Refspan project guide
How to brief a white-label development partner
A white-label development partner builds work delivered under your agency’s brand. Your agency can keep the client relationship while an external developer handles an agreed scope. A useful partnership starts with clear responsibilities, realistic review points, and a shared definition of what is ready to launch.
Send more than a design file
Approved designs show the visual direction. They do not always explain responsive behaviour, content editing, form handling, or integrations. Include those requirements in the handover brief.
Flag which designs are final and which decisions remain open. If mobile layouts are not supplied, agree how they will be interpreted and reviewed before development starts.
- Design files and relevant brand guidelines.
- Page templates, content, and reusable components.
- Interaction states and responsive requirements.
- CMS editing needs, forms, and integrations.
Agree who communicates with the client
Decide whether the developer works entirely behind the scenes or joins selected discussions. Confirm who gathers feedback, resolves conflicting comments, and approves changes.
Name a project contact on each side. Consolidated feedback reduces uncertainty about which instruction takes priority. Discuss confidentiality and how any work may be shown publicly before sharing client materials.
Set review points and change boundaries
Agree the deliverables, review stages, and acceptance checks. Define which requests fall within the original scope and which need a separate estimate. A launch date should account for content delivery, agency reviews, and client approval.
If the work is hourly, discuss priorities, reporting, and how further hours are authorised. If it is a fixed project, confirm the assumptions behind the quote.
Plan access and handover early
Agree how the developer receives the access needed for the job and how it is removed or transferred afterwards. Decide who will hold hosting, domain, repository, and CMS access at handover.
Refspan supports agencies on project or hourly arrangements. Send the brief, designs, and preferred way of working to discuss fit and scope.
- Confirm the accounts and code that will be handed over.
- Agree documentation or editing guidance requirements.
- Define responsibility for post-launch fixes and new requests.
- Record who approves the final release.