Web Design Contracts: Why Bother

Nick Gould writes an excellent article for Digital Web Magazine on Web Design Contracts:

Digital Web Magazine - Web Design Contracts: Why Bother

Design work is often difficult to define in advance, and is inherently subjective. A contract helps to remove some of this ambiguity. For the reasons I’ll outline below, working without a contract is unwise and, in this day and age, should be unnecessary. No reputable client will object to some form of documentation (especially if you are willing to do all the work of producing this document). If the client does object, I suggest you run away—far and fast.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007 at 10:18 amand is filed under Web Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Web Design Contracts: Why Bother”

Baptist Church Web Site Guru said on: January 27th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
I couldn’t agree more. I think the main issue is that clients do not understand what it takes to make a professional product. Often times if their dreams don’t work as expected, it’s the designer’s fault. I’ve had clients attempt to blame a previous firm I worked for, for profit loss, because they tried to launch radio advertising, before their site was done.

It is key to define clear parameters. Also, define in a list what is promised. You’d be suprised how much people try to get something for nothing, or never sign off on a completion agreement.
Michael Brown said on: February 1st, 2007 at 9:25 pm
I second that… I have a client that is upset with ME because the site has been live for 4 days now .. and he told me that it’s not putting dinner on his table. He has broken every aspect of the contract… Including approving layouts and then midway through deciding he doesn’t like it.. and other tedious things… It makes me pull my hair out. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Michael Brown
President
milwaukee Wisconson website design