No waffle. No small print you need a lawyer to decode. Just a straight-talking agreement between us - so we both know exactly where we stand.
These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern all services provided by Five Six Studio Limited ("Five Six Studio", "we", "us", "our") to any client ("you", "the Client"). By commissioning our services, instructing us to begin work, or making any payment, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms in full. These Terms apply to every service we offer - branding, visual identity, website design, social media, content capture, environmental design, bespoke artwork, and all associated add-ons - unless a separate written contract explicitly supersedes them.
1. Who We Are
Five Six Studio Limited is a creative studio based in North Yorkshire, UK, specialising in brand strategy, visual identity, website design, social media, content capture, environmental design, and bespoke artwork. We operate as an independent service provider - not an employee, partner, or agent of the Client.
Nothing in these Terms creates an employment relationship, agency arrangement, or partnership between Five Six Studio and the Client. We work with multiple clients simultaneously and are not exclusive to any one Client unless separately agreed in writing.
2. Our Services
Five Six Studio offers a modular service framework built around six core stages. Services are described in full in our current Services List and associated proposals. Our core offering includes:
The Purpose - brand discovery and strategic foundation
The Research - competitor analysis, audience profiling, narrative, and journey mapping
The Face - visual identity (logo, typography, colour, brand guidelines) and Inkonography™
The Platform - website design, UX/UI, and web development
The Network - social media strategy, asset creation, and content management
Content Capture - photography, videography, and editing
The Environment - interior design, space planning, and bespoke art integration
Every project begins with The Purpose. No creative work moves forward without it. This protects your investment and ensures every decision that follows has a clear rationale.
Service availability, pricing, and team members may be updated from time to time. Current details are always available at fivesix.studio or on request.
3. Project Scope & Deliverables
3.1 All deliverables, timelines, and fees will be set out in writing before work begins - via a proposal, quote, or project brief. We don't start without a clear scope. Neither should you.
3.2 Any requests outside the agreed scope are treated as separate work. We will advise you of any additional fees in writing before proceeding. We will never charge for out-of-scope work without your prior approval.
3.3 Amendment rounds are included as specified per service. Additional rounds beyond those included will be quoted and agreed before work resumes.
3.4 Where the Client is responsible for supplying content (copy, images, assets, access credentials), timelines are contingent on receiving that material. Delays caused by missing content are not within our control and will not affect our right to invoice.
4. Fees & Payment
We believe in complete pricing transparency. No hidden fees. No surprise invoices. What you're quoted is what you pay. Then add on as you go.
4.1 Payment Structure
All projects operate on one of the following payment structures, confirmed in writing at the point of agreement:
Full payment upfront - required for projects under £1,000.
50% upfront, 50% on completion - the standard split for most project-based work.
Payment plan (up to 3 months) - available on request for qualifying projects over a minimum value (confirmed at proposal stage). Instalments are agreed in writing and invoiced at the agreed intervals.
No work will commence until the first payment has been received and cleared. This applies to all projects, regardless of payment structure.
4.2 First Payment
The first payment is due at the point of project commencement - not at signing, not on delivery. Work begins when payment lands. This protects your timeline as much as ours.
4.3 Payment Plans
Where a payment plan of up to three months has been agreed:
The full project fee remains due regardless of the stage of completion.
Instalment dates are set out in the project invoice or agreement. Missing a payment date may result in work being paused until the account is brought up to date.
Payment plans are a courtesy, not a contractual right. They are offered at Five Six Studio's discretion and confirmed in writing.
The total fee does not change based on the payment structure chosen. Full payment is always owed.
4.4 Retainer & Monthly Services
For ongoing services (social media management, content management, retainer packages), fees are billed 4 weeks in advance. A minimum term applies per service as specified at agreement. Cancellation within the minimum term does not remove the obligation to pay for the remaining term.
5. Client Responsiveness & the 10-Day Rule
We move quickly. We ask our clients to do the same.
5.1 Active projects require timely input from the Client - feedback, approvals, content, and decisions. When we are waiting on you, your project is paused.
5.2 If we do not receive a response to a direct request, question, or submission within 10 working days, we will formally pause work on the project. We will notify you in writing before doing so.
5.3 A paused project does not reduce or cancel the fee. The full agreed amount remains due. Once you're ready to re-engage, we will confirm the new timeline and restart from where we left off, subject to team availability.
5.4 If a project remains unresponsive for 30 days following the pause notice, we reserve the right to invoice for all work completed to date. This is payable in full within 14 days of the invoice date.
5.5 We don't chase. We build the brand, not the relationship admin. 10 days is fair, reasonable, and final.
6. Invoicing & Late Payment
6.1 Invoices are issued via our standard invoicing system on Xero. Payment terms are 14 days from the invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing.
6.2 Late payment (beyond 14 days of the invoice date) may result in:
Suspension of all active work until the account is settled.
A late payment fee of 5% of the outstanding invoice amount, applied every 30 days the payment remains overdue.
Withholding of all deliverables, files, and assets until payment is received in full.
6.3 We reserve the right to pursue unpaid invoices through the courts and to recover reasonable costs of doing so, in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
6.4 If you anticipate difficulty meeting a payment date, contact us before the due date. We are human. We will always prefer an honest conversation to a missed invoice.
7. Intellectual Property & Usage Rights
7.1 All work produced by Five Six Studio - including concepts, designs, files, written content, photography, illustrations, and Inkonography™ - remains the intellectual property of Five Six Studio until payment has been received in full.
7.2 Until full payment is received, you may not use, share, publish, distribute, or reproduce any work we have produced for you. This includes internal or provisional use.
7.3 Upon receipt of full payment, all agreed usage rights and ownership transfer to you as set out in the project proposal or agreement. We retain the right to use work in our portfolio, case studies, and marketing materials unless you have requested otherwise in writing.
7.4 Third-party assets (stock photography, licensed fonts, software) used within a project are subject to their own licensing terms. We will advise you of any licence restrictions at delivery.
8. Trademarks & Brand Identity
Five Six Studio takes its brand identity seriously. The following marks are proprietary and legally protected, or are the subject of active trademark applications with the UK Intellectual Property Office.
8.1 Five Six Studio™
The name Five Six Studio™ is the subject of a pending trademark application with the UK Intellectual Property Office. All rights in the name are asserted from the date of first use. While registration is pending, use of the Five Six Studio name, or any name confusingly similar to it, in connection with creative, branding, design, or related services is prohibited without our express written consent.
Upon registration, the ™ symbol will be updated to ® across all materials.
8.2 Inkonography™
Inkonography™ is a proprietary service concept and brand created exclusively by Five Six Studio. A trademark application for Inkonography™ is currently pending with the UK Intellectual Property Office. All rights in the name, methodology, service concept, and associated visual outputs are asserted and reserved.
You may not use, reproduce, imitate, or trade on the Inkonography™ name or concept in any form - whether in connection with a competing service, as a description of similar work, or in any other commercial context - without our express written consent.
Commissioned Inkonography™ artwork delivered to a Client upon full payment remains subject to these restrictions with respect to the name and concept. The Client receives usage rights to their specific commissioned pieces only.
9. Professional Indemnity Insurance
Five Six Studio holds Professional Indemnity Insurance. This means that in the event of a claim arising from our professional services - including alleged errors, omissions, or negligent advice - we carry appropriate insurance cover.
Details of our current policy can be provided on request. Our insurance does not limit or replace the liability provisions set out in Section 11 of these Terms, but it does mean that legitimate professional claims can be properly addressed.
We take the quality and accuracy of our work seriously. Professional Indemnity Insurance is one part of how we demonstrate that.
10. Availability & Working Hours
10.1 Standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (UK time). Responses outside these hours may be slower - we are a small team and we protect our capacity to do good work.
10.2 Project scheduling is allocated in advance. We cannot guarantee immediate start dates. Lead times are confirmed at proposal stage.
10.3 For shoots involving travel, accommodation and travel costs are billed at cost plus 15% for overnight stays, and 45p per mile for travel. These are always agreed upfront before any booking is made.
11. Termination
11.1 Either party may terminate a project by providing 7 days' written notice.
11.2 In the event of termination, all work completed to the point of termination is invoiced and payable in full. This includes any work that was in progress but not yet delivered.
11.3 Initial payments (deposits or first instalments) are non-refundable. They represent the allocation of our team's time and the commencement of discovery and planning work.
11.4 If you terminate a project and wish to resume at a later date, we will confirm whether we can accommodate your timeline at that point. Restarts are subject to team availability and may require a new first payment.
11.5 We reserve the right to terminate a project immediately, without refund, if the Client acts in a manner that is abusive, dishonest, or in breach of these Terms.
12. Confidentiality
12.1 Both parties agree to keep confidential any proprietary, commercially sensitive, or personal information shared in the course of the project.
12.2 We will not share your project details, strategy, research, or business information with any third party, except where required to fulfil the project (e.g. our development partners)
12.3 Confidentiality obligations remain in place after the project ends. This clause does not prevent either party from complying with a legal obligation.
13. Liability
13.1 Five Six Studio will carry out all work with reasonable skill and care. We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, or economic loss arising from the use of our work, including loss of revenue, loss of data, or reputational damage.
13.2 Our total liability for any claim arising from a project will not exceed the total fees paid by the Client for that specific project.
13.3 We are not responsible for delays caused by the Client, third-party suppliers, platform outages, or events outside our reasonable control.
13.4 We recommend that the Client reviews all final work carefully before sign-off. Once signed off, additional changes will be treated as new scope.
14. Third-Party Services & Partners
Some of our services involve third-party partners (e.g. Viaduct Generation for website development). Where this is the case:
Their involvement will always be disclosed in the proposal.
Their work is subject to their own terms of service.
We manage the relationship on your behalf, but cannot be held liable for delays or errors outside our control.
Domain registration, platform subscriptions, and third-party software licences are the Client's own costs and are not included in project fees unless explicitly stated.
15. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
We always prefer to resolve disputes directly. If something isn't right, talk to us first. We are not here to be difficult - we are here to build something good.
16. Updates to These Terms
These Terms may be updated from time to time. The most current version is always available at fivesix.studio. By continuing to commission work from us, you agree to the current Terms in force at the time of each project.
Significant changes will be communicated to active clients in writing.
Questions? Let's talk.
We are a studio, not a corporation. If anything in these Terms is unclear or you want to discuss a specific situation before committing, just ask.
