Terms & Conditions – Design Narrative

Last updated: 3 December 2025

1. Definitions 

In these Terms & Conditions, the following terms have the following meanings:

• "Design Narrative", "we", "us", "our": the legal entity operating under the trade name Design Narrative, established in [city, country], registered with the Chamber of Commerce under number [KvK number].
• "Client", "you", "your": any natural or legal person that enters into an Agreement with Design Narrative or receives an Offer.
• "Agreement": any contract or assignment between Design Narrative and Client, including these Terms & Conditions and any annexes, proposals, Statements of Work (SOWs), or order confirmations.
• "Services": all services provided by Design Narrative, including but not limited to UX and product design, consulting, audits, workshops, strategy, research, prototypes, design systems and related activities.
  
• "Deliverables": any outcomes of the Services, such as reports, presentations, documents, designs, prototypes, UX flows, recommendations or other materials provided to the Client.
• "Offer": any written proposal, quotation or price indication from Design Narrative to the Client. 

2. Applicability

2.1 These Terms & Conditions apply to all Offers, Agreements and Services provided by Design Narrative, unless agreed otherwise in writing.

2.2 The Client’s general terms and conditions (if any) are expressly rejected and do not apply, unless Design Narrative has expressly accepted them in writing.

2.3 If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. The parties will then replace the invalid provision with a new one that approximates the original intent as closely as possible.

3. Offers and Agreements

3.1 All Offers from Design Narrative are non-binding, unless expressly stated otherwise, and are generally valid for the period stated in the Offer or, if no period is stated, for 30 days.

3.2 An Agreement between Design Narrative and the Client is formed when: 

• the Client explicitly accepts the Offer in writing (including by email), or
• both parties sign a written Agreement or Statement of Work, or
• Design Narrative starts performing the Services with the knowledge and acceptance of the Client.
  

3.3 Design Narrative may rely on the accuracy and completeness of the information provided by the Client when drawing up an Offer and when performing the Agreement.

3.4 Obvious errors or mistakes in an Offer (such as typographical or calculation errors) do not bind Design Narrative. 

4. Scope of Services

4.1 The scope of the Services is described in the Offer, Agreement or Statement of Work. Any additional requests or changes by the Client that fall outside the agreed scope may be treated as additional work and invoiced separately.

4.2 Design Narrative will perform the Services on a best-efforts basis. We do not guarantee specific outcomes, KPIs or results (such as conversion uplift, revenue increase or engagement metrics), unless these are explicitly agreed in writing.

4.3 The Client understands that the success of UX and design work also depends on factors outside Design Narrative’s control, such as:

• the Client’s internal implementation, development and testing,
• technical limitations of the Client’s systems,
• market conditions and user behaviour,
• other concurrent changes made by the Client.
  

4.4 Design Narrative may engage third parties (such as freelancers or partner agencies) to assist in the performance of the Services, where appropriate. Design Narrative remains responsible for the delivery of the Services towards the Client.

5. Client responsibilities

5.1 The Client will provide all information, access and cooperation reasonably required for Design Narrative to perform the Services, including: 

• Access to relevant stakeholders for interviews and workshops.
• Access to (or exports of) analytics data, research, design files or documentation, as agreed.
• Timely feedback on Deliverables, iterations and proposals.

5.2 The Client guarantees that all information and materials provided to Design Narrative are accurate, lawful and do not infringe third-party rights. The Client indemnifies Design Narrative against any claims from third parties arising from the use of such information or materials.

5.3 If the Client fails to provide required information, access or feedback in a timely manner, Design Narrative may suspend the Services or adjust the planning. Any resulting delays or additional costs may be charged to the Client.

6. Fees and payment terms

6.1 Unless otherwise stated, all fees are in euros (EUR) and exclusive of VAT and other applicable taxes.

6.2 Design Narrative may use different fee structures, such as:

• Fixed project fees
• Daily or hourly rates
• Retainer or subscription-based agreements
• Combinations of the above 

These will be specified in the Offer or Agreement.

6.3 Unless otherwise agreed, payment terms are 14 days from the invoice date.

6.4 Design Narrative may invoice as follows (unless agreed otherwise):

• A percentage upfront (e.g. 30–50%) before starting the work.
• One or more instalments during the project based on milestones or time spent.
• Monthly invoicing for ongoing or retainer work.

6.5 If the Client fails to pay on time, Design Narrative may:

• Charge statutory (commercial) interest on the outstanding amount from the due date until full payment.
• Charge reasonable extrajudicial collection costs.
• Suspend the Services and/or withhold Deliverables until payment is made. 

6.6 The Client is not entitled to set off any claims against amounts invoiced by Design Narrative, unless such set-off is legally permitted and confirmed by us in writing.

7. Changes, delays and cancellation

7.1 If, during the execution of the Agreement, it appears that changes or additional Services are necessary for a proper performance of the assignment, the parties will discuss and agree on the impact on scope, planning and fees.

7.2 If delays occur due to circumstances attributable to the Client (e.g. late feedback, missing information, internal decisions), Design Narrative may adjust the planning and invoice any additional time spent.

7.3 If the Client cancels or terminates the Agreement early, the Client will owe:

• All fees for work already performed, plus
• Any non-cancellable costs incurred by Design Narrative (e.g. booked subcontractors), and
• If agreed in the Offer/Agreement, a cancellation fee or minimum commitment.

7.4 Design Narrative may terminate or suspend the Agreement with immediate effect if the Client:

• Fails to pay within a reasonable period after a reminder, or
• Commits a material breach of the Agreement and does not remedy it within a reasonable time after written notice, or
• Applies for or is granted suspension of payment, bankruptcy, or similar proceedings. 

8. Intellectual property rights

8.1 Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all intellectual property rights (including but not limited to copyright, design rights and database rights) in:

• Methods, frameworks, processes and tools used by Design Narrative, and
• Pre-existing materials, templates, assets and documentation of Design Narrative, and
• Any generic or anonymised learnings or case studies,

remain the exclusive property of Design Narrative.

 8.2 Subject to full payment of all invoices due under the Agreement, the Client receives a non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide licence to use the Deliverables for its own internal business purposes, and for the specific use case described in the Agreement.

8.3 Unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing, the Client is not allowed to:

• Sell, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Deliverables as a standalone product to third parties.
• Remove, alter or obscure any copyright notices or branding of Design Narrative where present.

8.4 Design Narrative retains the right to reuse ideas, concepts, know-how and generic learnings obtained while working with the Client, provided no confidential information is disclosed.

8.5 Design Narrative may (after launch and with reasonable consideration of confidentiality) showcase the collaboration and Deliverables as part of its portfolio, presentations and marketing (e.g. website, case studies, talks), unless the Client has explicitly objected to this in writing.

9. Confidentiality

9.1 Both parties commit to treating all confidential information received from the other party as strictly confidential and to use it only for the purposes of performing the Agreement.

9.2 “Confidential information” includes, but is not limited to, business strategies, internal data, user or customer data, technical information, roadmaps, and any information explicitly marked as confidential.

9.3 Confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that:

• Was already publicly known at the time of disclosure or becomes public without breach of these obligations,
• Was lawfully obtained from a third party not bound by confidentiality,
• Was already known to the receiving party without confidentiality obligation,
• Must be disclosed due to a legal obligation or court order (in which case the disclosing party will, where possible, inform the other party in advance). 

9.4 These confidentiality obligations remain in force after termination of the Agreement.

10. Data protection

10.1 Both parties will comply with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.

10.2 Where Design Narrative processes personal data on behalf of the Client (as a “processor”), the parties will enter into a separate Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that sets out the conditions of such processing.

10.3 For more information on how Design Narrative handles personal data as a controller, please see our Privacy Policy.

11. Warranties and disclaimers

11.1 Design Narrative will perform the Services with due care and professionalism, in line with generally accepted industry standards.

11.2 Unless explicitly agreed in writing, Design Narrative does not provide guarantees regarding specific numerical results, KPIs or commercial outcomes (such as exact conversion uplift, revenue, retention or CLV improvements).

11.3 All advice, recommendations, analyses and Deliverables are based on the information available at the time and on professional judgement. The Client remains responsible for decisions made based on such information.

11.4 Except as expressly provided in these Terms & Conditions or the Agreement, all warranties, whether express or implied (including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement), are excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law.

12. Liability

12.1 To the maximum extent permitted by law, the total liability of Design Narrative for any attributable failure in the performance of the Agreement, wrongful act or otherwise, is limited to the amount of fees (excluding VAT) actually paid by the Client to Design Narrative under the relevant Agreement in the 6 months prior to the event giving rise to liability, with an absolute maximum of [e.g. EUR 50,000] per event or series of related events.

12.2 Design Narrative is not liable for:

• Indirect or consequential damages, including loss of profit, lost savings, reduced goodwill, reputational harm or business interruption.
• Damages arising from incorrect or incomplete information provided by the Client.
• Damages resulting from decisions taken by the Client based on advice or Deliverables, if the Client has not reasonably validated such decisions in its own context. 

12.3 Any claim against Design Narrative expires if it has not been notified in writing with a clear description of the claim within 12 months after the event giving rise to the claim was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered.

13. Force majeure

13.1 Design Narrative is not obliged to fulfil any obligation if it is prevented from doing so by circumstances that are not attributable to it (force majeure).

13.2 Force majeure includes, but is not limited to: disruptions of internet or telecommunications, power failures, war, riots, strikes, pandemics, governmental measures, natural disasters, and other events beyond the reasonable control of Design Narrative.

13.3 In case of force majeure, Design Narrative may suspend the performance of the Agreement for the duration of the force majeure situation, or terminate the Agreement if the situation continues for more than 60 days, without being liable for any compensation.

14. Non-solicitation

14.1 During the term of the Agreement and for a period of 12 months thereafter, the Client will not, without prior written consent of Design Narrative, directly hire or engage any employees or core freelancers of Design Narrative who were directly involved in performing the Services.

14.2 In case of breach of this clause, the Client may owe a reasonable compensation equal to a percentage of the annual remuneration of the person concerned, as further set out in the Agreement.

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

15.1 These Terms & Conditions, as well as any Agreement between Design Narrative and the Client, are governed by Dutch law, unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing.

15.2 Any dispute arising out of or related to these Terms & Conditions or the Agreement that cannot be resolved amicably will be submitted to the competent court in the district where Design Narrative is established, without prejudice to Design Narrative’s right to bring a claim in the jurisdiction where the Client is established.

16. Miscellaneous

16.1 Design Narrative may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. For ongoing Agreements, changes will only apply after prior notice and – where necessary – mutual agreement.

16.2 The failure or delay of either party to enforce any provision of these Terms & Conditions does not constitute a waiver of that provision.

16.3 The Client may not transfer or assign its rights and obligations under the Agreement to a third party without the prior written consent of Design Narrative, except in the case of a merger, acquisition or sale of substantially all of the Client’s assets.

16.4 In case of any inconsistency between the English version of these Terms & Conditions and any translation, the English version will prevail.

17. Contact

For any questions about these Terms & Conditions or your Agreement with us, please contact:

Design Narrative

Knight Interactive B.V.
Frits Koolhovenweg 49
3769 TR Soesterberg, The Netherlands
Email: rick@design-narrative.co

We will do our best to respond as soon as reasonably possible.