How does a client know if a project is going past scope?
I will give you plenty of notice before you reach scope. What this is, really, is a “fussy” or “indecisive” fee. A client with their hands off the wheel will never exceed scope. We accept some tinkering and fine-tuning and those are usually in one email, after each round of presentation. It’s when a client wants to meddle with the process, or gets unreasonable with their edits that we move into added costs. (Spoiler: this has only happened a handful of times in fifteen years.)
“Unfinished projects must be paid in full if they go over 3 months.”
What is the purpose of this term?
I just had to claim this for the first time ever with another client just this month. We did all the work and then they decided they didn’t want to launch (and pay the final 50%). I gave them seven months to figure out a plan but they just stalled indefinitely.
It’s a pretty standard condition in building, I believe.
“Costs do not include printing, media, outsourced talent, photography, studio time and production unless specifically quoted.”
I need this project to come within budget. What costs could there be in addition to the work contemplated in this proposal?
There won’t be any surprises in billing. As long as we stick to the script—photography & website as presented in the proposal—nothing will be different than what you see here. If you request something extra—“Hey, can we also shoot my current business partner while we are there?”—Sure, we can do that, but the scope will change. With any change in scope, I’ll give you plenty of heads up, and a cost estimate as well, before we move ahead.
Usually, the only thing that’s missing from the quote is stock photography, because we bill that separately, so if you want a photo of a Vancouver skyline, for example, we’d need to source that on iStock and add $13×1.2 =$15 for the image. I usually factor in some “environmental” shots in the day shoot that should cover us for filler material already though. We do need to cap this for the photographer so how many shots do we need, anyway? I’m thinking one of the client across a few locations tied to a theme and maybe two environmental shots (building itself, texture of wood or material for example) at each location for a total of nine?
“Working files and fonts are property of Immersion Creative.”
Immersion and the client go separate ways at some point, I want to have ownership of the files so I can host them elsewhere, do with them as I will.
Yes you’ll own the files but not the “blueprints.” Basically what ‘working files‘ means is you get the final, retouched photos, but not the raw photos, or camera roll, or deleted photos, layers, or the negatives. You just get the photos. Same with the web files. You’ll have the pages, but not the code that built them We give you the cake, not the recipe, nor the pots and pans, and ingredients.
Should you decide to pick up and go, you’ll have everything you need to host wherever and with whomever you choose.
It took Ty nine holes to wrap his head around this concept.. If you want to clarify by phone, or by oyster, no prob, just give me a call, I’m about.
Who owns the files? What is this talk of code?
You will own the design files.
Think of it like a car. (I use the parking metaphor for hosting, so this is consistent.)
When you buy a car you have all the pieces of a machine put together. But you don’t get the spec sheets about what that pieces are or how they go together. You just get a car.
Same goes with a website. You have a functional machine.
If you want to park it somewhere else, you can (change hosting), if you want to give it vanity plates (change your domain), you can.
If you want someone else to fix and maintain your vehicle other than the dealership you bought it from, you can do that too.
There are different types of websites, we’ll be basing the site off WordPress. Everyone in the website world knows WordPress, it’s like the ‘94 Toyota of website backends. Every mechanic is familiar with them.
You might want to pimp your ride with spoilers and leopard seats. Some clients want to go all Mad Max with roll cages and flames shooting out of the hood or customized page sliders or black and white to colour slow fades. Sure. When make these kinds of changes, what we are doing is rebuilding the design so it’s customized.
You still get the same car, and everyone can still park it and repair it, but it looks different, because we custom designed it that way.
All I’m saying is when you drive off the lot with your car, you get the keys, but you don’t get the manufacturer’s specs or the blueprints from Toyota. Anything we custom build, it’s yours now. We just don’t want people coming back to the shop demanding we show us how it was put together. You get the car, and that’s it, just like any other purchase: dishwashers, TVs, Corollas, etc .
It’s not some intricate clock that only we know how to navigate. It’s just a website. It will work just fine wherever you bring it.
I hope that answers your questions.
