Scope an Event Planning Request
Design an intake and proposal workflow that turns an uncertain event idea into a clear plan, budget, and approval trail.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Event planners receive inquiries with incomplete guest counts, uncertain venues, and shifting budgets. Both the client and planning team need a shared record of assumptions before suppliers are booked.
User context
Leila is organizing a company anniversary for about 180 people. Leadership wants a proposal this week, but the venue and final budget are still undecided.
Product problem
A simple contact form cannot capture dependencies, alternatives, and approvals. The experience must expose uncertainty without overwhelming a client who is still shaping the event.
Objective
Design the journey from initial event request through proposal comparison and stakeholder approval.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Adaptive event brief with known and undecided details
- Proposal containing options, assumptions, and exclusions
- Stakeholder comments and approval status
- Change summary when the brief is revised
Screens and states
- Event brief
- Proposal workspace
- Option comparison
- Approval history
- Revision summary
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Leila starts a brief and records the purpose, date range, and guest estimate
- 02
She invites a colleague to supply budget guidance
- 03
The planner returns two venue and service options
- 04
Leila compares tradeoffs and requests one revision
- 05
Stakeholders approve the revised proposal with a recorded decision
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Allow unknown details without treating the form as incomplete
- Distinguish estimates, confirmed costs, assumptions, and exclusions
- Track who changed or approved each part of the proposal
- Make dependencies between venue, capacity, catering, and date visible
- Support comments tied to a specific proposal item
- Summarize financial changes between revisions
Constraints
- Several stakeholders have different approval authority
- Supplier prices and availability can expire
- The client may be interrupted and return on another device
- Budget figures should not be visible to every invited collaborator
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Design five desktop screens showing brief creation, comparison, collaboration, revision, and approval.
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.