Running a Design Business: Designer-Client Agreements

Course details

As a freelance creative, you need to know how to write proposals and contracts for client-commissioned projects. Learn the basics of writing consulting agreements that are good legal and financial insurance and great tools for communicating with clients. Author Terry Lee Stone also introduces a pricing equation that helps you estimate your costs and charge appropriately for your work and shows how to manage complexities of client relationships, especially when it comes to defining an acceptable number of revisions.

Learning objectives
Understanding the anatomy of a contract
Scoping the project
Estimating your costs
Subcontracting work
Heading off problems

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome to the course
02 - Course disclaimer
03 - About the exercise files

1. Contract Basics

04 - Introduction to contracts
05 - Anatomy of a contract - Part one
06 - Anatomy of a contract - Part two
07 - Reviewing a sample contract

2. Assessing the Project

08 - Scoping the work - Part one
09 - Scoping the work - Part two
10 - Breaking down the creative process
11 - Early phases of the creative process
12 - Later phases of the creative process
13 - Factors impacting the phases of a project

3. Financial Aspects

14 - Talking money - General tips
15 - Talking money - Revisions
16 - Talking money - Other issues
17 - Outlining your design fees
18 - Estimate worksheet
19 - Ways to price your work
20 - Estimated expenses
21 - Incorporating estimates from suppliers and subcontractors
22 - Amending contracts with change orders

4. Legalese

23 - The legal language - Terms and conditions
24 - Using the AIGA Standard Form of Agreement as a terms template
25 - Challenge scenario - Terms and conditions
26 - Challenge scenario - Answers
27 - Reviewing a sample contract

5. Contracts and Clients

28 - Implementing the agreement
29 - Negotiating contracts with clients
30 - Managing an agreement
31 - Problems and dispute resolution

Conclusion

32 - Next steps