Oh, legalities. They are the probably the most drab part of any project process - like fluorescent white light flooding a dark, hip lounge at last call.
However, despite its "hall monitor" nature, it's also one of the most important aspects of the process. Ensuring you have a project agreement in place that clearly defines the client relationship, scope, and division of liability is critical to your success. The most crippling part of any potential client conflict is the ambiguity of the agreement.
So how do you construct a solid paperwork structure that can be applied to any project? It starts with one word: explicitness. Let's expand on that.
Comprehension
It's no secret the term "legality" has a reputation of being synonymous with "confusing". Renaissance-era words substituted for digestible language rarely leaves a taste other than sour from the client's perspective. Each point of the agreement, from the itemized functionality needs to the monetary breakdown, should be simple and concise.
Redundancy
Never fear the repeat. Reiterating crucial points of the agreement helps build trust and establishes consistency. There's nothing quite like the frustration that surfaces when trying to reference a deeply buried point about who's responsible when an intern deletes 25 lines of custom template code. There should be no cloudy areas of roles and requirements for the life of the project.
Flow
Creating a uniformed template is always the best approach to avoid agreement loopholes. Spend the time to generate a good body of language that can be adapted to any statement of work needs. Doing so will guarantee that action items are vividly outlined, cost allocation is transparent, timelines are confirmed, and liability stipulations are never missing.
Severance
Once the final deliverable has been sent and the project reaches its end, it should be perfectly clear where the relationship ties are cut. If a maintenance clause is part of the continuation, the agreement will need to indicate your capacity in this - hourly rates, coverage, duration, etc. If the project has reached total finality, it should specify as such and make note of where obligations lie in case the theme breaks or something goes wrong.
Don't let the fluorescent white light ruin your evening, keep a polished work agreement in place for every project. If you ever need feedback or insight on a given statement of work, never hesitate to send a note to your friendly Designer Evangelist!
