While the initial meeting with your prospective design firm is not a full-blown requirements meeting, it is a good idea to have a clear idea (or ideas) of what you want out of this project. This meeting is a good time to lay out your company's present needs or goals, so that the vendor you are meeting with has the opportunity to meet those needs.

In preparation for the meeting, ask your team these basic questions:

1. Who are the key stakeholders in this project?
2. What need or business goals are you trying to address with this project?
3. Do you have existing materials or technologies that you need integrated into this project?
4. Have you defined your budget and timelines?
5. Who is your team leader, and who are the internal contributors on this project? If the internal team members have not yet been assigned, what roles do you need, and who is your "dream team"?

Coming in to this meeting prepared to answer these questions will both save time and allow you to focus on finding out more about how the company you are meeting with can meet your needs [more].

Yalia Technology Design was formed to fill a specific gap in the marketplace, as a company that offers clients something more than a traditional web design company. Pulling from expertise in the areas of technology, project management, marketing communications and branding, Yalia provides a multi-disciplinary approach to web design and custom application development. More than just a technology company - we also offer a full range of marketing services including traditional collateral design, brand consulting, online and email marketing services, search engine optimization and search engine submissions.