, domain registration, content writing, and photography. Depending on your needs, there may be additional subscription costs for scheduling tools, email marketing, or third-party software. Your web designer can often help you determine the tech stack you need and the subscription plans best suited to your firm's current stage.
The Power Plan is specifically designed to eliminate budget surprises. By the time we present your proposal, you'll know exactly what you're getting and what it costs. Read our FAQ page for straightforward answers about web design pricing costs.
6. Will You Review Our Existing Website Before Building the New One?
If you have an existing site, your designer must review it. If they say they don't need to, that's a red flag.
Many AEC firms have websites built 10 or more years ago that haven't been updated since. A review will surface outdated project photos, antiquated bios, broken links, and content that no longer reflects your firm's current services. A site like that isn't just underperforming — it's actively working against you every time a prospective client or candidate looks you up.
Your designer should document all existing pages, map old URLs for redirects, and identify what gets deleted, transferred, or updated. Our first step is always a full sitemap and page-by-page review. We create a Google Sheet for URL redirects to make sure nothing gets missed.
If you need to export/import content, such as project case studies or blog posts, from your current site to your new one, ask about the process. Most platforms don’t offer seamless content migrations with each other, and content always needs to be reformatted, which is a manual process.
A designer genuinely interested in helping you will not push a full rebuild if targeted updates are all you need.
7. Do You Work In-House or Outsource Your Projects?
If your designer plans to bring in outside support, know who they're working with and what they're responsible for. Is your designer actively managing a vetted team, or are they a middleman between you and someone on the other side of the globe? There is a big difference.
We work in-house and do not outsource brand and web design. We’re formally trained graphic designers with over 30 years of experience. If we do need to bring additional support, we partner with trusted experts for content writing and professional photography — people we've vetted and work with consistently.
Offshore outsourcing, although less expensive than U.S.-based agencies, can be difficult to maintain over the long term due to potential language and time zone barriers. It can lead to subpar results, inconsistent communication, and a relationship lacking accountability. There is a lot to be said about having a trusted relationship with your communications people… It’s where we shine!
8. Will We Have a Project Manager or One Central Contact?
No matter the team size, one person should own the project end-to-end: research, strategy, design, development, launch, and review. If nobody owns it fully, things fall through the cracks.
Ask who your contact will be, how you'll communicate, and how decisions get made. Large agencies often have separate account/project managers, UX and design teams and, finally, developers. Smaller firms like ours are what’s called unicorns…we can do it all seamlessly, which means direct communication and faster iteration.
We prefer working with one or two decision-makers so that feedback is centralized and the project moves efficiently. We use a project management platform to keep everything in one place instead of scattered across email threads.
9. What Is Your Design and Project Management Process?
Ask if your designer has a documented process and uses project management software. If they don't, that's a red flag. A website project has multiple phases that must be executed in order.
Working with a team that will keep you on task, on budget, and launched on schedule makes the website process far less stressful and much more enjoyable for everyone involved.
At Design Powers, our process has three main phases:
The Power Plan: We research your competitors, identify your ideal clients, map your goals, and come back with a detailed scope, timeline, and accurate price. No surprises.
The Foundation: Structured content writing by an AEC-experienced copywriter, search engine and AI optimization, visual brand identity, custom photography direction, and a pursuit-ready custom website built from scratch.
Increased Visibility: Monthly marketing plans to keep your firm showing up, staying competitive, and growing after launch.
We manage all project tasks in Asana with documented processes that we consistently refine. AEC firms are project-driven organizations, and you'll find our process familiar.
Each main phase is further broken down into assigned tasks with deadline dates so the project runs as smoothly as possible. The Foundation is our core foundational visual identity and web design service.
10. How Long Will Our Website Design and Development Take?
Your designer should give you a timeline based on the content in hand and what your firm needs to prepare before the project starts.
A critical factor: your team must be involved. Content review, meetings, design approvals, feedback, and final sign-off all require your participation. Larger projects also require availability for photoshoots.
Plan for two to three months from contract signing to launch if the site is straightforward. Add in an additional month if custom photography needs to be planned and scheduled. If there are multiple locations, that too can add time as well as if shooting projects needs authorization. Timelines vary based on content availability, content that needs to be created, and the schedules of everyone involved. We factor all of this into The Power Plan.
Websites Built for One Thing.
Winning!
You're excellent at architecture, engineering, or construction. We excel at making that obvious to the people deciding whether to work with you OR for you. Talk to a web agency that specializes in the AEC industry.
11. What Do You Need From Us Before the Project Starts?
Ask early to avoid scrambling mid-project. Common needs include strategy documents, written content, photography, logo files, and login credentials for existing platforms and third-party tools.
Content delivery is typically phased so it's not overwhelming. In our project management board, we assign your team specific tasks with due dates. Everything is sequenced intentionally so the project moves forward without bottlenecks.
Generally speaking, lower-budget projects mean your firm provides all written and visual content. Higher-budget projects include asset creation. At the beginning of the project, it’s essential to review what content is in hand and determine what needs to be sourced and what needs to be produced.
12. Should We Provide the Written Copy, Including Project Descriptions and Service Pages?
Written content is one of the most important elements of your website. It's the primary way people and search engines find you.
Website writing, technical writing, and blog writing are different disciplines. You need a writer who understands your industry and knows how to structure content for the web, with SEO and GEO/AIO, a clear hierarchy, and built-in calls to action.
For AEC firms, clear and compelling writing about your services, project outcomes, and firm culture is essential. Decision-makers — developers, owners, municipalities — are vetting your firm online and forming an opinion within seconds. The content needs to be clear and on point.
At Design Powers, structured content writing is a core part of The Foundation. We start with what you already have: existing bios, project descriptions and capability statements. Then we interview your team to fill in the gaps and get the content up to date. We write every page, every description, every piece of microcopy.
You provide the expertise, then we do the writing, so your website’s content gets seen and sells your firm.
13. Should We Provide Project Photography and Team Headshots?
For AEC firms, project photography is everything. High-quality images of completed buildings, infrastructure, and spaces are your portfolio. Nothing communicates credibility faster.
If your current photo library is outdated or low-resolution, investing in new photography and drone footage before or during the web project is strongly recommended. It’s an investment that can then be used not just for the website but also for marketing collateral, social media and other communications.
Visual content is also an SEO asset — image files strategically named and tagged with alt text help your site show up in image search. And now, with AI citing companies in query responses, it has been shown that AI can distinguish between stock photography and original imagery and prefers the latter.
We recommend custom photography for every Foundation build and make the process turnkey by coordinating with a photographer in your area, developing a shot list tailored to your website, and providing in-person art direction for the shoot if you're in the Northern Virginia and DC metro area.
Team headshots that show your real team are needed for your website to feel human-centered and so people can form a genuine connection with your company. If a shoot isn't immediately feasible, we can use premium stock imagery or AI headshots as a bridge. All images are optimized for the web.
14. How Many Pages Will Our New Website Have, and How Should We Structure Our Project Portfolio?
Most AEC firms' website pages include: Home, About, Our Team, Services, Projects, Careers, Blog or News, Contact, and legal policy pages. Each project and blog post has its own page, and many firms have individual service pages and team bio pages as well.
The projects page is often the most robust part of the site. Each project page should function as a mini case study — scope, your firm's role, the outcome, and visual proof. A selection committee should be able to land on your portfolio and immediately understand the breadth, quality, and relevance of your work.
Our Foundation package is built around a pursuit-ready, 20-page custom website. We start with The Power Plan strategy session and develop a page sitemap, then take it from there. A good website is never really finished. You'll continue adding content long after launch.
15. Which Content Management System (CMS) Do You Use and Why?
The CMS is the platform used to create and organize your website content. Know what your designer uses — especially as your firm's needs evolve post-launch. Ask whether the platform supports project portfolios, team bios, blog pages, career listings, and the tools your firm already uses.
At Design Powers, we build on Squarespace because it has security built in, is easy to maintain, is continuously updated with new features, and includes an SSL certificate with every plan. It supports project portfolio pages, team pages, blogs, career listing integrations, and contact forms.
If your functionality needs fall outside what Squarespace supports, we'll tell you that upfront in The Power Plan, not mid-project.
WordPress vs Squarespace: How to Know Which One is Right For Your Business ➔
16. Do You Build Custom Sites or Use Pre-Bought Templates?
It's rare to code websites entirely from scratch for non-enterprise-level sites. Most designers use a CMS platform as a starting point and customize from there.
The real question is: how custom is custom? Ask what's actually designed from scratch versus dropped into a pre-built layout. For AEC firms competing for high-value contracts and top talent, a templated website that looks and feels exactly like everyone else's is a liability.
We use Squarespace but do not use their pre-built templates. Every website we build starts from a blank canvas. No templates, no shortcuts. Each page is designed for its specific purpose, sharing the same visual language but laid out to do its job.
Ask about features and limitations. If your firm has specific functionality needs, such as excessive pages, post filtering, advanced search, multilingual support or third-party code embeds, make sure the website platform can handle them.
17. Are Your Web Designs Responsive?
Google's Mobile Index makes mobile-friendly design non-negotiable.
RWD (responsive web design) means a website adjusts its layout for desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile using a single set of code. Not a desktop site and a separate mobile site — one website.
Easy test: open a website in a browser, resize the window, and see if the content adjusts. If it doesn't move, it's not responsive. Also, when the content adjusts, the spacing needs to remain proportional to the content and avoid large unintentional blank spaces. All device layouts must be considered, presentable, and functional for a good user experience.
Selection committees, project owners, and prospective hires will view your site on all kinds of devices. A site that breaks on mobile sends the wrong signal about your firm's attention to detail, exactly the quality AEC firms are hired for.
All websites we build are fully responsive. We test across devices before going live. If your company website is more than 10–15 years old, there is a high chance it’s not responsive and needs updating.
18. Do You Follow SEO Best Practices to Help Our Firm Rank for AEC-Related Searches?
SEO (search engine optimization), AIO (AI optimization), and GEO (generative engine optimization) should be built in from day one — not added as an afterthought.
Best practices include logical navigation, up-to-date and helpful content, well-structured pages, strategic page titles and descriptions, correct heading hierarchy and structure, image optimization, alt tagging, mobile-friendliness, keyword research and keyword-rich headlines, internal linking, and organic and paid content strategies, and more.
For AEC firms, prospective clients and candidates frequently search by service type, location, and sector. Showing up in those searches compounds over time. It's also worth noting that AI tools are increasingly used to find and recommend firms — a site with proper content structure and semantic hierarchy doesn't just rank on Google or in the overview, it gets cited by AI software.
Doing the SEO work as part of the strategy and content writing process will be less expensive than fixing these issues post-launch. This work must be baked in from the start to build a solid foundation to be found online 3, 6, and 12+ months from site launch.
At Design Powers, SEO is a dedicated component of The Foundation. That includes search-optimized content, URL mapping and 301 redirects from your old site, crawlability and sitemap submission, and analytics and search console setup from day one.
19. Can You Build a Project Portfolio and a Careers Page With Job Postings?
Not all designers understand how to structure an AEC project portfolio effectively or know how to build a careers section that actually attracts candidates.
Each project page should tell the story of the project: the challenge, your firm's role, the outcome, and the visual proof. Ask how projects will be categorized and filtered, and how individual pages will be structured.
Your careers page matters just as much. In a competitive hiring market, it's often the first place a candidate evaluates your firm's culture. A generic “we're hiring, send your resume” page is a missed opportunity.
And if you need dedicated pages for each job posting, we can set that up with structured data and schema markup (rich snippet code) to qualify for enhanced Google Jobs visibility to help your job postings have more reach online.
Our Foundation package includes portfolio architecture and careers pages as central components of every AEC build. We structure the portfolio to reflect your sectors and disciplines, design project pages that make your work look as strong as it actually is, and build professional careers pages that communicate your benefits and value.
20. How Many Rounds of Edits and Revisions Are Included?
Your designer should establish review checkpoints throughout the project. Typically, designers offer two to three rounds of revision. If more are needed, you may be billed an hourly rate. Ask about this upfront.
Our process minimizes extensive revision rounds by requiring the strategy to be approved before moving to writing, written content to be approved before moving to design, and design to be approved before moving to development. We do the project in phases with review checkpoints built-in.
Final edits on the nearly finished site are typically minimal because we've already worked through reviews at each earlier phase.
This process works best for firms with one to two main decision-makers. Organizations with board-level or multi-committee approvals should raise that in The Power Plan so that slow internal large group feedback can be added into the overall project timeline.
Websites Built for One Thing.
Winning!
You're excellent at architecture, engineering, or construction. We excel at making that obvious to the people deciding whether to work with you OR for you. Talk to a web agency that specializes in the AEC industry.
21. Is Our Website Secure? Will Our Domain Have an SSL Certificate?
Ask what CMS platform is being used because it largely determines the security approach and how much ongoing maintenance your site will need in terms of keeping it secure.
Website security includes protection against hackers, spam, and vulnerabilities introduced by outdated software or malicious attacks.
We build on Squarespace because it doesn't require the manual security updates that platforms like WordPress demand. Squarespace has a dedicated security and engineering team that handles updates automatically, eliminating the risk of a breach caused by a forgotten plugin update. Every Squarespace plan includes an SSL certificate for your domain.
Need to know more about domains? Read our blog post: Understanding the Differences Between Domain Names, Registration, Hosting, Transfer and Connection.
22. What Ongoing Support and Marketing Services Do You Offer After the Site Launches?
Launching your website is the starting point, not the finish line.
A site that sits untouched after launch quickly becomes dated. Project portfolios go stale, service pages become outdated, and a site that isn't actively maintained stops generating visibility.
We offer three ways to keep your site working after launch.
Client Website Membership ($300/month): One scheduled hour of professional updates every month: content changes, page updates, and technical fixes. You upload content to a shared Google Drive folder by the third Wednesday of each month; we have updates live by the following Monday. No scrambling. Simple site updates on a consistent schedule.
Increased Visibility: Monthly marketing plans designed to keep your firm consistently showing up to the right people:
Activate (from $1,500/month): One expert 1,500-word article written and published to your site every month. Six-month commitment required.
Grow (from $2,500/month): Everything in Activate, plus case studies, capability statements, and presentation-ready materials. An email nurture campaign is available as an add-on. Six-month commitment required.
Scale (from $5,000/month): Full CRM build-out and marketing automations tailored to how your firm sells. Twelve-month commitment required.
Hourly Support: Need graphic design marketing materials such as business cards, brochures, postcards, event signage, and firm signage — we offer this. Need digital support, like a branded slide deck, a PDF guide, social media profile banners, or logo video intros/outros — we’re your design team.
The firms that stay competitive between projects, show up when clients are searching, and attract the candidates they want to hire are the ones treating their website as an asset.
23. Do We Own the Site and Its Contents After It Goes Live?
You own the content you upload, but not the platform code (like social media). With Squarespace, you pay a subscription fee for access to the platform's features and hosting.
Your domain name registration and web hosting must be registered in your firm's name with your payment information — not the designer's. If your designer holds those accounts, you're dependent on them for something you should own outright.
After final payment, we transfer site ownership to you and provide all logo file formats you own. We also create a visual style guide page on your website so any future designer or team member can follow your brand standards accurately.
Check contract terms to confirm you own the final design files upon payment — especially important if you plan to trademark your logo or brand identity.
Want to trademark your company name and/or your design? Read our blog post: How to Trademark Your Business Name and Logo Design.
24. Will Our Website Be ADA-Accessible?
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires accessible spaces — including websites. Ask your designer what their accessibility approach looks like.
For AEC firms, this carries extra weight. If your firm works on publicly funded projects, operates as a government contractor, or has 15 or more employees, specific compliance requirements may apply. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funds.
We implement accessibility best practices on every website we build, including logical navigation and URL structure, descriptive headings in proper order, image alt text, high contrast ratios, legible font sizes, proper button sizing, and a sitemap and accessibility policy. Squarespace provides built-in accessibility tools to help meet the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standard. However, we cannot guarantee full compliance. If strict AA or AAA standards apply to your firm, consider a specialist agency.
25. Do You Include Website Legal Policies, Like a Privacy Policy?
This question doesn't get asked enough — and it should be near the top of your list.
Every website needs a Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Cookie Policy, and Disclaimer. These aren't optional. They're legally required in many states and countries, and failing to have them exposes your firm to fines, lawsuits, and reputational risk.
For AEC firms: your website collects personally identifiable information whether you realize it or not — through contact forms, newsletter signups, scheduling tools, and analytics. In 2026, more than 20 U.S. states have active data privacy laws, and that number continues to grow.
At Design Powers, Legal Policy Setup is included in every Foundation package. We implement Termageddon, a website legal policy generator that automatically notifies you to update your policies whenever relevant laws change, so your site stays compliant without your team tracking every new regulation. We are a proud Termageddon data privacy certified agency partner.
For a full breakdown of what legal policies your website needs and why, including U.S. data privacy laws, GDPR, cookie consent tools, and more, read our in-depth blog post: Legal Policies for Websites (USA).
Ready to Build a Website That Works as Hard as Your Firm Does?
For AEC firms, your website is one of your most powerful business development and recruiting tools. It needs to reflect the quality of your work, communicate your expertise clearly, and be built to attract the clients and candidates you want.
You've just read 25 questions from a team that has already thought through every one of them. If this content gave you confidence — and maybe made it clear you don't need to keep looking — we'd love to hear from you.
Schedule a call with our creative director, Evelyn Powers to see if we’re a good fit. From there, we'll start with The Power Plan and go from there.
Have a question we didn't answer? Ask in the comments below.
