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Graphic Design vocabulary · Briefs, Clients & Feedback

Scope creep

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/ˈskoʊp ˌkriːp/nounAdvanced term

In graphic design, scope creep means: The slow growth of a project beyond what was originally agreed, as the client keeps adding small requests, without extra time or budget.

In Turkish: kapsam kayması, işin kapsamının genişlemesi

How it is used

Used by freelancers, studios and project managers. You avoid, manage or deal with scope creep, usually with a clear brief, a list of deliverables and a limit on revisions.

Example sentences

  1. First it was a logo, then business cards, now a website: that's classic scope creep.

  2. To avoid scope creep, list exactly what's included in the quote.

Common collocations

  • avoid scope creep
  • manage scope creep
  • classic scope creep
  • out of scope
  • deliverablesThe specific files and items a designer has agreed to hand over at the end of a project, such as logo files, a print-ready PDF or a set of social media posts.
  • design briefA short document that explains what a design project must achieve: the goal, audience, message, deliverables, budget, deadline and any rules the designer must follow.
  • revisionA change made to a design after feedback, or a new version of the design that includes those changes. Contracts often limit the number of revision rounds.
  • sign offTo give final approval to a design, proof or stage of a project, so that the work can move on to production or the next step.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Briefs, Clients & Feedback

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