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Out of Scope

Is a full logo redesign out of scope mid-project?

Yes — in nearly every freelance design contract, a logo redesign introduced after the original logo has been approved is a separate engagement. The exception is when the contract explicitly covers iterative brand exploration or an unspecified number of concepts.

Why this answer

Logo work is almost always scoped as a discrete deliverable: a fixed number of concepts, a fixed number of revisions, and a final file handoff. Once that deliverable has been accepted — explicitly via sign-off, or implicitly via the client using it in production — the contract's obligation is complete for that line item. A request for a full redesign replaces an already-completed deliverable, which means you'd be doing the entire logo engagement a second time. Unless your agreement explicitly covers 'unlimited concepts until you're happy' (which is unusual and poorly priced anyway), the redesign is new work. It doesn't matter whether the client frames the request as 'just tweaking' or 'trying a different direction' — a fundamentally new logo is a new logo.

When the answer flips

The verdict flips toward In Scope or Ambiguous in three cases. First, if your contract language covered 'brand exploration' or listed a specific number of directions to explore without capping the total concepts, a redesign mid-project might still fall within the original scope. Second, if the logo has not yet been approved — i.e., you're still in the agreed revision rounds — and the client is asking you to start over rather than refine, that's usually a late pivot that a good contract's revision-rounds clause actually covers (you finish out the rounds). Third, if the request comes within a short grace window after approval (say, within a week) and your contract includes any post-delivery adjustment language, you may be obligated to accommodate minor tweaks — though a full redesign still isn't 'minor.'

What to do next

Respond quickly and professionally. Acknowledge the request, refer to the specific clause in your contract that scoped the logo as a discrete deliverable, and offer a concrete path forward: a new engagement with its own brief, timeline, and fee. Don't negotiate yourself into doing it for free 'this time' — that sets a precedent. Price the redesign at your standard logo project rate, not an hourly rate, because logos take the time they take and hourly quotes invite scope expansion. Send a short change order and resume the rest of the original project only after the redesign is explicitly agreed to, or declined. If the client declines, document that the original logo remains the approved deliverable.

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Frequently asked questions

What if the client claims the original logo was never actually approved?+

Check your project record. Approval can be explicit (a 'yes, ship it' email) or implicit (they've used the logo publicly, their team has shared it, it's in their deck). Either form counts for scope purposes. If approval is genuinely ambiguous, that's a process failure to fix on the next project with clearer sign-off language — but for the current situation, the logo is still a completed deliverable.

Should I charge the same price for the redesign as the original logo?+

Usually yes, sometimes more. You have more context about the brand and stakeholders now, which saves discovery time. But you're also doing concept work against an established reference point, which introduces new constraints. In practice, most freelancers price a redesign at 80–100% of the original logo fee.

The client says this is 'just a small tweak' — how do I push back?+

Quote the specific change back to them in plain language: 'Replacing the mark with a different shape and type treatment is a new logo, not a tweak — a tweak would be a color adjustment or a weight change on the existing mark.' Then offer both: a quick tweak within the current scope at no cost, or a full redesign as a separate engagement.

Can I include a free redesign option in my original contract to avoid this?+

You can, but you shouldn't. 'One free redesign if you're not happy' sounds generous but invites exactly this situation — it tells the client the first logo is negotiable even after approval. Instead, specify 'X concepts, Y revisions per concept, final selection.' That language actually protects both of you.

What if I'm only partway through the project and the logo is the foundation for everything else?+

That's the worst timing and the best reason to push back quickly. Every day you proceed on the old logo is work that will need to be redone. Pause the dependent deliverables immediately, confirm the redesign as a new engagement, and agree on a timeline that accounts for the dependency cascade. Don't keep building on a foundation the client is trying to replace.

Does this change if the client is a friend or long-term collaborator?+

The scope analysis is identical. The relationship informs how you respond, not whether the work is in scope. A warmer tone and a discounted rate for a trusted client is fine — silently absorbing a full redesign because you don't want to have the conversation is not.

Related reading

Answer scope creep from your actual contract — not a template.

Settled reads your contract and the client's request, gives you a verdict (In Scope / Out of Scope / Ambiguous), and drafts the email grounded in your specific clause.

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