Crafting Recommendations for Redesign Proposals

1. The Audit as a Client Acquisition Engine

Your primary goal with a SaaS audit isn't just to deliver a report; it's to secure a more substantial, higher-value project. The audit report is the single best piece of marketing material you will ever create because it's hyper-personalized to the client's pain. It's not a sale; it's the bridge to the sale.

This article by Lee Darius frames this concept perfectly. It's a must-read for shifting your mindset from a designer delivering a one-off task to a consultant building a business relationship.

The key insight is positioning the follow-up work as a natural continuation of the insight you've already provided, not a new sales pitch. You've shown them where the money is leaking; now you're simply offering to fix the leak.

2. Structuring Recommendations into Project Packages

To make the upsell feel natural, you must structure your recommendations within the report itself to suggest different levels of engagement. Instead of presenting a long, flat list of 50 issues, you categorize them into actionable packages. This pre-frames the client's thinking toward a phased project.

The Lee Darius article you just reviewed provides an excellent tiered model. Here’s how to apply it within your audit report:

• Package A: Quick Wins (The "Trust Builder")

  • What it is: A small bundle of 2-4 high-impact, low-effort fixes. These are the "no-brainers" that can be implemented quickly and show immediate value.
  • Strategic Purpose: Builds trust, demonstrates your competence, and gets you a quick, paid project. It lowers the barrier to working with you.
  • Example: Fixing a broken "Contact Sales" button, clarifying confusing pricing labels, improving the contrast of a primary CTA.

• Package B: UX + UI Redesign (The "Main Engagement")

  • What it is: A larger, more complex project that addresses a core user flow or a significant part of the application (e.g., redesigning the entire user onboarding sequence, overhauling a confusing settings area).
  • Strategic Purpose: This is your primary target for a lucrative follow-up project. You bundle multiple related findings into one cohesive project proposal.

• Package C: Ongoing UX Optimization (The "Retainer")

  • What it is: This isn't a single project but a proposal for a recurring engagement. You identify systemic issues (e.g., lack of a consistent design system, no process for user feedback) that require continuous attention.
  • Strategic Purpose: This plants the seed for a retainer model, positioning you as a long-term partner in the product's success.

By sorting your findings into these conceptual buckets as you build your report, you are already shaping the follow-up proposal.

3. From Recommendations to an Actionable Roadmap

A list of recommendations is passive. An Action Plan or Proposed Roadmap is proactive and demonstrates leadership. This is often the final and most persuasive section of your audit report. It tells the client not just what's wrong, but what to do next and in what order.

This video from Headway explains why this is a non-negotiable part of a professional audit.

As the video highlights, failing to provide this roadmap leaves the client wondering, "Okay, great report... now what?" You must answer that question for them. Your roadmap should visually lay out the "Quick Wins" and "Strategic Redesign" packages as Phase 1 and Phase 2 of a proposed engagement.

4. Justifying the Roadmap with a Project-Level ROI

In the last lesson, you calculated the ROI for a single fix. Now, you'll apply that same logic to the entire "Strategic Redesign" package you've defined. This elevates your proposal from a list of expenses to a compelling investment opportunity.

The process involves estimating the total value of fixing all the issues in the package and weighing it against your project fee.

Let's apply this to a SaaS context. Imagine your "Strategic Redesign" package bundles three major issues in the onboarding flow.

• Your Proposed Project Fee (Investment): $8,000
• Projected Outcome (Return):
  • Current onboarding completion rate: 60%
  • Projected completion rate after redesign: 75% (a 15% increase)
  • Monthly new signups: 1,000
  • Additional successful onboardings per month: $1000\times 0.15=150$ users
  • Average Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): $500
  • Projected Monthly Revenue Increase: $150\times \$500=\$75,000$ — This number is often shockingly high and gets immediate attention.
• Calculating the ROI for your project: $$\text{ROI}=\left(\frac{\text{Projected Annual Return}-\text{Investment}}{\text{Investment}}\right)\times 100$$ $$\text{ROI}=\left(\frac{(\$75,000\times 12)-\$8,000}{\$8,000}\right)\times 100=11,150\%$$

Presenting a number like this makes your $8,000 fee seem not like a cost, but a powerful investment.

5. Practical Exercise: Build the "Next Steps" Slide

This is the climax of your audit report. You will now create the single slide in your Figma template that bridges the audit to the sale.

Your Task (Est. 25 minutes):

1. Create a New Frame: In your Figma audit template, create a final slide titled "Proposed Roadmap & Next Steps".

2. Design a Phased Layout: Structure the slide into two clear phases. Use visual hierarchy to guide the client's eye.

3. Populate Phase 1: Quick Wins (2-Week Sprint)

   • Headline: "Phase 1: Quick Wins (2-Week Sprint)"
   • Content: List 2-3 of the most straightforward, high-impact issues from your audit.
     • Example 1: "Fix Broken CTA on Enterprise Plan"
     • Example 2: "Clarify Feature Tiers on Pricing Page"
     • Example 3: "Improve Form Field Error Messaging"
   • Benefit Statement: Add a concise summary of the value. e.g., "This phase is designed to immediately unblock revenue paths and build momentum."

4. Populate Phase 2: Strategic Redesign (6-Week Project)

   • Headline: "Phase 2: Strategic Onboarding Redesign (6-Week Project)"
   • Content: Bundle your more complex findings into a single project name.
     • e.g., "A complete redesign of the user onboarding flow, from signup to first 'aha!' moment, to address critical drop-off points."
   • Projected ROI: Add a bold, clear section showcasing the business case.
     • Title: "Projected Business Impact"
     • Metric: "Increase new user activation rate by an estimated 20%."
     • ROI: "Potential to generate an additional $45,000 in monthly recurring revenue, representing over 500% ROI on the project investment within the first month."

5. Add the Call-to-Action:

   • End the slide with a clear, low-friction next step. This is your "soft close."
   • Text: "The next step is to schedule a 20-minute call to discuss this roadmap. We can align on priorities and define the scope for a formal proposal."

This single slide transforms your report from a static document into a dynamic sales tool. It gives the client a clear vision for the future and positions you as the one to lead them there.

Conclusion

You now possess the complete framework for turning a UX audit into a powerful client acquisition tool. By strategically structuring your recommendations into a phased, ROI-backed roadmap, you are no longer just asking for work; you are presenting an irresistible business opportunity.

Key Takeaways:

• The Audit is a Sales Bridge: Its primary purpose is to create the business case for a larger redesign project.
• Structure for the Upsell: Categorize findings into "Quick Wins" and "Strategic Redesign" packages to pre-frame the next engagement.
• Deliver a Roadmap, Not a List: Your final deliverable should be a proactive Action Plan that tells the client exactly what to do next.
• Justify the Project, Not Just the Fix: Calculate the ROI for your entire proposed redesign package to frame it as a high-return investment.
• Make the Next Step Easy: End with a clear, consultative call-to-action to discuss the roadmap you've presented.

Preview of the Next Lesson:

You've successfully created the demand for your redesign services. The client sees the roadmap and the potential ROI. Their next question will inevitably be, "What does it cost?" In our next module, "Value-Based Pricing & Bulletproof Proposals," you will learn how to answer that question with confidence. We'll cover how to price your projects based on the immense value you deliver, create tiered pricing options, and write the formal Statement of Work (SOW) that closes the deal.