Clarification: What is a minor fix and what is a redesign.

Every website I build is designed and built to a scope we agree on before work starts. After launch, small changes inside that design are normal and expected. A request for the site to look completely different is something else. It is a new design, and I treat it as a new project. This page explains where that line sits, so nobody is surprised.

A minor fix works inside the design that was built. The layout, the look and the structure stay the same. Examples:

• Correcting a typo, a phone number, an address or your hours.
• Swapping a photo, a logo file or a block of text for a new one.
• Fixing something that does not work the way we agreed it would, like a broken link or a form that does not send.
• Small adjustments to spacing, a colour or a button label within the existing design.

A redesign changes how the site looks or how it is put together, beyond the scope of the original build. If you want the site to look completely different from what we agreed on, that is a redesign. Examples:

• A new visual style, colour scheme, fonts or overall look.
• Rearranging or rebuilding page layouts, the homepage or the navigation.
• Adding pages, sections or features that were not part of the original build.
• Starting over from a different idea of what the site should be.

A redesign is not an extra round of fixes on the first build. It is a full extension of the work, so it is scoped and quoted as a new project, with its own design, timeline and fee. As the Terms of Service say, out-of-scope work is handled through a written change order, and I do not start it without your written approval.

Some requests sit close to the line. When that happens, I will tell you which side I think it falls on and why, before doing any work. You will never get a bill for a change you did not agree to in advance.

Questions about a change you have in mind: nicholas@makeandupdate.com.