The problem
Every new project starts with chasing the client for the same things: their brief and budget, photos, the title plan, any existing drawings and planning history. If a practice starts 4 projects a month and spends 90 minutes on each chasing and filing what arrives in scattered emails, that's 6 hours a month, and design can't start until it's all in.
What the AI does
Content Snare lets you send a client one request listing everything you need, with questions for the brief and upload areas for photos and documents. The client fills it in through a simple portal, and you can set as many automatic email reminders as you like for each request. Plans are limited by how many requests are active at once: Basic has 20 active requests and 2 users. File what arrives in the project folder and check it before design starts.
A worked example
A two-person architecture practice in York starts about 4 residential projects a month. Each new client gets a Content Snare request built from the practice's standard brief questionnaire.
Before
4 new projects a month with 90 minutes each of chasing and filing: 6 hours
After
If reminders do the chasing and everything arrives in one place: about 30 minutes per project, 2 hours a month
What it's worth
About $213£160€190A$307C$301 a month saved, against about $35£26€31A$50C$49 to $43£32€38A$61C$60 for Content Snare Basic. About 4 hours a month saved (6 down to 2), worth about $213£160€190A$307C$301 at an assumed $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour, if clients respond to the reminders (an assumption to test on two projects). Cost: Basic is $35 (about $35£26€31A$50C$49) a month billed annually or $42 (about $43£32€38A$61C$60) monthly, for 2 users and 20 active requests. Projects that start sooner also reach their first fee stage sooner, which isn't counted here.
How to set it up
- Turn your brief questionnaire into a Content Snare template: brief, budget, timescale, photos, title plan, existing drawings and any planning history.
- Set a reminder schedule for each request and keep the wording friendly.
- Send the request alongside your written terms of engagement, which Standard 4.1 of the ARB Code expects before work starts.
- Check what arrives against the list, and phone the client about anything unclear rather than waiting.
- Move the files into your project folder and close the request so it doesn't count against your 20 active requests.
What goes wrong
- Basic allows 20 active requests and 2 users. Close finished requests, or you'll need Plus at $71 to $85 a month.
- Clients' own drawings and surveys may be wrong or out of date. Check dimensions on site before relying on them.
- Title plans and personal details are confidential. Check Content Snare's data terms and keep only what the project needs, as UK GDPR expects.
- Prices are in dollars, and the annual price is paid up front.