Question: Competing for a job with another firm in the same room at the same time

I am a first year student in a graphic design program. I have been asked by a Non-Profit to meet with them to redesign their website.

I am interested in this project, but Non-Profits always scare me because they expect everything for little to no cost. I have done a few projects like this before, so I agree to meet.

I am then forwarded an email which shows that there is another web designer invited to this meeting. I feel like this is very strange to be invited to compete for a job at the same time. I would be very reserved in the questions I ask and I don't think I could properly serve their needs without asking those questions. We would also be revealing to each other our approach and style when it comes to interviewing clients. It just seems like that would be an extremely awkward situation for me and the other designer involved.

I had only found out about this by scanning through an email forwarded to me, they wouldn't have told me otherwise. I texted my contact on this and they said that another designer would be attending this meeting.

I told them to call me before I got into a text conversation about it, so I am awaiting that phone call. It is difficult to show tone and inflection in text and while I think this is inappropriate, I didn't want to be a dick about it.

Am I crazy for thinking that this is unprofessional or inappropriate, or do I just not understand how this industry works yet? I am all for competing for a job in which they meet with multiple firms separately to decide who they are going to choose, but this situation seems very bizarre.

Part of me sees this as a red flag before we've even had a conversation, and that makes me want to run away.

Thoughts, reddit?

Great design resource

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (Voices That Matter) Submitted April 27, 2016 at 03:23PM by piefork http://ift.tt/1SANIXA