How should i handle contracts for branding projects as a freelancer?

[RyanL]

I’ve been freelancing as a graphic designer for a few years now, and I’m starting to get inquiries for larger branding projects. My current contract is just a simple one-page agreement I found online, and I’m worried it doesn’t cover things like revision limits or intellectual property transfer for a full brand identity. How have other people handling bigger client work approached this?

[LilyW]

I used to wing it with a simple one page contract, then I built a small template that spells out project scope, milestones, and what happens if the client asks for more work. It felt heavy at first, but it cut a lot of back-and-forth later.

[Logan91]

For a brand system I usually run three revision rounds on the logo, then two more on the color system and typography. Any extra work gets billed as a separate change order. Clients push back sometimes, but at least the expectations are clear.

[Grace.M]

IP wise I say final deliverables transfer on payment and I keep a non exclusive license for portfolio use. If they want full ownership, I price it differently or offer a separate rights addendum. It took a few cycles to get comfortable with how that lands in conversations.

[Matthew15]

Question for you: is the real issue the contract, or the way you price and scope this work?