Endless amends are rarely about bad clients. They usually come from unclear limits, scattered feedback, or a decision-maker who arrived late. Here's how to set a limit that clients accept, and keep it when it's tested.
Define a "round" in writing
Clients and designers often mean different things. Try: "A round is one set of combined feedback from your team, which we then action together." This stops a stream of single emails counting as one round, or every email counting as five.
Pick a number that fits the work
There's no correct number. Two or three is a common starting point for a defined piece of design work, but judge it from your own past projects. Look at the last ten: how many rounds did they really take? Set the limit there, then price for it.
Make the limit visible during the project
A limit in a proposal signed six weeks ago is easy to forget. Mention it each time: "Here's round 2 of 3." It isn't a threat, just a progress marker, and it means the final round doesn't come as a surprise.
Stop the late decision-maker
The most expensive amends come from someone who sees the work for the first time at the end. At kick-off, ask who else might want a say and get them into round one. If a new person appears late, say so plainly: "As this is new direction rather than amends, we'll scope it separately."
Tell amends from new direction
| It's an amend | It's new work |
|---|---|
| "Make the logo larger" | "Could we try a different concept?" |
| "Change this line to..." | "We've changed the audience" |
| "Swap this photo" | "Can you add three more sizes?" |
Agree this in general terms up front. Then you're pointing to something already agreed and not arguing in the moment.
What to say when the limit is reached
Be friendly and specific, and give them a choice:
Happy to make these changes. We've used the two rounds included, so this would be an extra round at £X, and we could turn it round by Tuesday. Would you like us to go ahead, or would you prefer to go with the current version?
A small, known price is much easier to agree than a surprise on an invoice. Sometimes it's right to do a tiny fix for free. Just say that you're doing so, so it stays a favour and not a new norm.
Reduce rounds in the first place
- Present the thinking, so feedback is about the goal and not personal taste.
- Ask specific questions about each round.
- Combine feedback: ask for one person to pull their team's comments together.
- Show what changed, so clients don't re-review the whole piece and find new things.
How PostVito helps
You can set the rounds included on a project, and your client sees "Round 2 of 3" with a polite note on the last one. It doesn't block anything: the conversation stays yours. Versions can be compared, with changes outlined on images and shown word by word in documents, so clients can check only what's new.
For contract wording, see the sign-off and revision wording template.