Scoping bespoke interactive and immersive projects can be pretty difficult. Each project is different; many things need to be defined, and the client often doesn’t have a clear budget. These are just a few of the challenges, but you still have to arrive at a number and define the work required to complete the project.
I used to be terrified of this process, but now I see it as just another part of the workflow. Taking a client through scoping can actually be educational for everyone involved and sets the tone for how you’ll work together. I’m excited to share my approach, which leans into being clear, quick, and planning ahead.
Meet with the Client & Onboarding Documents
This is a no-brainer, but it really does set the pace for the entire project. I like to start with a call to gather all the key details and ask important questions. This also gives the client a sense of how I work, and if they have a budget in mind, it is the best time to ask. If not, they can walk me through their needs and where they require support.
- Supporting project documents
- Budget and timeline
- Location and audience
- Meeting and Review Cadence
- Key stakeholders and collaborators
- Branding requirements
- Equipment ownership or rental
- What can be shared publicly following the project
- Payment expectations and timing to begin
- Presenting examples of our past work
After the call, I create:
- A central folder for all documents
- A timeline and budget sheet
- Contract documents (NDA, invoice, W9, MSA, SOW)
- A notes document with key information, open questions, and a draft brief
- Optional:
- Mood board/Video sharing tools(Miro/Frame.io)
Templates make this process fast, ensuring everything is reviewable for the client. For small, simple scope requests, I may provide just a day rate or a quick quote with the scope on the invoice/quote.
The Project Brief
The project brief becomes the foundation of the scope. It’s where I translate what I heard from the client into something structured. It will eventually evolve into the scope of work, but at this stage it’s a collaborative document for defining needs. It typically includes:
- Project narrative
- Project experience
- Project goals
- Technology involved
- Timeline and milestones
- Budget considerations
- Deliverables
- Location and installation details
- Unknowns that still need definition
- Key stakeholders and collaborators
Once drafted, I can share it with the client to make notes on it or verify that everything seems correct. I can now start turning the brief into a Scope of Work and fill in more details on the timeline and budget before sending it all to the client. The reason I drafted this before defining the scope, rather than just building the scope, is that it may incorporate more than the initial scope of work and also serves as a tool for onboarding other team members/vendors.
Timeline & Workback
Building the timeline involves breaking goals and deliverables into weekly milestones and mapping key moments, such as meetings, reviews, deliverables, gear ordering, or testing. It also helps visualize big push dates when many people are needed, which directly impacts the budget.
I structure timelines into my project phases:
- Design
- Development
- Install
- Support
Each phase includes checkpoints for review, sign-off, and any necessary scope adjustments.
To make this more actionable, I often build a more detailed task breakdown within each phase. This “workback” helps:
- Track progress
- Assign responsibilities
- Identify dependencies
I also include columns for client sign-off, task status, and which teams are involved. This helps visualize how phases connect, helping everyone understand when one stage ends and the next begins.
This becomes a shared source of truth for both the client and internal team, reducing the need for constant check-ins while also keeping track of what’s on the horizon.
Get Our 7 Core TouchDesigner Templates, FREE
We’re making our 7 core project file templates available – for free.
These templates shed light into the most useful and sometimes obtuse features of TouchDesigner.
They’re designed to be immediately applicable for the complete TouchDesigner beginner, while also providing inspiration for the advanced user.
Budget & Project Rate
With the timeline and brief in place, I budget in the same sheet so costs are connected to phases.
Hard costs (less flexible, often paid upfront):
- Gear
- Fabrication
- Rentals
- Staging space / transportation(gear)
If these exceed the client’s budget, the project may need to be redesigned.
Travel costs such as flights, hotels, and per diem are next. These are easy to calculate using project dates, adjustable for team size, and often fully refundable, though they can change day to day.
Following that are soft costs like labor, programming, and design hours. I structure soft costs and content as hourly rates, with estimated hours and team size. The more specific this is, the easier it is to adjust later if something gets cut (ex, sensor cut removes sensor gear and sensor programming).
Soft costs include:
- Design and admin
- Programming
- Install labor
- Post-install support
Payment structure typically follows one of these:
- 50% upfront / 50% on delivery
- 50% upfront / 25% prior to install / 25% after opening
- Phased payments (e.g., 25/25/25/25 for longer projects)
Project Rate vs Hourly
I use a hybrid approach that combines structure with flexibility:
- Define hours per phase: Each phase is scoped with a set number of hours, with a clear breakdown of tasks.
- Present it as a project-based cost: group hours by phase to calculate the total project cost. Phases can be billed separately if clients bring in other collaborators.
- Allow flexibility for scope changes: Contracts state that adjustments to deliverables, timeline, or scope will be addressed through a change order or reallocation of hours.
This approach keeps the project predictable while allowing it to adapt as work evolves. I put in my Scope of Work that additional time must be approved by both parties, with clear, ongoing communication about progress, remaining hours, and any scope adjustments.
General note: For individual clients, you may simply provide an hourly or day rate. For studios or teams, consider building in a ~30% profit margin to support your practice and operations (studio space, gear testing, and your licenses).
Discovery & Presenting the Scope
When information is incomplete, I recommend a paid discovery phase—around 15% of the total project cost, often counted toward the deposit. Discovery helps:
- Define the scope clearly
- Align on technical approach
- Identifying key dependencies that may change
- Develop early concepts, references, or prototypes
- Produce a finalized scope and budget
This phase may include light design exploration, but the focus is on defining the project rather than producing final deliverables. Discovery can roll directly into the design phase or stand alone, giving the client a solid foundation to move forward.
When presenting the scope, clarity and shareability are key. I make sure documents are:
- Easy to share
- Always up to date
- Commentable, so they can directly ask questions on the documents outside of meetings
Internal explorations are kept separate, and once everything is aligned, I review the scope with the client—sometimes converting it into a presentation deck for broader teams. These documents can also double as case studies or future pitch materials.
If scoping quickly with limited information, it’s better to be cautious—or even walk away. It’s tough, especially for exciting projects, but it saves time, stress, and misalignment in the long run. I try to be honest with the client about feasibility sooner rather than later and, if I can, present alternatives that accomplish their goals and intent. If you are negotiating and really working to make the budget balance to make it happen, I always try to consider the “Iron Triangle” scenario. In this scenario, each point of the triangle represents good, fast, and cheap. Your client may want all 3, but you can only pick 2, and the goal is to figure out which one you will be sacrificing.
Wrap Up
This process may seem like a lot, but with practice, it becomes fast and repeatable. I now rely on templates and can usually build a scope in a few hours, depending on the project.
In my experience, clients tend to fall into two categories: those who want everything handled, and those who want to be more hands-on. I try to involve them early, stay transparent, and use the process to gauge how we’ll work together before formally starting the project.
If things align, after a few meetings to define and refine the scope, it often feels like the project has already started, and at that point, it just needs to be formalized!
Even if a project doesn’t move forward, a strong scope can leave a lasting impression, demonstrate your professionalism and respect for their time, and often lead to future opportunities.
