Answer · Custom Web Design
Can I See the Design Before I Pay the Deposit?
The short answer
No. The $500 audit shows you our work and approach in detail before any larger commitment. After that, the 50% deposit is required to start the project — the design happens during Sprint 1, which is paid work, not spec.
№ 01The longer answer
Agencies that show ‘free design samples’ before deposit are either: (a) showing you templated work they reuse, (b) treating the design phase as sales, or (c) padding the post-deposit price to cover the unpaid sales work. None of those serve you.
Our approach: the $500 audit is the formal pre-engagement vehicle. It’s a 12-20 page PDF on your specific site covering: technical SEO, conversion gaps, design recommendations, scope recommendations, and tier suggestion. Refundable against the build engagement. It’s not ‘design samples’ but it tells you whether we know what we’re doing.
Then the deposit (50% of project total) commits you to the engagement. Sprint 1 Days 4-7 produce your specific design — paid work, not spec work. By end of Day 7, you have a full Figma file showing every page. Two revision rounds let you shape it.
Why we won’t do free spec work: it forces us to undersell scope (because the design happens before contract) and incentivizes you to ghost after taking the design. Both outcomes are bad. Fixed scope + fixed price + paid design is the cleaner discipline.
№ 02Can I see portfolio work to evaluate quality?
Yes — full portfolio on the site, plus references on request. The $500 audit also includes a section showing how we’d specifically approach your project.
№ 03What if I don’t like the design after Sprint 1?
Two revision rounds. If the revision rounds don’t land it, we have a hard conversation about direction. We’ve never had to refund post-deposit for design rejection — but the deposit terms say we would if we couldn’t deliver something you signed off on.
№ 04Is the deposit fully refundable?
If we miss the 14-day timeline, yes — fully refunded. If you cancel mid-project, refunded minus hours actually worked at $150/hour. If we deliver on scope and time, deposit is consumed against project total.
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$500 audit. 5-day delivery. Refundable on engagement.