Scope Calculator
Turn a project brief into an evidence-based time and cost estimate
Web designers underestimate projects by 2-3x because they forget about responsive variants, browser testing, revisions, and CMS setup. This recipe breaks any brief into granular tasks, estimates hours based on industry benchmarks, and adds realistic buffers.
INGREDIENTS
PROMPT
Create a skill called "Scope Calculator". When I paste a project brief or intake notes, break it into granular tasks. Not high-level — granular. For a "5-page business website," that means: discovery/kickoff, sitemap and wireframes, homepage design (desktop), homepage design (mobile), 4 inner page designs (desktop), 4 inner page designs (mobile), design revisions (2 rounds), development of each page, responsive testing (3 breakpoints), cross-browser testing, CMS setup and content entry, client training, accessibility check, launch checklist, and post-launch support. Estimate hours for each task using web design industry benchmarks. Detect hidden complexity indicators in the brief: migration, e-commerce, multilingual, custom integrations, animations, user accounts — and flag additional hours. Add buffers for revisions, testing, and project management. Output: total hours (optimistic, likely, pessimistic), cost at my rate of [your rate], and a client-ready estimate document.
How It Works
Paste a client's project brief or your intake notes. Your Claw breaks it
into granular tasks — not just "design homepage" but "design homepage desktop,
design homepage mobile, code homepage, responsive testing, 2 revision rounds,
CMS integration." Each task gets an hour estimate based on industry benchmarks,
with buffer for the stuff designers always forget.
What You Get
- Granular task breakdown (50-100+ line items for a typical site)
- Hour estimate per task based on industry benchmarks
- Hidden complexity flags: "client mentioned migration — add 8-16 hours"
- Revision buffer: hours allocated for feedback rounds
- Testing buffer: cross-browser, responsive, accessibility
- Project management overhead (meetings, communication, admin)
- Total hours with confidence range (optimistic, likely, pessimistic)
- Cost calculation at your configured rate
- A client-ready estimate document
Setup Steps
- Configure your hourly rate and standard terms
- Paste the project brief or intake notes
- Your Claw generates the granular breakdown
- Review, adjust any estimates you disagree with, and export
Tips
- The hidden complexity detector is the most valuable feature — it catches "migrate from Squarespace" and "integrate with Salesforce" that blow up timelines
- The pessimistic estimate is usually closest to reality
- Use the granular breakdown in your proposal so the client sees where the money goes
- Track your actual hours against estimates to improve future accuracy
- Pair with Pitch Kit to turn the estimate into a polished proposal