Scope creep. It’s not a movie title, but it strikes fear in the hearts of freelance creative professionals. At best, it causes discomfort. At worst, it can lead to burnout and loss of clients and income.
In this article, I’ll give you actionable tips on how to avoid scope creep. Learn how to manage scope creep if, despite your best efforts, it still rears its ugly head.
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Understanding Scope Creep
Let’s begin by answering the question: What is scope creep? Let me offer a scope creep definition:
Scope creep is the gradual expansion of a project’s objectives, tasks, or deliverables beyond its original scope.
Scope creep can come in the form of new requests, revisions, or changes that are out of the scope of the contract or agreement.
For example, let's say you’re a graphic designer and the contract says you must deliver project files in Adobe Illustrator. And then later, the client asks you to translate your designs on Canva as well. That’s scope creep.
Throughout this tutorial, you'll learn more scope creep examples so you'll recognize them if or when they happen to you.
As you can imagine, scope creep can cause you to work more hours on a project than you expected. This can affect not just your workload but also the time and energy you've got for other clients. It can compromise the quality of your outputs. What’s worse, it can strain your relationship with the client. No wonder many refer to scope creep as “the silent killer of projects.”
But scope creep has even wider repercussions beyond the work. Scope creep can affect your mental health and productivity. And if you keep saying yes to extra client requests, especially without adequate compensation, then you risk burning out.
That’s why I'm so happy and grateful that you’re here, reading this!
To be fair, you can expect some scope creep into a creative project. After all, creative projects tend to be fluid. Your clients will often refine their vision as the work progresses.
But that doesn’t mean you've got to work more hours for free. It doesn't mean bending over backward to keep your clients happy. It doesn't mean burning the candle on both ends to juggle multiple projects.
Keep reading to learn how you can prepare for scope creep in your workflow.
Scope Creep in 2024
You’d think by now that both clients and freelancers would know how to avoid scope creep. Yet, it continues to be a persistent challenge.
Technological advancements—which I love and am grateful for—are partly to blame. The abundance of digital tools and platforms means clients expect faster turnaround times and more intricate deliverables. They may request more features or revisions and assume they'd be quick and easy to do. Thanks to AI and automation, for example, clients have loftier standards and new expectations.
Shifting market demands also contribute to scope creep. Given the gig economy and mainstreaming of remote work, the marketplace for freelancers is now global. You’re not constrained to working with local clients only. The whole world is your potential client pool. That’s a wonderful opportunity, of course. But it also means your competition is much bigger, too. Naturally, you want to stand out from your competitors and attract—and keep—plum clients. This can make you feel increased pressure to give in to client demands and expectations, even if they're out of the scope of the contract.
As a creative professional today, you face many evolving challenges. Scope creep continues to be one of them. Fortunately, you can be proactive about it and address the issue before it even makes its way into your projects.
Managing Scope Creep: Actionable Tips for Freelance Creative Professionals
It's possible to manage scope creep and ensure that projects stay within the confines of time and budget constraints. You can do it by:
- anticipating scope creep
- setting clear boundaries
- communicating effectively with clients.
Below are more specific tips for how to manage scope creep:
1. Define a Clear Project Scope
A detailed project scope is your most important weapon against scope creep. Collaborate closely with clients to define and document the project requirements. Have a detailed list of deliverables. If they’re hiring you to edit a video, make sure the deliverables include details like video length, format or type of file, and video dimensions. Do they expect motion graphics or animation? How many rounds of reviews and revisions do they plan to have? What are the deadlines?
I made this mistake when, as a new freelance copywriter, my contract didn't specify the number of revisions that my fees included. Learn from my mistakes! Learn how to set up contracts for your freelance work.
Establish clear and specific expectations upfront, and document these on your contract. Also, anticipate scope creep and work it into the contract. For example, include how much you would charge for extra revisions.
2. Set Clear Boundaries and Expectations
Beyond having a specific and solid contract, you can set and maintain clear boundaries throughout the project. Effective communication is key. Establish communication channels early on. You may agree with your clients, for instance, that email is the primary means of communication. Other clients may prefer project management platforms or regular check-in meetings.
Let your clients know what your preferred methods of communication are and your availability. When they email you, for example, how soon can they expect a reply? This is particularly important if your client is in a different time zone. Agree on the best ways for you and your client to get timely responses for urgent matters.
Another way to set boundaries is to set deadlines for your clients. If they expect the first draft to be ready on a certain date, then they should send you the reference materials two weeks in advance. Deadlines for giving feedback are also crucial. For example, after you send them a draft, give them 24 hours or two business days (whichever is feasible) to send you their feedback. Make sure the contract includes client deadlines. And clearly state that if they miss these deadlines, then the project will be delayed.
3. Regularly Communicate and Update Clients
With your communication system established, now it’s time to use it regularly. Keep clients informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle. Give them regular updates on project progress, milestones achieved, and potential roadblocks. Address any concerns or questions the client may have. I like weekly check-ins for long projects to cover these things.
For example, if you’re a music composer working on a soundtrack, share samples of work-in-progress. Solicit feedback at key stages of the composition and recording process. These should have been scheduled and agreed on in the contract, as discussed earlier.
Maintain an open dialogue with your client and address concerns promptly. This way, you can prevent scope creep from derailing the project.
4. Use Project Management Tools
There are so many project management platforms nowadays to help you streamline your workflow and collaborate with clients easily. They offer features like task tracking, file sharing, and team collaboration, for example. You can also document feedback and track revisions.
Choose a project management tool that aligns with your workflow and nature of your work. It should also encourage transparency and accountability. For example, if you’re a web designer, your project management tool should capture wireframe mockups, feedback on design iterations, and results of user testing.
Keep it simple. Don't pick a snazzy, full-featured project management tool that requires months to learn and costs a fortune. In fact, the best project management tool for you may already be installed on your computer: PowerPoint. I use slides to present the project as well as to track tasks and collect feedback. Learn more about using PowerPoint for project management. Similarly, you can use Google Slides for timelines, polls, and more.
Strive to centralize all project-related information and communication (such as comments and feedback). This helps reduce the risk of scope creep arising from miscommunication or oversight.
5. Implement Change Control Procedures
A change control procedure is simply a workflow for requesting and handling scope changes. Have clear guidelines for when a client needs to change the scope of a project. Your change control procedure should also include criteria for assessing the impact of the scope change. Remember, scope changes will impact timelines, budgets, and sometimes even the outputs themselves.
As an example, you can provide a change request form where clients can specify their requested modifications and justify why they’re needed. Review each change request. Consider its potential impact on the project schedule, budget, and deliverables. This gives both you and your client the opportunity to reflect on scope change requests, their necessity, and their impacts.
A change control procedure can be as simple as a Google or Microsoft Form. It can even be a set of questions your clients must answer and email to you to request the change.
6. Educate Clients on the Impact of Scope Changes
Finally, have open and honest conversations with clients about the implications of scope changes. Help your clients understand how changes to the project scope affects timelines, budgets, and the success of the project. This may feel uncomfortable but it’s absolutely necessary. It allows you to accommodate your clients’ wishes without sacrificing your well-being and the project’s success. It also positions you as a professional with integrity.
For instance, let’s say you’re a photographer, and the client is asking for more shots in another location. Be clear on how these extra shots will incur additional costs and extend the project timeline. Be specific. Say exactly how much additional budget and time will be needed. Specify which deadlines will be affected and propose new deadlines.
As someone who hires freelancers and agencies today, I can tell you that I appreciate this honesty. I once took over a project and asked for the Adobe Premiere files for video production, not knowing this wasn't included in the existing contract. Still, the video editor provided the files without comment. Only later did I discover that they did so with resentment because the files were huge and required a couple of hours of extra work. I would have preferred for them to let me know this upfront and know how much additional fees they would charge for the request.
Learn More About Running a Small Business
It doesn’t matter what size your freelancing is. You’re running a business now. That requires a whole ‘nother set of skills, and avoiding and managing scope creep are just a few of them. You also need to know everything from financial management to marketing to managing growth. You don’t have to be an expert in all these things. But you do have to know enough to effectively work with those who are.
Here are a few articles to help you run your freelancing business better:
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How to Become a Successful Small Business Owner![]()
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40 Best Small Business Software Tools and Online Apps![]()
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13+ Best Online Collaboration Software Tools for 2023![]()
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How to Professionally Network as a Small Business Owner![]()
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How to Plan an Effective Small Business Growth Strategy![]()
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That’s just a small sample of all the business-building content on Envato Tuts+. Explore the Business section to learn new business skills, including:
- how to start a profitable business
- use the latest business software
- networking
- leadership
- and more
Streamline Your Work Processes with Envato Elements
As a freelancing business owner, you’re always looking for ways to streamline your workflow while increasing your professionalism. Envato Elements can help you with both. Elements is a subscription-based platform with millions of digital assets—all professionally created by selected creators.
For a single subscription, you get unlimited downloads of creative assets for your projects. You’ll find:
Elements also has one simple license for all content. The license includes both personal use and broad commercial rights. This means you can use any and all items with confidence in your projects.
Elements also has AI-search. It's an AI-assisted tool to help you find assets tailored to your particular project.
And as a freelance creative yourself, you may be pleased to know that Envato has a fairer approach to revenue sharing. Independent designers on Elements get a 50% share of net revenue on their designs. So not only does Elements make you produce great work, it also makes you feel good about supporting other independent designers.
Protect Your Business—and Your Sanity—By Avoiding Scope Creep
Now you know that avoiding and managing scope creep is essential to ensure the success of the project. It's also important to protect your mental health, workload, and professional integrity. As you’ve learned in this tutorial, scope creep can disrupt timelines. It blows up budgets. It can compromise the quality of work. Ultimately, it can hurt client relationships and future opportunities.
There is no such thing as scope creep, only scope gallop. - Cornelius Fichtner
Fortunately, by implementing the tips above, you can be proactive about scope creep. You now know how to:
- define clear project scopes
- set boundaries and expectations
- communicate regularly and effectively
- leverage project management tools
- set up change control procedures
- educate clients on the impact of scope changes.
You've also learned how to streamline your workflow while maintaining a professional image with Envato Elements.
By taming scope creep, not only can you deliver exceptional results, but you can also foster long-term relationships built on trust and mutual respect with your clients.
