Write down what done means.
Outsourced work rarely runs late in the build. It runs late in the argument about what was bought.
One checkout, written twice
Same deal, same fee, same people. Read the vague one first, then flip it.
Larder, an online grocer, hires Field, a design agency, to redesign its checkout. Fixed fee £60,000. Kick-off Monday 2 March, launch Friday 8 May.
Scope
Redesign the checkout to improve conversion.
Week 6Is the delivery slot picker checkout? They say no, you say obviously, and two weeks go on the answer.
Out of scope
Not stated.
Week 6Marketing asks for promo codes. Nothing says no, so they are in, unpaid, and the date moves.
Deliverables
Designs and front-end code.
Week 6You expected merged code. They send a Figma link and a zip. Both readings are honest.
Acceptance
To the client’s satisfaction.
Week 6Satisfaction has no finish line. Each review adds a round, and nobody can say it is over.
Milestones and payment
50% upfront, 50% on completion.
Week 6Half is paid and the rest hangs on an undefined word. Their senior designer moves to a client who pays.
Change control
Changes will be discussed as they arise.
Week 6Changes arrive on calls and in Slack. Nobody priced them, so the overrun is a dispute, not an invoice.
Scope
Redesign four screens: basket, delivery slot, payment, confirmation. Responsive web on iOS Safari 17+, Android Chrome 120+, and the latest two versions of desktop Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox.
Out of scope
Not included: the native apps, login and account pages, promo-code logic, payment provider integration, translation.
Deliverables
Figma files for all four screens at 390px and 1440px, and React components merged into Larder’s repo with Storybook stories.
Acceptance
Accepted when every screen passes the agreed test script on the listed browsers, scores 90+ for Lighthouse accessibility, and has no open severity 1 or 2 bugs. Larder lists failures within five working days, or it is accepted.
Milestones and payment
20% on signing. 30% when designs are accepted, due 27 March. 30% when code passes acceptance, due 24 April. 20% at launch, 8 May.
Change control
Changes go in writing to Priya (Larder) or Tom (Field). Field replies within three working days with the cost and date impact. Nothing is built until both sign.
Test it before you sign
Hand the draft to someone who was not in the meetings. Ask which screen is out, what lands in the repo, and when the last invoice is due. Every pause is a week 6 argument, found while it is still cheap.
Not legal advice. A lawyer owns the contract; these are the clauses that own the date.
Done is a test you agree in week one, not a feeling you argue about in week six.