This question needs personal knowledge of business web-site design and
build contracts.

What are the typical payment arrangements to pay a web designer?  I
would expect to hire an individual and want to know at what point do I
pay the designer.

I want to hire an individual free lance web designer and would expect
a written contract.  I expect to follow the recommendations listed in this
site

"Choosing a web design company" by Paul Boag Jul 5, 2002 
http://www.headscape.co.uk/view_article.asp?ID=46

referenced in this google answer:  
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=69675

Would I make partial payments as the site is completed in stages or at
the end?  Assume the web site is primarily static with limited dynamic
content (i.e. relatively small-scale) with content development from
me.  I need the developer primarily for graphic arts development and
an artist's eye for the overall presentation.  While it is
small-scale, I want a site that has a highly professional look.

Should I be hesitant to pay any amount up-front?

Thank you.

Cynthia Diane

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Request for Question Clarification by serenata-ga on 21 Mar 2004 07:06 PST

Hello Cynthlhiadiane ~

As a designer myself, my contracts have two payment plans:

The first is a 50% up front payment before any work commences; and the
second is a 1/3 up front; 1/3 at a set point in development; and 1/3
before the site is released to the customer.

My contract contains a timeline with specific performance required of
the customer as well as performance for specs, etc., and it is spelled
out in detail. Purely from a designer's outlook, it isn't always easy
to get required content from a customer, and if it isn't in on time,
the whole timeline is changed, and there is an understanding that the
particular site loses its priority in the order of things.

I know few reputable designers who will go through the process without
some earnest money up front. To develop a spec for client requires
time and talent that could be better spent on other matters, so I
would expect to pay either a third or half the amount up front.

You didn't say which country you are in, but in the US, freelance work
such as you describe confers copyrights to the designer. Unless there
is specific reference to assigning the copyrights, you have the right
to use the design, but the designer owns the copyrights. If you do
expect copyrights to be transferred, you should expect to pay an
additional amount.

Purely from the designer's point of view, we don't want to be
"stiffed" for the hours of work required to design and build a good
site any more than you want to be stiffed for shoddy workmanship.
Besides the quality of work, you will want to make sure the designer
is someone you can get on well with and have enough rapport to get the
project finished.

With today's software, anyone can throw up a site and call himself a
designer. There are others who work WITH you to give you a site that
will ultimately benefit you across the board, from marketing to search
engine optimization to accessibility issues, etc.

You can get bargains, but the old adage, "you get what you pay for"
holds true in web design, too.

Try a different approach in your question, based on what you have in
mind. That's always the best place to start.

Hope this helps,
Serenata