Contract template for UX designers

UX projects drift when the client approves wireframes, then a new stakeholder joins and reopens the structure during high-fidelity design. Or development starts and the team asks for screens that were never in scope, like empty states, error states and admin views. A contract with phase approvals and a defined handoff gives you a clear point to price that work.

Research adds a layer most design contracts do not have: personal data. Interview recordings and notes about real users need to be stored and deleted under rules both sides agree on. It is also worth stating that you cannot promise outcomes from research, only that you will run it properly.

Clauses specific to UX designers

• Phase approvals. Each phase ends with written approval of its deliverables. Changes to an approved phase are billed as additional work.
• Screens in scope. The design covers the flows and screens listed in the quote. States and screens not listed, such as admin views, are quoted separately.
• Research data. Recordings and notes from user research are stored securely, shared only with the client, and deleted after the period stated in the quote. Participants give consent before sessions.
• Incentives and recruitment. Participant incentives and recruitment costs are paid by the client, either directly or at cost through the designer, as stated in the quote.
• Files and ownership. On full payment, the client owns the final design files. The designer may keep its own templates, components and methods for other work.
• Development. The designer supports implementation for the hours stated in the quote. The designer is not responsible for how the design is built or for development delays.

The clauses every freelance contract needs

• Parties. Who the agreement is between: your legal name or business, the client's legal entity, and the addresses of both.
• Scope of work. What you will deliver, in what form, and what is explicitly not included. Refer to the quote or proposal by number if it lists the details.
• Fees and payment terms. The total fee or rate, the currency, any deposit, when invoices are issued and how many days the client has to pay.
• Late payment. What happens when an invoice is late: interest or a fixed fee if you want one, and your right to pause work until the account is settled.
• Changes and revisions. How many revision rounds are included, what counts as a change of scope, and how extra work is priced and approved.
• Timeline and client delays. Key dates, and that deadlines move when the client is late with feedback, content or approvals.
• Ownership and licence. Who owns the finished work and when (usually on full payment), what the client may use it for, and what you keep, such as your tools, templates and know-how.
• Confidentiality. Both sides keep the other's non-public information private, during the project and after it.
• Cancellation. How either side can end the agreement, the notice required, and payment for work done up to that point.
• Liability. A cap on what either side can claim, often the fees paid under the agreement, and no liability for indirect losses.
• Governing law. Which country's law applies and where disputes are heard. Usually where you are based.

A plain-language sample

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and cut what doesn't apply. Shorter is fine as long as the scope, the money and the rights are clear.

Questions UX designers ask

Also for UX designers: invoice template and quote template. Contract templates for related trades: web developers, software developers, graphic designers, data analysts. Or browse all contract templates.