Design terms & conditions

We are thrilled you have been in contact with us, and to get the ball rolling we’ve popped below a summary of our approach containing all the nitty gritty details you may need to know.

1. Introduction

The below terms and conditions apply to all work performed for you by Creative Box (including personal, contractors and related entities). These terms will apply except where we have otherwise agreed with you in writing. “You” means the client as identified below. Where you are a company or other corporate or unincorporated entity we act only for you. We do not act for your shareholders, directors or members unless we expressly agree otherwise. This Contract will apply to all work we undertake for you with respect to this engagement. You accept and agree to this Contract by continuing to instruct us.

2. Fees

Service Fees:
It is agreed that the service fee shall be the cost estimates provided via email, unless work undertaken exceeds work outlined. If work undertaken exceeds the items specified in the quote, the Client agrees to pay appropriate fees for the additional work outside the scope of the original agreement. Wherever possible the client will be notified of increases in the scope of the project.

Prices:
All prices are in New Zealand dollars and are inclusive of GST.

Quotes:
Quotes and/or our graphic design hourly rate is valid for 30 days. Our quote documents are confidential, provided only for the intended recipient and must not be published, shared or distributed without our consent.

Payment Terms:
On acceptance of your quote a non-refundable 70% deposit is required to commence. The final 30% payment is required before going to print, or files are released, or your website login and password are released.

Payment Terms for Clients on Account:
Where the Services are provided and payable on “account”, payment for the Services completed shall be made in full by the 7th day following invoice dates (“the Due Date”). If payment is not made in full by the Due Date, Creative Box is entitled to charge the Client interest on the unpaid overdue balance at the rate of 2.5% per month or part month on the overdue balance compounding monthly.

Cancellation: We begin work as soon as the deposit is received and you agree to these terms and conditions. Your 70% deposit is non-refundable, if you change your mind and cancel your order after paying the deposit we cannot refund it. If we decide to cancel the project due to unforeseen circumstances, then Creative Box will refund the deposit.

Time Frame:
All jobs need to be completed within 90 days. A timeframe will be set out for the Client and Creative Box to agree upon. This will ensure the project can be completed in a timely manner, and the brand or website strategy is fresh in everyone's mind.

No Communication Policy:
If there is no communication from you as the Client for a 90 day period, then the project as per the timeframe set out and agreed upon will be put on hold.

Please note:

a. For the project to be reinstated all relevant and necessary content required to move forward must be ready, and the timeframe readjusted and fitted into the schedule of Creative Box.

b. If the Client has a change of mind from the original brand or website strategy, to cover the new brand or website strategy session and work required we do have to charge an additional fee. We will advise off this cost at the time.

c. If Creative Box has had a price increase during the time the Client's project was on hold, and the Client wishes to reinstate thee project, the Client will be liable for the outstanding balance.

Proofs:

We will firstly send you an initial concept. If any alterations are required we will offer a further two sets of complimentary proofs. Extra proofs beyond the complimentary ones, or a re-design or change of direction (due to a change of mind) will incur an extra fee. Please note, if you have a complete change of mind, there will be an additional cost for the new work. We will advise you of this additional cost.

Change of Mind:
Things happen, so if you have a sudden change of mind we can work with this. However, because of the new brand or website strategy, and work required we do have to charge an additional fee to cover this. We will advise you of this cost at the time.

Additional Work: Should the Client require additional design work to be completed during the project, or extra files upon completion of a project we will inform you that the alterations or changes requested fall outside the scope of the original estimate. If the client wishes these alterations to be made they must agree in writing, and a fee of NZ$140 plus GST per hour will be payable.

Rush Fee:
Should the Client require an urgent design job completed within a short timeframe ( 24 - 48 hours ), a rush fee will apply. The rush fee will attract a 25% surcharge.

Website Design Post-Completion Alterations:
Once the web design is complete, the Client has the opportunity to review the resulting work. Creative Box will make one set of minor changes at no extra cost within 14 days of the start of the review period. Minor changes include small text changes and small adjustments to placement of items on the page. It does not include changes to images, colour schemes or any navigation features. Creative Box can be notified by e-mail or phone about these minor changes. After this period Creative Box will redeem the website approved by the client. An hourly fee of NZ$140 plus GST per hour for amendments will be payable.

Consumables:
If Creative Box pays for fonts, stock or vector images, courier or postage, event organising, any other items, or is required to travel to any subsequent meeting on behalf of the Client these are then on charged to the Client at the rate that Creative Box was charged.

Fonts:
Please note that font files are not included in your logo and brand packages.

Meetings & Travel:
All meetings are conducted in our office in Kihikihi. We do understand we sometimes have to come out and see you and there is no charge to visit businesses in Te Awamutu. Outside of this area will incur travel costs.

Payment:
Creative Box prefers direct debit into our bank account. A surcharge will be added to the Clients invoice if you prefer to pay the invoice via credit card using our Paypal services. The surcharge will be determined at the time of invoicing.

AI Usage:
Policy Often I use AI (e.g. Claude) to speed up my workflows, refine strategies, develop website content, and edit imagery. All in service of delivering more efficient and higher-quality work for you as a client. While AI tools are used to support and enhance my process, all final decisions regarding creative direction, strategy, and brand development are made by me. AI assists, it does not lead. Every deliverable is reviewed, refined, and approved by me before it reaches you, ensuring the work meets the standard and intent of our project.

Feedback Generated by AI:
I am unable to accept brand or website feedback that has been generated by AI tools (e.g. Claude, ChatGPT). This is because AI does not have access to the full brief, nor does it understand the complete scope of the strategies developed for your brand or project. Without the full context and prompts, it is not in a position to provide qualified feedback on our work together.

If I suspect that feedback has been generated by an AI tool, I will flag this with you directly and kindly ask that you provide your own thoughts instead. This isn't about making things difficult. It's about keeping your brand decisions genuinely yours, and ensuring feedback is grounded in your real experience and goals. A quick conversation or a few bullet points from you is always more valuable than a polished AI response that doesn't know your full story.

3. Delivery, Printing & Proofing

Paper Stock/Printing:
If printing is included in the cost, this will be stated in the quote provided. We print with a preferred printing company, but if you prefer to look after printing yourself, you are welcome too. We will set up the files and offer a NZ$20 plus GST printed sample, but we cannot take responsibility for faulty printing done by another print company other than our preferred supplier.

Colours:
Please note, colours on the screen may differ from printed versions. Colours may vary slightly between samples and orders due to the nature of CMYK printing and bulk-run printing systems. There will be no reprints at the expense of Creative Box.

Delivery:
Delivery for the completed and printed artwork will be via courier within New Zealand. Delivery costs are additional and will be added to your invoice. Collection from our office can be organised by arrangement only. Digital files will be released via email or dropbox once the final invoice has been paid. While Creative Box takes every care to avoid errors, Creative Box takes no responsibility for spelling errors after approval of your final proof. We strongly recommend thoroughly checking all grammar, spelling and details very carefully and for consistency. It is a good idea to get a second person to proofread as well. Creative Box takes no responsibility for mistakes and considers the final proof approved. Please note we do not give refunds for change of mind.

Legal Stuff:
Creative Box is not responsible for any errors contained in the final product after the final product has been approved by the client, printed or posted digitally. Creative Box will thoroughly check your artwork to ensure there are no errors before dispatch. Any errors made by Creative Box will be rectified at our expense. Notification of any errors must be reported within 7 days of delivery and the product must be returned (at the cost of the client) within 10 days of delivery for assessment by Creative Box. After 7 days of delivery Creative Box will take no responsibility for mistakes and consider the order complete. Please note that we do not give refunds if you change your mind. As with all print projects, payment for reprinted projects must be prepaid. If you decide you do not want to go ahead with your pre-paid printed project, then a small setup/admin fee will apply and be deducted from your refund. Limited Liability: Where you acquire or hold yourself as acquiring goods or services from us for the purposes of a business, the provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 will not apply. Our maximum liability to you (if any) shall be limited to the value of any faulty products or services supplied by Creative Box.

Copyright:
All copyright of designs and content are transferred over to the owner (you) once the invoice is paid. Some illustrations will still remain copyright of Creative Box. Licences may be required to use the illustrations other than the originally proposed use. You will be provided with the files stated as per the quote agreement. Raw files remain the property of Creative Box, unless stated in the quote. A fee will be incurred for requesting raw files, this will be charged by the hourly rate of NZ$140 plus GST. Unused concepts remain the property of Creative Box and includes design proposals and concepts submitted but not approved for the work outlined.

4. General

Hours:
Our hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Evening appointments and office pick ups are available by prior arrangement. We are closed weekends and Public Holidays.

Conflict of Interest:
We are not aware of any conflict of interest which would affect our ability to provide the Services to you except as disclosed in this agreement. We will advise you if we become aware of any potential conflict of interest and work with you to find a suitable solution. We have procedures in place to deal with issues that arise if the interests of two or more Clients conflict.

Confidentiality:
All of the Client’s discussions, meetings and materials (written and electronic) are confidential and Creative Box agrees to keep this information safe. At Creative Box we are committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who interacts with us and we will not, without your consent, pass on any information you supply to us to anyone outside of Creative Box, unless required by law. You can request details of your personal information that we hold, and ask us to correct it, at any time.

Communication:
During our performance of the Services we may wish to send messages and documents electronically. You acknowledge that electronic communication carries with it the possibility of inadvertent misdirection, interception or non-delivery of confidential material. If you do not consent to the use of electronic communication in the course of providing the Services, you should notify us in writing. We do not accept responsibility and will not be liable for any damage or loss caused in connection with the interception or corruption of an electronic communication or if it contains a virus. We will not be liable for any damage or loss arising as a result of any unauthorised copying, recording, reading or interference with that document, for any delay or non-delivery of any document and for any damage caused by your system or any files by that message or document.

Electronic Newsletters/Marketing Emails:
We produce electronic newsletters. We may add you to our database newsletters that we consider will be useful to you. However, please let us know if you do not want to receive any such correspondence. We do offer the option to opt out of these on the newsletters. Promotion: We may use your branding, website design or graphic design work for self promotion on our website, electronic newsletters or social media platforms. We typically wait 1-2 weeks after we have provided you with the final files or upgraded the website before promoting your new business. Please let us know if you do not want us to share your work for self promotion. Creative Box will always work within New Zealand law.

Subcontractors & Student Work Placements:
We reserve the right to hire subcontractors on any given project should the need arise. Creative Box occasionally has work placement graphic design students that come to our office to watch and learn, or partake in some client work under our supervision and as we see fit.