The Client Who Wants Free Revisions
A freelance graphic designer has signed a fixed-price contract with a startup to design a logo and a set of five social media templates for $2,400. The contract states two rounds of revisions are included and additional rounds are billed at $90 per hour. The designer delivered the first concepts on day 10. The client replied with a 40-item feedback document that mixes genuine brand-direction changes (new colour palette, different tone) with small wording tweaks. The client says the changes are 'just refinements' and expects them at no extra cost. The designer has another client project starting in a week and has already spent 18 hours on the first concepts, against an estimated 22 hours total. The designer wants to keep the relationship but not absorb unbounded scope.
1. Classify the client's feedback into in-scope revisions and out-of-scope changes, and explain how the designer should communicate the distinction.
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The 40-item document should be sorted into three buckets. First, in-scope refinements: small wording tweaks, minor spacing adjustments, and corrections to things the designer got wrong against the brief. These fall within the two included rounds. Second, out-of-scope direction changes: a new colour palette and a different tone are not refinements; they change the creative direction and require rework of the concepts, so they are a new scope of work. Third, items that are really new deliverables, such as additional template formats. The designer should reply in writing with a table listing each item, its classification, and the estimated hours. The message should be neutral and collaborative: confirm the in-scope items will be done in round two at no charge, and quote the out-of-scope items as a variation at $90 per hour with an estimate. The designer should ask the client to confirm which out-of-scope items to proceed with before starting, so there is a clear approval point. This preserves the relationship while making the boundary explicit and documented.
2. The designer has 18 hours spent and only 4 hours of budget left. What should the designer do about the remaining work and the second revision round?
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The designer should not silently absorb the overrun, because that sets a precedent and risks the next project. First, calculate the true remaining effort: the in-scope refinements might take 3 hours, leaving 1 hour of budget, while the out-of-scope changes could take 8 or more. Second, communicate early, before doing the work, with a short status update that states hours used, hours remaining, and what can be delivered within the fixed price. Third, offer options: complete only the in-scope refinements within the fee and quote the rest as a variation, or pause and re-scope the whole project as a new agreement. Fourth, protect the second included revision round by scheduling it after the client confirms the direction, so it is not consumed by direction changes. Fifth, document the decision in an email or contract amendment. If the client refuses, the designer should deliver what the contract strictly requires, hand over files, and decline further work rather than work unpaid. The relationship is worth preserving only on terms that are sustainable.