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Out of Scope

is social media resizing out of scope?

Yes — each platform size is a distinct adaptation with its own composition work, and a contract for one deliverable doesn't include a dozen format variants. The exception is a contract that named a social-media package or a specific list of sizes upfront.

Why this answer

Resizing sounds trivial, like dragging a corner, but adapting a design across platforms is real composition work. A square Instagram post, a vertical story, a wide Twitter header, a LinkedIn banner, a Pinterest pin — each has a different aspect ratio that forces you to rebuild the layout, not just scale it. Elements that worked in one frame crop awkwardly in another; text that fit horizontally has to be re-stacked vertically; focal points shift. Each platform is effectively a new deliverable that happens to share a visual theme. A contract that scoped 'a graphic' or 'a key visual' covers one composition, and the count of deliverables is part of what determines the fee. When a client asks for the same asset in eight sizes, they're asking for eight pieces of work, even though the creative direction is shared. The shared direction makes each one faster, but faster isn't free.

When the answer flips

It flips to In Scope when your proposal named a social-media package or listed the specific platforms and sizes you'd deliver, in which case those variants are the agreed deliverables. It also flips if the contract specified a deliverable count that already covers the requested sizes. A single straightforward export — the same composition saved at a different pixel dimension with no layout change — is often a quick courtesy rather than a new deliverable. And if you built the original in a responsive or template-based system designed to flex across sizes, some adaptation may be genuinely fast and reasonable to include. The dividing line is whether each size needs its own composition or is a true one-to-one export.

What to do next

Count the asks and name them: 'The project covered one key visual; adapting it to the five platform sizes you listed is five separate adaptations.' Then quote them as a set, priced per size or as a discounted bundle since the shared direction makes the batch efficient. Offer a social-media package as a clean add-on, which is often genuinely useful to the client and good recurring work for you. Ask for the full list of platforms upfront so you can build the original in a way that adapts more easily. In your next contract, list deliverable sizes explicitly and state that additional platform formats are priced per size.

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Frequently asked questions

Isn't resizing just exporting the same file at different dimensions?+

Only when the aspect ratio stays the same. Different platforms use different ratios — square, vertical, wide — and changing ratio means recomposing the layout, not just rescaling it. Elements crop, text re-stacks, and focal points move. A true same-ratio export is quick; adapting across ratios is design work that produces a genuinely new composition each time.

How should I price multiple platform sizes?+

Price per size, then offer a bundle discount, since the shared creative direction makes a batch more efficient than building each from scratch. A social-media package with a set list of platforms is a clean way to sell it. The discount reflects the shared work; the per-size floor reflects that each one still needs its own composition.

The client says other designers include all the sizes. How do I respond?+

Some do, and they price for it — a social package is a normal offering. The question is what your specific contract scoped. Explain that your project covered one composition, and that you're glad to provide the additional sizes as a package. You're not refusing the work; you're pricing deliverables that weren't in the original count.

What if I built the design to be responsive across sizes?+

Then some adaptation may genuinely be fast and reasonable to include, and it's fair to factor that into your quote. A template-based or flexible system can make certain resizes close to one-to-one exports. Be honest about which sizes flow easily and which still need real recomposition, and price accordingly rather than charging full rate for trivial exports.

Should I offer a social-media package proactively?+

Often, yes. Clients frequently need their visuals across platforms, so a defined package — a set list of sizes at a bundled rate — meets a real need and turns a scope dispute into upsell. Offering it upfront also lets you build the original asset with those formats in mind, which makes the whole batch smoother to produce.

How do I scope deliverable sizes in the contract?+

List the exact sizes and platforms the project includes as named deliverables, and state that additional formats are priced per size or as a package. Specifying the deliverable count and dimensions upfront removes the assumption that one design automatically becomes a dozen, which is the root of this particular scope creep.

Related reading

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

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