Scope creep got me on a logo project in Austin last spring

I was sitting in a coffee shop on South Congress when a client messaged asking for 'just a few tweaks' to a logo I'd already finalized. Those tweaks turned into 3 new versions, 2 color palette overhauls, and 11 extra emails over two weeks before I realized I'd never put a revision limit in the contract. How do you guys handle clients who treat 'minor adjustments' like a buffet line?

3 comments

3 Comments

milesbarnes2d ago

'Minor adjustments' is like asking for a pinch of salt and ending up with the whole shaker.

henry_anderson542d agoMost Upvoted

And the thing people miss is that "minor adjustments" usually means they're trying to fix a symptom, not the actual problem. So you end up chasing your tail making more and more tweaks that don't actually solve anything.

mitchell.thomas2d ago

Is it really that bad though? I mean sure, you got stuck doing extra work for free. That stinks. But you learned the lesson, right? Now you know to put limits in the contract before you start anything. That's the kind of mistake you only make once. So in a weird way, those 11 emails probably saved you from way worse situations down the road with bigger clients. The real problem isn't the client asking for tweaks. It's you not setting the ground rules from the start.