Project request vs. project intake forms.

A project request, or project request form, is a high-level project description that can be shared with the management team. It typically includes a brief overview and explains why it’s worth investing time and resources in.

The term project intake form is often used interchangeably with project request form, though there are some subtle differences. While an intake form also collects information about a project, it usually has a broader scope and includes more detail.

Whichever you prioritize, the initial steps provided by a project request or intake form are essential to any modern business. With the rise of remote work and evolving technologies and business practices, the ability to succinctly summarize a project’s goals and costs can lead to greater efficiency.

Project request form.

Project initiation: Project initiation begins once a project request form has been accepted. Once approved, the project request form becomes the primary document for the project initiation.

Templates: Ideally, the form will be standardized as this can reduce inconsistencies across project management. It can also help make sure that all essential information is provided at the outset. Things to expect on a template might include the budget, deadlines, and the details of the requester.

Project approval: Once the project request form template is completed with the relevant information, it’s ready for review. Depending on the internal structure and scale of the project, the template may be checked by a committee, a department head, or a senior project manager, but the process is much the same. It will be compared against wider business goals and relevancy, and the resources and time available. A template should also include the name of the person who submitted the request for the project.

Industry examples: A company that builds websites might develop a request form that includes information specific to their job, such as the number of pages required or the target audience of the site. Likewise, those in the construction industry may leave space for a rough estimate on the materials needed to complete the job.

Project intake form.

Project scope: Project scope looks at the project as a whole and provides detailed information for readers. This can cover everything from the initial objectives to the multi-stage timelines, and the resources that are available compared to the resources that are needed.

Expectation management: Helping to ensure everyone is on the same page, expectation management is crucial in preventing delays. It also helps to set future projections. Contributing to team cohesion and the overall understanding of timelines, it can align the various teams working on a project.

Best practices for project intake form creation: Much like a project request form, a project intake form needs to reduce ambiguity to streamline processes. But due to the large amount of information required, a logical flow to the form is essential if you want to prevent confusion or missed info.

Workflow automation: Software with workflow automation, such as Adobe Workfront, can make small admin tasks a thing of the past. Whether you need to inform team members when a task is done, or reroute schedules, automated tools can be taught how to perform these tasks without human intervention.

Industry examples: A project intake form for a graphic design business will need to consider the audience, the channel, and the format for their designs. Whereas a marketing agency may need a more complex form that enables executives to discuss various approaches to a project, whether that’s through content, paid advertising, or social media.

In this guide:

• How to create a project request form.
• Project request vs. project initiation.
• Submit project request forms with Workfront.

Every request form should be tailored to the type of work you’re doing — from help desks to web design and everything in between — and the intake processes in your company. Below are a few tips to get you started on your project request forms.

1. Apply the Goldilocks principle.

When you build your project request form, stick with the Goldilocks principle — not too long, not too short, just the necessary information. If you ask for too much, requestors may avoid using the form altogether. If you ask for too little, your team won’t have what they need to get started.

If you’re applying the Goldilocks principle to a marketing project request form, avoid asking for a fully built marketing strategy. Instead, request key details like the campaign objective, target audience, primary channels, and timeline — just enough for the marketing team to assess and manage project scope and allocate resources appropriately.

Similarly, in financial services, don’t ask the requester to conduct a full financial analysis. Focus on high-level inputs, such as the nature of the financial review, key stakeholders, budget considerations, and deadlines. This gives your finance team a clear starting point without overwhelming the requestor or creating bottlenecks.

The goal is to strike a balance that streamlines intake without compromising the quality or clarity of the information received.

2. Focus on project details.

When you create your project request form, focus on the standard information: what, where, when, and how.

A. What is being requested?

Depending on the type of deliverable you create, you’ll want to ask for details about the project itself. For example, if you’re being asked to build a brochure, you’ll want to ask about copy length, brochure design, and so on.

B. Where will it be used?

This is where you’ll get information about how your creations will be used. For example, if you‘re asked to create a new shared folder, you‘ll want to know who should have access, how large it should be, and whether it requires outside access.

C. When is it due?

This is obvious — you’re asking for a date. Too often, however, this question is answered with “As soon as possible (ASAP” That’s not a helpful answer, as “possible” is very fluid. Insist that you get actual calendar dates, and work with your teams to ensure they don’t unnecessarily pad the dates and create a rush for you. This can be highly important in legal or business settings where strict deadlines and the required work can be intensive. If a specific date isn’t available, try to give a range as accurate as possible.

D. How will it benefit the business?

This is the hardest question to answer, but it’s the most important when you’re assessing your work requests. If your requestors can’t answer this question — and answer it well — then they haven’t thought through the request enough and may need to reconsider or revise the request. This can be especially important in marketing scenarios, where resources can be scarce and may not always provide returns.

It’s particularly helpful to have the business benefits roll up to team, department, or company KPIs so that you focus on the most strategic work first.

3. Make the project request form valuable.

Project request forms have a two-fold purpose: first, to give you and your team the information needed to start a project, and second, to give the requestor a chance to define the project.

Ensure that your request form captures enough detail to get the project started without requiring a lot of follow-up.

For more complex projects — such as a coordinated marketing campaign across various channels or a financial services rollout involving regulatory compliance and risk assessments — a kickoff meeting is likely necessary to align on scope, timelines, and responsibilities.

However, for more straightforward requests, the form should provide enough clarity that your team can begin work without additional meetings, emails, or messages — the very interruptions the request process aims to minimize. For example, attaching all relevant documents to a basic legal or financial analysis request could allow the team to get started immediately. Similarly, a marketing request form for a single social media post should include the copy, visuals, and desired publish date, so the team can execute quickly and efficiently.

4. Create the minimum necessary variables.

If you have certain request types that are wildly different from others, definitely create separate request forms. However, the more variations you have, the more confusing and complicated the process will become for your requestors.

The last thing you want is for your request forms to exacerbate your request problem. Keep variations to a minimum and make it easy for your requestors to tell one from another. Like most things, context is important for project request forms. Request forms can be tailored to specific teams, like legal or marketing, which can reduce admin time before the project initiation.

For example, a marketing team might need creative briefs for campaign launches, while a financial services team may require request forms to initiate compliance reviews or investment approvals. In both cases, a clearly labeled and streamlined form helps ensure accuracy and speeds up the workflow.

5. Establish a submission process.

Now that you’ve created a project request form, you need a clear, reliable way to submit that information to your team or project manager. There are several methods to do this, but the key is ensuring the process can’t be ignored or overlooked.

For example, asking people to drop request forms into a shared folder won’t be effective unless the project manager is alerted when something is uploaded, or they have a routine process for checking the folder.

Consider adapting your submission method to the habits of the teams you’re working with. If your marketing team relies heavily on project management tools like Asana or Trello, integrating the request form submission into that workflow can help prevent delays or missed tasks.

In financial services, where security and compliance are critical, a centralized intake system with automated notifications and access controls, such as a secure ticketing system, may be more appropriate.

A well-designed submission process ultimately sets the tone for the entire project, ensuring smooth communication and a strong start.

Project requests and initiations have some crossover, and both play an important role in the early days of a project. However, there are some key differences to be aware of.

The biggest difference is that a request is an idea that’s submitted before the project exists, whereas an initiation is the first stage of project management after the project request has been approved. Put simply, a project request comes before a project initiation.

A request only requires decision makers to consider the project without committing serious resources to it, whereas an initiation goes into greater detail. We’ve broken down the differences below:

A project’s needs will naturally vary from case to case, especially if the business offers a range of services. This means that a single project request form is unlikely to cover everything required for each project.

Instead, you’ll likely use a handful of standardized project request forms — but striking the right balance between vague and specific (and determining how many forms you truly need) can be challenging. Likewise, managing access to all the relevant documents often leads to endless link sharing and permission requests.

Fortunately, Workfront simplifies this stage of the process. It allows you to store templates, processes, and settings in one centralized location, making everything easy to access and manage. You can create custom request forms tailored to different departments or project types, automatically route them to the right team members, and attach necessary documents right within the system.

By automating request intake and streamlining form submission, Workfront reduces the back-and-forth communication and manual admin work that typically slows down the early stages of a project. Project managers can focus on delivery rather than chasing details, meaning you can get projects off the ground faster and with less effort.

With custom forms, editable templates, and more, Workfront can provide you with everything you need to build high-quality project request forms. With its centralized system, Workfront enables you to provide everyone from stakeholders to project leads with the information they need to make the right decisions for your projects.

Learn more about how Workfront can help you manage and optimize your project request process today.

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