Terms & Conditions

Introduction

By hiring The Lonely Pixel Limited for web design and development services, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions. These terms ensure both parties are aware of their responsibilities and outline the procedure for handling any issues that may arise.

What do both parties agree to do?

  • Client: You have the authority to enter into this contract on behalf of yourself, your company or your organisation. You’ll give me everything I reasonably require of you to complete the project as and when and in the format I need it. You’ll review my work; provide feedback and approval in a timely manner. Deadlines work two ways, so you’ll also be bound by dates we set together, as will I.
  • The Lonely Pixel Limited I have the experience and ability to do everything I’ve agreed with you and I’ll do it all in a professional and timely manner. I’ll endeavour to meet every deadline that’s set. I will not take on any other projects during the time that I am working on your project that would effect my ability to deliver your project on schedule.

Getting down to the nitty gritty

If, at any stage, you’re not happy with the direction my work is taking, you’ll pay me in full for everything I’ve produced to that point and and terminate this contract.

If one of us is in breach of our obligations to the other then the non-breaching party shall be entitled to terminate this contract immediately by written notice if the breach cannot be remedied or if it has not been remedied within 7 days of written notice asking for such a remedy.

Web Design

I create look-and-feel designs, and flexible layouts that adapt to the capabilities of many devices and screen sizes. I create designs iteratively and use predominantly HTML and CSS so I may not waste time mocking up every template as a static visual. I may use static visuals to indicate a look-and-feel direction (colour, texture and typography.) You’ll have two or more opportunities to review my work and provide feedback.

Graphics and photographs

You should supply graphic files in an editable, vector digital format. You should supply photographs in a high-resolution digital format. If you choose to buy stock photographs, we can suggest stock libraries. If you’d like us to search for photographs for you, we can provide a separate estimate for that.

Text content

I’m not responsible for inputting all text and images into your content management system. Every page we have a design for will be populated and training will be provided on how to add the content for the remaining pages yourselves. I provide professional copywriting and editing services, so if you’d like me to create new content, I can provide a separate estimate for that.

HTML, CSS and Javascript

I deliver templates developed from HTML5 markup, CSS2.1 + 3 Stylesheets for styling and unobtrusive JavaScript for feature detection, poly-fills and behaviours.

Browser testing

Browser testing no longer means attempting to make a website look the same in browsers of different capabilities or on devices with different size screens. It does mean ensuring that a person’s experience of a design should be appropriate to the capabilities of a browser or device.

I test my work in current versions of major desktop browsers including those made by Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), Microsoft (Edge), Mozilla Firefox and Opera. I won’t test in other older browsers unless I agreed separately. If you need an enhanced design for an older browser, I can provide a separate estimate for that.

Mobile browser testing

Mobile browser testing Testing using popular smaller screen devices is essential in ensuring that a person’s experience of a design is appropriate to the capabilities of the device they’re using. I test my designs in:

iOS 15: Safari, Google Chrome
Android: Google Chrome on Android Emulator

I won’t test in Blackberry, Opera Mini/Mobile, specific Android devices, Windows or other mobile browsers unless I agreed separately. If you need me to test using these, I can provide a separate estimate for that.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

I don’t guarantee improvements to your website’s search engine ranking, but the web pages that I build are accessible to search engines.

Changes and revisions

I know from experience that fixed-price contracts are rarely beneficial to you, as they often limit you to your earliest ideas. I don’t want to limit your ability to change your mind. The price at the beginning of this contract is based on the length of time I estimate I’ll need to accomplish everything you’ve told me you want to achieve in the initial scope, but I’m happy to be flexible.

Surcharge

Occasionally you as a client will want or need extra work to be carried out that was not part of the original agreement or estimate. This is no problem; any extra work will be billed at a daily rate of £400 + VAT.

Technical support

I’m not a website hosting company so I don’t offer support for website hosting, email or other services relating to hosting. You may already have professional hosting and you might even manage that hosting in-house; if you do, great. If you don’t, I can set up an account for you at one of my preferred hosting providers. I can set up your site on a server, plus any statistics software such as Google Analytics and I can provide a separate estimate for that. Then, the updates to, and management of that server will be up to you.

Warranty

I will provide bug fixes for any bugs or issues included in the scope of this contract reported within the grace period of no more than 30 days following the date of project completion as defined by the date the client signs off on the staging version of the website. All bug fixes outside of the project scope or after the grace period are the responsibility of the client. Hourly projects are not subject to warranty. Design and the placement, editing and arrangement of editorial content are not subject to warranty. Should further support be necessary, a support contract may be negotiated.

White Labelling

As part of our white labeling agreement, agencies should expect complete discretion and non-disclosure of our direct involvement. All project deliverables can be branded with your agency’s logo and company details. It is your responsibility to communicate your specific branding requirements and guidelines to us before the commencement of the project. We commit to adhering to your branding specifications and ensure that all deliverables appear as if they were produced by your agency. Any acknowledgment of our involvement will not be made public, unless explicitly agreed upon in writing. Please note, the terms of the white labeling service, including any additional fees and the scope of the rebranding, should be clearly defined and mutually agreed upon prior to the initiation of any work.

Legal stuff

I’ll carry out our work in accordance with good industry practice and at the standard expected from a suitably qualified person with relevant experience.

That said, I can’t guarantee that the functions contained in any web page templates or in a completed web site will always be error-free and so I can’t be liable to you or any third party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages arising out of the operation of or inability to operate this web site and any other web pages, even if you have advised me of the possibilities of such damages.

Your liability to me will also be limited to the amount of fees payable under this contract and you won’t be liable to me or any third-party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages, even if I’ve advised you of them.

Finally, if any provision of this contract shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this contract and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

Confidentiality

I agree to keep as a secret and confidential all of your confidential and business information, including the terms agreed between us, and not to copy or disclose such information to any third party nor to use it for any reason other than in connection with this project, without your prior written permission.

Intellectual property rights

Just to be clear, “Intellectual property rights” means all patents, rights to inventions, copyright (including rights in software) and related rights, trademarks, service marks, get up and trade names, internet domain names, rights to goodwill or to sue for passing off, rights in designs, database rights, rights in confidential information (including know-how) and any other intellectual property rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered and including all applications (or rights to apply) for, and renewals or extensions of, such rights and all similar or equivalent rights or forms of protection which subsist or shall subsist now or in the future in any part of the world.

First, you guarantee that all elements of text, images or other artwork you provide are either owned by your good selves, or that you’ve permission to use them. When you provide text, images or other artwork to me, you agree to protect me from any claim by a third party that I’m using their intellectual property.

I guarantee that all elements of the work I deliver to you is either owned by me or I’ve obtained permission to provide them to you. When I provide text, images or other artwork to you, I agree to protect you from any claim by a third party that you’re using their intellectual property. Provided you’ve paid for the work and that this contract hasn’t been terminated, I’ll assign all intellectual property rights to you as follows:

You’ll own the website I design for you plus the visual elements that I create for it. I’ll give you source files and finished files and you should keep them somewhere safe as I’m not required to keep a copy. You own all intellectual property rights of text, images, site specification and data you provided, unless someone else owns them.

I’ll own any intellectual property rights I’ve developed prior to, or developed separately from this project and not paid for by you. I’ll own the unique combination of these elements that constitutes a complete design and I’ll license its use to you, exclusively and in perpetuity for this project only, unless I agree otherwise that I will transfer ownership rights to you.

Payments

I issue invoices electronically. My payment terms are 14 days from the date of invoice by BACS or by Stripe payment. All proposals are quoted in £ and payments will be made at the equivalent conversion rate at the date the transfer is made.

You agree to pay all charges associated with international transfers of funds. The appropriate bank account details will be printed on my electronic invoice. I reserve the right to charge interest on all overdue debts at the rate of 1% per month or part of a month.

I reserve the right on 72 hours’ written notice to freeze all work or services until accounts are settled. You agree to reimburse me for any of the following third party expenses which you have approved and which are necessary in completion of the work; fonts, proofs, props, research, shipping, software, stock photography, travel and telephone consultations.

But where’s all the horrible small print?

Just like a parking ticket, neither of us can transfer this contract to anyone else without the other’s permission.

We both agree that we’ll adhere to all relevant laws and regulations in relation to our activities under this contract and not cause the other to breach any relevant laws or regulations.

This contract stays in place and need not be renewed. If for some reason one part of this contract becomes invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts of it remain in place.

Although the language is simple, the intentions are serious and this contract is a legal document under exclusive jurisdiction of English and Welsh courts.

Conclusion

This document outlines our working relationship and legal obligations. By proceeding with our services, you agree to these terms.

Who I work with

01

Startups

I work with startups who are just finding their feet to launch them into the digital space. I’m a believer in building relationships and look for companies who I can work with long term.

02

Companies

If you already have an existing website you feel could be improved, I’d love to hear from you. I work with established companies of all sizes to provide them with creative digital solutions.

03

Agencies

I work with agencies on a white label basis to provide them with both design and development. If you’re looking for a freelancer to help extend your services please get in touch.

Freelance Web Designer FAQ

  • Why hire a Freelance Web Designer?

    Hiring a freelance web designer is often cheaper than going to an agency because they have less overheads. They are also usually more responsive as the client will have direct contact with the freelance. A freelance web designer usually specializes in a few skills. They can help you create anything you need, from small brochure sites to complete eCommerce websites.
  • How much does it cost to hire a Freelance Web Designer?

    All freelance web designers will charge for projects slightly differently. I charge on a per project basis, so I would ask you to send me a brief outlining your requirements. That way I can see if we'll be a good fit and if I believe I have the skills needed to bring your project to life. I can say that my prices for bespoke design & development typically start at around the £2,500 + VAT figure.
  • What's your payment schedule?

    So I usually break the project into two payments. You pay the first 50% upfront as an initial kickoff invoice. The client pays the remaining 50% when they no longer require changes on the development server and the site is ready to go live.

  • How long will my website take?

    Every web design project has different parts. A typical brochure website takes about 6 to 8 weeks to complete. A more complicated build or something eCommere based could be anywhere from 8 - 20 weeks depending on the size and how complex it is. For a rough breakdown of an average timeline please see the below table:
    Research and meetings Week 1
    Concept and design Weeks 2 - 4
    Development Weeks 4 - 5
    Testing and QA Weeks 6 - 7
    Launch Weeks 8
  • What do I need to get started?

    For the best possible beginning to your project, it's always best that you have everything you need for hitting the ground running. Not having these ready is not a deal breaker; it can just make things take slightly longer.

    • Branding - I'll ask you to supply any brand guidelines you have before we begin. If you dont have any that's not a problem, simply supplying your logo in an SVG format will suffice.
    • Photography - If you have an image library I'll ask to access to this, again if you don't have this we can look at sourcing images for you from stock libraries like Shutterstock or Unsplash.
    • Content If you have planned your content with sitemaps and documents for each page, that's great! If not, I will ask for a simple content plan. This will show us what should go on each page. Then, we can use placeholder text like 'lorem ipsum' until you write the real content.
  • I've already got a web designer, can you do web development only?

    Yes. If you have a web designer and need a web developer, please contact us. We can help bring your ideas to life.

    I need the designer you choose to give me handover files. These files should be in a modern format. Acceptable formats include XD, Sketch, Figma, or any other popular web design format.

  • I already have a web developer, can you do web design only?

    Yes. I can supply your developers with full hand over documentation using InVision and design the vast majority of my sites using Sketch or Figma. This means that your developers will be able to export all the assets they require in an SVG format which means the site will look crisp across multiple devices / screens.

  • I have purchased a premium theme can you edit it for me?

    While a premium theme can be a great starting point, it's not always the best solution for every project. A lot of times they can be restrictive, difficult to customise and don't always offer the best or most up-to-date design trends. In most cases, I would recommend starting with a blank canvas and building your site from the ground up. This will ensure that your site is truly unique and reflects your brand and business exactly how you want it to.

    If you're interested in working with a freelance web designer, get in touch today for a free consultation. We can discuss your project in more detail, outline a proposal and provide you with an estimate of costs

  • I've got an existing site and I would like to make a few edits can you help?

    Unfortunately, I don't work on existing websites. This is because every project is unique and requires a bespoke approach to achieve the best possible results.

    Creating a new website from scratch will allow me to take into account your brand, business and target audience, resulting in a site that not only looks good but also functions perfectly for you and your visitors.

    If you're interested in working with a freelance web designer, get in touch today for a free consultation. We can discuss your project in more detail, outline a proposal and provide you with an estimate of costs.

  • Will I be able to edit my website once completed?

    Yes. I'm an advocate for content management systems (CMS). Using a CMS like WordPress means that you will be able to easily edit your website yourself with ease, without the need for any programming knowledge, by adding/editing pages and blog posts, etc. A training session will also be offered to make sure that you are comfortable updating your website.
  • Will my website be Search Engine Friendly?

    Yes. I always make sure that my websites are search engine friendly and follow all the latest best practices. I also pay close attention to Google's Core Web Vitals to make sure the website is as fast as possible, this includes modern coding practices like using WebP/SVG imagery and if using a CMS caching plugins will be utilised to again improve the performance.
  • Do you provide web hosting?

    While I don't offer web hosting directly, I do work with a couple of chosen providers whom I have worked with for the last 10 years. They are Nimbus Hosting and Kinsta, neither of these is cheap but with web hosting you get what you pay for. If you want a site that's secure, scalable and fast then you need to pay for a host that can offer you that.
  • What Content Management System do you use?

    As a web designer I often use WordPress to power the majority of my websites. Clients often like to use this as it's open source (meaning it doesn't require an expensive yearly licence to use) and it's very easy to use. I do work with other PHP based CMS's such as Craft & Perch.
  • What size companies do you produce web designs for?

    I enjoy working with a wide range of companies and individuals, and I bring the same skills to my work for small clients that I do for larger ones. I'm just as interested in working with small businesses as I am are big ones, and because I'm a local business, I have an edge when it comes to meeting the demands of developing organizations.
  • Do you work internationally?

    I have worked on projects with companies and individuals all over the world and I'm always open to new opportunities. I have a good understanding of the web design process and what it takes to deliver a project on time, so whether you're in the UK, US, Europe or Asia, I can work with you. If you'd like to work with me on your next project you can get in touch here.
  • Why 'The Lonely Pixel'?

    I opted to use a brand rather than my name to set myself apart from the competition. The majority of other freelance web designers just use their names. I can't honestly say why the name Lonely Pixel jumped out at me but after many domain searches it was the only one that stuck!