As a Designer, not every design request you see represents the same level of responsibility or commitment. Some requests are still open for review, while others are already more directly connected to your workflow. Understanding the difference helps you decide what to prioritize.
What an open design request is
An open design request is a request that is available for consideration but is not yet fully committed to active design work.
In general, an open request may be:
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Newly created
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Waiting for review
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Waiting for a quote
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Shared with one or more Designers before work begins
These requests usually need evaluation before you decide whether to quote or proceed.
What an assigned design request is
An assigned design request is one that is more directly tied to you as a Designer.
This may mean the request is:
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Directed to you specifically
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Part of your active request list
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Already quoted or accepted
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In progress or moving toward delivery
Assigned requests usually deserve closer attention because they are more likely to require action from you.
Why the difference matters
Understanding open versus assigned requests helps you:
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Separate possible work from active work
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Prioritize what needs attention first
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Avoid losing track of accepted design jobs
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Keep your workload more organized
How to think about open requests
Open requests are best treated as opportunities to review and decide whether the work is a good fit.
When looking at open requests, ask:
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Is this the kind of design work I want to take on?
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Are the references clear enough?
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Do I have enough information to quote?
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Does the project fit my current schedule?
How to think about assigned requests
Assigned requests are best treated as work that is already inside your operational workflow.
These requests may require you to:
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Review status updates
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Send or follow up on quotes
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Begin active work
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Prepare files for delivery
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Move the request toward completion
How this affects your workflow
A simple way to organize your Designer workflow is:
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Review open requests for fit and quoting opportunities
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Monitor assigned requests for active work
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Keep accepted and in-progress requests updated
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Move delivered work toward final completion
If the difference is not obvious in the interface
Sometimes the app may not clearly label a request as open or assigned. In that case, you can usually infer the difference by looking at:
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Whether the request appears tied to you directly
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Whether it already has pricing or active work attached
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Whether the current status suggests early review or active delivery work