Project Readiness Evaluation Framework
This template guides our design team and cross-functional partners on the critical areas to explore during project intake conversations. We aim to capture gaps, clarify scope, and assess readiness before allocating design capacity to a project. These readiness checks are not only for design. They help ensure that any product effort, regardless of team structure, is set up for sustainable success.
This is not a documentation checklist — it's a strategic conversation starter to assess whether a project is aligned, viable, and resourced appropriately.
After a project is prioritized but before kickoff. This conversation should ideally be cross-functional, including Product, Design, and Engineering. If not initiated elsewhere, Design can proactively facilitate to ensure clarity, reduce downstream ambiguity, and prepare for effective design engagement.
Walk through each area together. If multiple areas are not ready, schedule time to address them before proceeding to kickoff. This ensures reduced rework, clearer ownership, and better cross-functional alignment.
Before beginning, confirm that the project meets the Foundations for Product and Design Readiness. These are not "nice to haves"—they are essential. Without them, design cannot proceed meaningfully.
These foundations support the success of the project just as much as they support the design process— they exist to set up the entire cross-functional team, and ultimately our users, for success. Successful product execution requires shared clarity and integrated workflows. These non-negotiables must be in place before design work can begin—and ideally before any product kickoff.
🧠Shared Understanding
Ensure the cross-functional team is positioned to collaborate, plan, and execute effectively—especially where design work is dependent on upstream clarity.
- Problem clarity – What are we solving, and how do we know it's a problem?
- Business context – Why now? What's the urgency or strategic trigger?
- User understanding – Who are the primary users of the tool, and what do we know about their current workflows, challenges, goals, and unmet needs related to this experience? What are the gaps in our understanding and assumptions?
- Success metrics – Do we have a clear idea of what success looks like for this product? How will this be measured?
🤝Integrated Workflows
Ensure the cross-functional team is aligned on who owns what, how decisions get made, and how Design will collaborate across phases.
- Design consulted on scope/timeline – Has Design been involved early to assess feasibility and shape realistic delivery expectations?
- Decision roles identified – Are Product, Design, and Engineering leads aligned on ownership and accountability?
- Stakeholder access – Are the right stakeholders available to provide input, unblock ambiguity, and support alignment?
If these are missing, the project is not ready for designer engagement. Teams should either plan a cross-functional discovery phase (with or without design resourcing) or re-sequence the project until foundational clarity and access are in place.
Use this checklist to assess readiness against the preconditions above and capture additional key inputs. Non-negotiables are highlighted below.
🧠 Shared Understanding
Focuses on why we're doing the work, who it's for, and what success looks like.
Problem Clarity
Is the problem space clearly defined and documented?
Business Context
Is the business context understood and documented?
User Understanding
Who are the primary users, how many people will be affected, and how do they currently interact with this experience? What are their known behaviors, unmet needs and assumptions.
Scope Boundaries
Are in/out scope boundaries clearly outlined?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
Success Metrics
Have preliminary success metrics or outcomes been proposed or discussed?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
🤝 Integrated Workflows
Focus on how we work together and who is needed to move the work forward.
Design Consulted on scope/timeline
Has Design been involved early to assess feasibility, understand key milestones, and align on delivery timelines?
Decision Roles Identified
Are product, design, and technical decision-makers identified for the project?
Design Role & Deliverables
Are design expectations and deliverables clearly defined and documented (e.g., what level of fidelity, outputs, role in reviews, etc.)?
Technical Feasibility
Have engineering leads assessed feasibility/complexity?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Have internal and external stakeholders been identified and consulted (or scheduled for input)?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
Documentation
Is there a central working doc (PRD or equivalent) that captures project scope, users, data elements and goals?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
Escalation Path
Is there an agreed path for escalating unresolved decisions or misalignments (e.g., PM/Design/Eng leads, Design Manager, etc.)?
If missing, assign owners and discuss during Kickoff
If non-negotiables are missing or if there are gaps in cross-functional alignment—the team should pause and recalibrate. Design engagement may need to be deferred until foundational readiness is in place, or the team should explicitly align on whether the project is a high enough priority to warrant investing in that foundational work up front.
Recommendations:
- Allow time for upstream discovery, user research, or context-gathering (with appropriate resourcing).
- Re-prioritize the project for a future cycle if readiness critical can't be met.
- Propose a discovery or scoping workshop, co-led by Product and Design to surface the necessary inputs and stakeholder alignment before proceeding.
The following RACI model outlines internal responsibilities within the design team for assessing and managing intake readiness. This is not intended for cross-functional sharing, but to help ensure clarity within the team on who drives and supports each step.
| Responsibility Area | Responsible (R) | Accountable (A) | Consulted (C) | Informed (I) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Readiness Review | Project Designer | Design Manager | Researcher | Other Designers |
| Liaison with Product for Intake | Project Designer | Design Manager | Researcher | Other Designers |
| Identifying Gaps & Next Steps | Project Designer | Design Manager | Researcher | Other Designers |
| Proceed / Pause / Re-scope Decision | Design Manager | Design Manager | Project Designer, Researcher | Other Designers |
| Foundational User Understanding | Researcher or Project Designer | Design Manager | PM | Other Designers |
| Discovery Workshop Facilitation | Project Designer or Researcher | Design Manager | PM, Engineering | Other Designers |
| Readiness Tracking & Updates | Project Designer | Design Manager | Researcher | Other Designers |