Design Agency Selection Criteria: The 10 Things to Check (Free Scorecard)
The 10 design agency selection criteria we use, with weights, what good looks like for each, and a free scorecard to compare three agencies side by side.
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The design agency selection criteria that predict a good project are: relevant recent work, case-study evidence, who does the work, service fit, process clarity, pricing transparency, verified location, references, ownership terms and communication. Below is each criterion with its weight, what good looks like, and how to check it, plus a free scorecard (CSV) to compare three agencies side by side.
These are the same 10 criteria and weights we use on our how we rank page. We use criteria 1 to 7 to rank agencies from public evidence; criteria 8 to 10 need a conversation, so they are yours to score.
Most scorecards online sit inside a vendor’s blog post and score things the vendor happens to be good at. Without written criteria, most teams pick the agency whose pitch they liked best, then justify it. A scorecard agreed before the first call keeps the decision about the work.
The 10 design agency selection criteria at a glance
| # | Criterion | Weight | Scored from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portfolio relevance | 20% | Public site |
| 2 | Case-study evidence | 10% | Public site |
| 3 | Who does the work | 10% | Public site and proposal |
| 4 | Service fit | 10% | Public site |
| 5 | Process clarity | 10% | Public site and first call |
| 6 | Pricing and engagement transparency | 10% | Public site and proposal |
| 7 | Verified San Francisco presence | 10% | Public site |
| 8 | References and track record | 10% | Reference calls |
| 9 | Ownership and handoff terms | 5% | Contract draft |
| 10 | Communication and responsiveness | 5% | Pitch experience |
1. Portfolio relevance (20%)
What good looks like: two or three projects from the last two years that resemble yours in type (brand, web, product) and market (B2B, consumer, regulated).
How to check: read the work section and filter by date and industry. Work from five years ago shows what the agency could do then, with people who may have left.
This gets the most weight because it is the best single predictor of whether the agency can do your project without learning on your budget.
2. Case-study evidence (10%)
What good looks like: each case study states the problem, the agency’s role, the date, the team and what changed afterwards.
How to check: our guide to reading a design agency portfolio has an eight-point check. A designer on Hacker News recommended looking for written explanations of the client’s problem and how it was solved, since clear writing matters almost as much as visuals (HN, Dec 2021).
3. Who does the work (10%)
What good looks like: named people, roles and time allocation in the proposal, with the senior lead attending reviews.
How to check: ask directly, then compare the names with the case studies you liked. This is the single most common gap between pitch and delivery; a former agency designer described smaller clients being “relegated to junior employees” (HN, July 2022).
4. Service fit (10%)
What good looks like: your project is the agency’s core service, with recent work to show it.
How to check: look at which services have the most and newest case studies. A firm that lists everything equally is often strong in one or two things. Siegel+Gale, for instance, lists M&A and spin-off rebrands as a practice area on its San Francisco page (siegelgale.com); if that is your situation, that is service fit.
5. Process clarity (10%)
What good looks like: named phases, what you receive at the end of each, where you make decisions, and week estimates per phase.
How to check: ask them to walk you through a recent project’s timeline. Vague answers here become missed dates later. Our list of design agency red flags covers the warning signs.
6. Pricing and engagement transparency (10%)
What good looks like: a stated pricing model, a range once scope is known, and a written list of exclusions.
How to check: look for published engagement models or budget bands. Few San Francisco agencies publish prices. Clay’s FAQ lists three models (time and materials, fixed fee and retainer) (clay.global), and Born & Bred’s contact form offers budget bands from $25,000–$50,000 up to more than $200,000 (bornandbredbrand.com, both checked 1 Nov 2026). That openness scores well. “It depends” with no follow-up scores poorly.
7. Verified San Francisco presence (10%)
What good looks like: a street address in San Francisco on the agency’s own website.
How to check: read the contact page, not the directory listing. Several firms that appear on “San Francisco” lists give addresses in San Jose, Mountain View or Daly City, and Pentagram, often listed, names offices only in London, New York, Austin and Berlin (pentagram.com). If you never need workshops in person, lower this weight.
8. References and track record (10%)
What good looks like: two past clients on similar projects who will talk to you, and evidence of repeat clients.
How to check: call them. Ask whether the project hit its timeline and budget, whether the pitch team did the work, and whether they would hire the agency again. A marketers’ newsletter put it simply: “ALWAYS ask to speak to a client for a referral!” (Mehdeeka, April 2023).
9. Ownership and handoff terms (5%)
What good looks like: you own all deliverables and source files on payment; tools, domains and accounts are in your name; the handoff list is written down.
How to check: read the draft contract and ask for the handoff list. Have a lawyer review the final wording.
10. Communication and responsiveness (5%)
What good looks like: clear, prompt answers during the pitch, and questions back to you that show they read your brief.
How to check: note how long each reply took and whether it answered what you asked. The pitch is the agency on its best behaviour; it rarely gets faster after you sign.
How to use the scorecard
- Download the scorecard CSV and open it in Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers.
- Adjust the weights before the first call. Keep the total at 100.
- Score each criterion 1 to 5 for each agency as you go: 5 is specific, written and confirmed; 3 is reasonable but general; 1 is evasive or missing.
- Multiply each score by its weight, add them up and divide by 100. That gives a weighted score out of 5.
- Look at the gaps, not just the total. An agency that scores 5 on portfolio and 1 on ownership terms is a negotiation, not a winner.
Example: one agency scored
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio relevance | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Case-study evidence | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Who does the work | 10 | 5 | 50 |
| Service fit | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| Process clarity | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Pricing transparency | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| SF presence | 10 | 5 | 50 |
| References | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| Ownership terms | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Communication | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | 395 / 100 = 3.95 |
This is an illustration, not a real agency. The 2 on ownership terms is the thing to fix before signing.
Where to find agencies to score
Start with firms whose San Francisco office we have verified: branding agencies, UX design agencies and web design agencies. For the questions that feed criteria 3, 5, 6 and 9, use our 25 questions to ask a design agency.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important criteria for choosing a design agency?
Relevant recent work carries the most weight (20% in our scorecard), followed by case-study evidence, who does the work, service fit, process, pricing transparency, location and references. Ownership terms and communication complete the list.
Should I change the weights?
Yes, if your project demands it. A fixed launch date raises process clarity. A rebrand after a merger raises service fit. Change the weights before you meet the agencies, not after, or you will tilt the score toward the one you already like.
How many agencies should I score?
Three is enough for most projects. Shortlist five to eight from public evidence, cut to three after first calls, and score those three in full.
Is the scorecard free to use?
Yes. Download the CSV, open it in any spreadsheet app, and edit the weights for your project.
Written by
Madhuri Patel · Editor
Edits the rankings, comparisons and hiring guides on this site and checks entries against each company's public website.
Next in this series: Best Web Design Agencies in San Francisco for Marketing Sites
