Free Freelance UI/UX Designer Contract Template for Canada

A freelance UI/UX designer contract is essential for defining the creative, technical, and business terms of user experience and interface design engagements in Canada. UI/UX projects are iterative by nature — involving research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and multiple rounds of refinement — and without a clear contract, projects can easily expand beyond their original scope and budget. This free contract template addresses the unique challenges of UX/UI engagements: defining deliverable types (research reports, wireframes, prototypes, design systems), establishing the user testing process, managing revision expectations, and clarifying ownership of design files and components. Whether you're redesigning a mobile app, creating a design system, or conducting user research, this template provides the legal framework for a successful engagement.

UI/UX design is an inherently exploratory discipline where the path forward often changes based on user research findings, stakeholder feedback, and testing results. This iterative nature makes contracts especially important — without clear boundaries, a "website redesign" can evolve into a full product strategy engagement. Designers risk spending weeks on research and ideation that the client later decides not to pursue, while clients risk investing in a design direction that doesn't align with their business goals. A contract establishes the research scope, number of design iterations, stakeholder review process, and decision-making authority. It also addresses one of UX design's unique challenges: the work product (research insights, user flows, wireframes) has significant value even if the client doesn't implement the final designs.

UI/UX contracts need clauses that reflect the multi-phase nature of design work. Define the project phases explicitly: discovery and research, information architecture, wireframing, visual design, prototyping, user testing, and design handoff. For each phase, specify deliverables, timeline, and review process. Include a stakeholder management clause that identifies who has approval authority and limits the number of reviewers to prevent "design by committee." Add a user testing clause defining the method (moderated vs. unmoderated, remote vs. in-person), number of participants, recruiting responsibility, and testing platform costs. Include a design tool clause specifying which tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) will be used and whether the client needs their own licenses. Define the design handoff process — what developers receive (annotated specs, asset exports, design tokens, component documentation) and what level of developer support is included during implementation.

UI/UX scope of work should be structured in phases with clear deliverables for each. Discovery phase: user research plan, stakeholder interviews (number of interviews), competitive analysis, user personas, and journey maps. IA phase: sitemap, information architecture diagrams, and content inventory. Wireframe phase: low-fidelity wireframes for specified screens, user flows, and interaction patterns. Visual design phase: high-fidelity mockups for specified screens, UI component library, and style guide. Prototype phase: interactive prototype with specified fidelity level and number of user flows. Define screen counts explicitly — "15 unique screens across 3 key user flows" — and specify responsive breakpoints (mobile, tablet, desktop). Include a "design decisions" process that documents rationale for major choices. State what's excluded: frontend development, copywriting, icon illustration, and stock photography sourcing.

UI/UX projects benefit from phase-based billing that aligns payment with deliverable completion. A typical structure: 25% upon contract signing (before discovery begins), 25% upon completion of wireframes and client approval, 25% upon completion of visual design and client approval, 25% upon final delivery and design handoff. For user research engagements, consider a separate budget line for research costs (participant recruiting, testing platform fees, incentives). Specify that design files are delivered in stages — low-resolution previews during review, high-resolution files upon payment. For ongoing retainers (design system maintenance, ad-hoc design support), bill monthly with a defined hour allocation and rollover policy. Include rates for additional screens or flows requested beyond the original scope.

UI/UX design IP involves multiple deliverable types with different value propositions. Custom visual designs and brand-specific UI components typically transfer to the client upon full payment. However, the designer may retain rights to: generic UX patterns and interaction frameworks, reusable component structures not specific to the client's brand, research methodologies and testing frameworks, and portfolio presentation rights. Specify whether the client receives Figma/Sketch source files or only exported assets and prototypes. Address design system components — if the designer creates a reusable component library, clarify whether the client can extend it independently. For user research deliverables (personas, journey maps, research reports), full transfer is standard since the insights are specific to the client's users.

The phased nature of UI/UX work makes termination relatively clean when structured properly. At any phase boundary, either party can choose not to proceed to the next phase — the client pays for completed phases and receives all deliverables from those phases. Mid-phase termination requires payment for work completed plus a 25% kill fee for the remainder of the current phase. Research deliverables are always delivered regardless of termination since the insights have standalone value. Design files from completed phases transfer upon payment. If the designer terminates, they provide all completed work with sufficient documentation for another designer to continue. Allow 14-30 days notice depending on the project's complexity.

UI/UX designers access deeply sensitive information during the research and design process — user behavior data, conversion metrics, product roadmaps, and competitive strategies. The confidentiality clause should cover: user research data and participant information, analytics and business metrics shared during discovery, unreleased product features and roadmap plans, internal workflow and process documentation, and prototype links and designs before public launch. User research data deserves special attention — participant consent forms must comply with PIPEDA, and the designer must handle personal information according to the research ethics outlined in the consent process. Specify how research data is stored, shared, and eventually destroyed.

UI/UX designers in Canada face specific legal considerations around accessibility and privacy. The Accessible Canada Act and provincial legislation (AODA in Ontario) require digital experiences to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards — your contract should clarify whether accessibility compliance is part of the design scope and who bears responsibility for it. If the project involves user research, ensure compliance with PIPEDA for handling participant data, including consent collection, data storage, and the right to withdraw. For bilingual interfaces (common for federal or Quebec-facing projects), address whether the UX design accounts for text expansion/contraction between English and French. Quebec's Charter of the French Language may require French-first or French-equal design for businesses operating in Quebec. GST/HST applies to design services; clarify tax handling in the contract.