Hey everyone, I’ve got a question. I’m working with a web developer under contract, and I assumed mobile responsiveness was just standard these days, but it wasn’t actually included in the contract. Now, the site they built isn’t responsive on mobile, and I’m left scrambling to fix it myself.
Did I mess up by not asking upfront? Is mobile responsiveness something I could have expected without mentioning it? I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether I should have been more explicit in the contract or if I can hold them accountable. Any advice?
The smartest move is to always put your expectations in writing as part of the contract. If you don’t, and things don’t go as planned, you won’t have much leverage. That’s just how it works.
for the last 10+ years, I’ve never even thought about building a site that wasn’t responsive. Clients don’t even need to bring it up; it’s just a given. How did they even manage to make it unresponsive in this day and age? Even the most basic CSS frameworks are mobile-first! Did they position everything using HTML tables like it’s the '90s or something? Seriously, what’s going on here?!
Here’s some advice for next time: Contracts aren’t about trying to outsmart the other party; they’re about making sure everything important is clear and agreed upon, so no one ends up confused or frustrated. It’s not nitpicky to specifically mention that a website should be responsive—it’s just smart contract writing. Sure, most devs will include it by default, but it’s still better to have it in writing. No developer who plans to do it anyway is going to mind if you make it official. If it matters to you, even list out the specific devices where the site needs to look good as part of the project’s acceptance criteria.
Also, if you don’t want to be stuck dealing with someone halfway around the world, include in the contract a minimum response time or set hours for live communication. The contract should clearly define how finished work will be reviewed, how feedback will be handled, and what your options are if the developer keeps ignoring your feedback. Whatever is important to you, get it in writing. It’s much better for everyone to be on the same page from the start, rather than having to deal with misunderstandings or trying to get extra work done based on vague expectations.
Honestly, it really should’ve been in the contract. I mean, with so many users accessing sites from their phones, it’s pretty much expected nowadays.
That said, when it comes to freelancers, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some are pros who know their stuff, while others are still learning as they go, and you’re basically paying them to figure things out.
I typically don’t specifically mention responsiveness in contracts. Instead, I focus on where the design is coming from. Sometimes, the client has a designer who provides the designs, which I’ll either review closely (if they exist) or ask a lot of questions about (if they don’t) before I give a quote. Other times, I’ll bring in a subcontracted designer, and we’ll have a discovery meeting to nail down the design requirements before moving forward with pricing.
That said, I personally expect mobile-friendly designs by default and would consider anything that’s not mobile-compatible as out of the ordinary.
Does your contract mention who’s responsible for providing the designs? How did you handle defining the requirements and getting the design approved throughout the process?