Comments on: Using freelance graphic design contracts http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/ David is a graphic designer passionate about brand identity. Here's his portfolio and a wonderful community of 15,000+ designers reading his blog. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:52:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Peter http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-2/#comment-125904 Peter Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:16:26 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-125904 Thank You David. Thank You David.

]]> By: Doug C. http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-125448 Doug C. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:06:50 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-125448 My inspiration for developing my own design contract was all the bad clients I've had. I followed the AIGA document and just picked parts relevant to what I needed to cover, then I re-worded the terms to suit my own needs. Mike, you can always do the same thing with your contract. Just add the parts you need to cover and then you can always add your own based on your working experience. I am also thinking of running my contract by a lawyer just to get his/her legal advice and suggestions. My inspiration for developing my own design contract was all the bad clients I’ve had. I followed the AIGA document and just picked parts relevant to what I needed to cover, then I re-worded the terms to suit my own needs.

Mike, you can always do the same thing with your contract. Just add the parts you need to cover and then you can always add your own based on your working experience. I am also thinking of running my contract by a lawyer just to get his/her legal advice and suggestions.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-124643 David Airey Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:25:31 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-124643 You're very welcome, Mike. How you position yourself and what you show in your portfolio goes a long way towards what work you attract. This is something I talk about in my book, and something I'll be giving much more attention once the book is launched (and when I have more time). You’re very welcome, Mike. How you position yourself and what you show in your portfolio goes a long way towards what work you attract. This is something I talk about in my book, and something I’ll be giving much more attention once the book is launched (and when I have more time).

]]> By: Mike http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-124640 Mike Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:38:05 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-124640 David, Thank you for sharing your site and experience. I have been using a very simple contract with terms taken from the AIGA contract, though it is one page, very simple and honestly if I ever got in a bind I don't know truthfully if it would help or not. I should probably have it reviewed by a lawyer. I call it a contract/proposal and I understand the feelings against using the term 'contract', but my concern largely is more on the proposal aspect. Now this is not always the case but I have in the past provided a logo to a company with the expectation that we will build off that logo, only to find (partially due to my not being a web designer) that they take the logo and either use other providers to incorporate it into their marketing, or slap it on a website that has no similarity or consistency to the logo. I would like to get more into the branding aspect of logo design and am looking for ways to incorporate that message into my proposals. Thanks again for the resourceful site. David,

Thank you for sharing your site and experience. I have been using a very simple contract with terms taken from the AIGA contract, though it is one page, very simple and honestly if I ever got in a bind I don’t know truthfully if it would help or not. I should probably have it reviewed by a lawyer.
I call it a contract/proposal and I understand the feelings against using the term ‘contract’, but my concern largely is more on the proposal aspect. Now this is not always the case but I have in the past provided a logo to a company with the expectation that we will build off that logo, only to find (partially due to my not being a web designer) that they take the logo and either use other providers to incorporate it into their marketing, or slap it on a website that has no similarity or consistency to the logo. I would like to get more into the branding aspect of logo design and am looking for ways to incorporate that message into my proposals. Thanks again for the resourceful site.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-124636 David Airey Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:05:13 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-124636 Hello Peter. This post should prove of use, along with the three links at the bottom of it: http://www.davidairey.com/graphic-design-contract-advice/ Good luck. Hello Peter. This post should prove of use, along with the three links at the bottom of it: http://www.davidairey.com/graphic-design-contract-advice/

Good luck.

]]> By: Peter http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-124549 Peter Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:19:28 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-124549 Hello there Some how I found your site and I have to tell you that it is great.I bookmarked right away :-) I also just started freelancing and having trouble with creating contracts what I can use with my clients. Can anybody share theirs? A Sample ? I went through so many websites but all those samples does not seem real. Can you share yours ? Thanks Peter Hello there

Some how I found your site and I have to tell you that it is great.I bookmarked right away :-)

I also just started freelancing and having trouble with creating contracts what I can use with my clients.

Can anybody share theirs? A Sample ?
I went through so many websites but all those samples does not seem real.
Can you share yours ?

Thanks
Peter

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-124021 David Airey Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:17:22 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-124021 That doesn't seem good, SM. Did you receive advance payment? Do you have record of the client's physical address? Can you pay them a visit? That doesn’t seem good, SM. Did you receive advance payment? Do you have record of the client’s physical address? Can you pay them a visit?

]]> By: SM http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-123827 SM Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:14:11 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-123827 I signed a contract with a client who is turning out to be extremely difficult. We agreed on X number of web pages, which has now quadrupled (with 3 revisions, and in two languages - doubling the work). The 8 pages looked differently on a PC than on a Mac, so he got upset. I found the glitch (Google Analytics had removed some of my HTML), and went to upload the new files and cannot log in. He changed the FTP and web host passwords so I am unable to continue working, and is not responding to my calls or emails. What can I do? Any advice? I really hate working freelance lately, I've been burned so many times - clients who sign contracts then change their mind, clients who say they want X when they really want 10000X, etc. -Fed Up. I signed a contract with a client who is turning out to be extremely difficult. We agreed on X number of web pages, which has now quadrupled (with 3 revisions, and in two languages – doubling the work).

The 8 pages looked differently on a PC than on a Mac, so he got upset. I found the glitch (Google Analytics had removed some of my HTML), and went to upload the new files and cannot log in. He changed the FTP and web host passwords so I am unable to continue working, and is not responding to my calls or emails.

What can I do? Any advice? I really hate working freelance lately, I’ve been burned so many times – clients who sign contracts then change their mind, clients who say they want X when they really want 10000X, etc. -Fed Up.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-122051 David Airey Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:28:03 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-122051 I'm glad everyone has been of help to you, Dustin. Sorry to learn of your job loss, and all the very best with your designing. I’m glad everyone has been of help to you, Dustin. Sorry to learn of your job loss, and all the very best with your designing.

]]> By: Dustin http://www.davidairey.com/using-freelance-graphic-design-contracts/comment-page-1/#comment-121833 Dustin Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:30:16 +0000 http://www.davidairey.com/?p=518#comment-121833 Wow, thanks for all the information. I just lost my job a few weeks ago when the company I worked for went belly up. (New ownership.... bad idea right now). Anyway, I’ve just started freelancing a bit, and I’ve no idea how to bill or what kind of down payment or pricing to ask for. I never dealt with that before, just did the work and got a paycheck. I’ve only done a few jobs, but I made the mistake of waiting to talk about money until the jobs were finished. I haven’t been burned yet, but I could tell that it was awkward for my clients, and it was risky and un-professional of me to do business that way. I realize now, that no matter what kind of budget you’re working with, weather or not they pay upfront , there needs to be some way that both parties agree to terms of some kind. I appreciate everyone’s comments and suggestions on how they cope with the problem. I’m pretty sure you all have saved me from learning the hard way! THANKS! Wow, thanks for all the information. I just lost my job a few weeks ago when the company I worked for went belly up. (New ownership…. bad idea right now). Anyway, I’ve just started freelancing a bit, and I’ve no idea how to bill or what kind of down payment or pricing to ask for. I never dealt with that before, just did the work and got a paycheck. I’ve only done a few jobs, but I made the mistake of waiting to talk about money until the jobs were finished. I haven’t been burned yet, but I could tell that it was awkward for my clients, and it was risky and un-professional of me to do business that way. I realize now, that no matter what kind of budget you’re working with, weather or not they pay upfront , there needs to be some way that both parties agree to terms of some kind. I appreciate everyone’s comments and suggestions on how they cope with the problem. I’m pretty sure you all have saved me from learning the hard way! THANKS!

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