Web Design Client Communication Plan: A Simple Project Template

Website projects rarely stall because nobody can send a message. They stall because decisions are spread across messages, the wrong person is asked to approve, or a new request is mistaken for a small correction. A short communication plan makes the working rules visible before those problems appear.

1. Name the contacts and decision owners

List the day-to-day client contact, the person who approves the visual direction, and any subject-matter reviewers. These may be different people. State who can resolve conflicting comments and who can approve a change to scope or timing.

2. Choose a home for each kind of conversation

Agree which channel is used for project decisions, urgent questions, files and design feedback. A team might use email for formal decisions, a project tool for tasks and comments attached to a specific preview for visual notes. Avoid maintaining multiple unofficial versions of the same decision.

3. Set response expectations

Define normal working days and expected response windows for both sides. Include what to do when someone is away or a decision is blocked. These are project agreements, not universal service standards; set them to fit the contract and working relationship.

4. Describe review rounds

For each review milestone, specify what is being reviewed, what feedback is in scope, who consolidates it and when the response is due. Clarify the difference between a correction, a refinement and a new feature. The revision scope guide can help define that distinction.

5. Keep a decision log

Record important decisions in a small table:

Date	Decision	Owner	Impact / next step
[date]	[what was agreed]	[name]	[what changes next]

Link decisions to the design version or page they refer to. A chat message that says “looks good” may not explain which version or scope was approved.

Copyable communication-plan starter

• Primary client contact: [name, role]
• Visual approval owner: [name, role]
• Scope and budget owner: [name, role]
• Project channel: [channel]
• Design feedback location: [preview link or tool]
• Normal response window: [agreed days]
• Review rounds and deadlines: [milestones]
• Decision log location: [document]
• Urgent issue route: [contact method]
• Change request process: [who assesses timing and cost]

Make the plan easy to follow

Keep the plan short and revisit it when a project changes materially. At each handoff, restate the current version, review scope, open decisions and next deadline. A shared mockup link can keep visual discussion attached to one artifact; Swelik’s async design review guide outlines ways to structure that exchange.

How to use the template at project kickoff

Fill in the plan together rather than sending a policy the client has never seen. Ask which channel they check, who can approve the brand and content, and what internal steps are needed before a decision is final. Confirm who is responsible for supplying images, copy, credentials and legal review. Capture a backup contact if the primary contact is away.

Use the plan to agree what counts as urgent. A broken link in a staging environment may need a faster response than a question about a future feature. Define where urgent issues go and what information to include so the designer can reproduce them.

Keep requests and decisions separate

A request is a question or proposal. A decision records what the team agreed to do. Keep both visible: “Could the service cards include pricing?” is a request; “Add starting prices to the three cards, approved by Sam on May 12” is a decision. This distinction helps prevent an unanswered idea from turning into an assumed requirement.

Review the communication plan at milestones

Reconfirm contacts and channels when the project moves from discovery to visual design, from design to development, or when a new stakeholder joins. If a decision owner changes, update the plan and the relevant approval record. The process should be lightweight enough that people actually maintain it.

For small projects, the plan can fit in a single page. For a larger redesign, add a list of milestone owners and a decision log. Keep contractual terms in the agreement rather than relying on informal communication notes to define payment or legal responsibilities.

Frequently asked questions

Does a communication plan need to be formal?

Not necessarily. A concise written agreement is often enough for a small project. Larger or regulated work may need more formal documentation.

Who should send consolidated feedback?

Choose one person with authority to resolve differences. The designer should not be expected to decide between contradictory client opinions.