Handing over a year-long retainer without losing the thread
A timestamped trail of every version and decision let Meridian rotate team members mid-retainer with zero client friction.
- Implementation
- Training
0
Client questions on rotation
4
Team changes mid-retainer
1 day
New-member ramp time
The client
Meridian Design Co
- Industry
- Digital product studio
- Engagement
- Implementation, Training
- Year
- 2024
“The retainer stopped depending on who remembered what. That changed how confidently we staff projects.”
Studio director, Meridian Design Co
The challenge
On long retainers, Meridian's context lived in people's heads. Rotating a designer off an account meant a week of handover calls, and clients re-explained background they had already shared months earlier.
The approach
Every engagement became its own room: files, decisions, versions, and notes stayed in one address that survived staffing changes. New team members read the room on day one instead of interviewing their predecessors.
- Complete version history per file
- Decision records with reviewer and date
- Milestone notes written for the next person, not the meeting
- Guest access for rotating contractors
The outcome
Four team members rotated through the account during the year. The client never asked who was handling what — the workspace already answered.
Next case study
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