Terms — what you can expect from us, and us from you.

This page is the baseline. Every project gets its own signed contract; the page below sets the ground rules those contracts rest on.

Who the studio is

Qaynaq is a studio in Bakı, run by Elvin Şərifov. Legal form: sole proprietor (registration number: ___). All formal correspondence runs through salam@qaynaq.com.

Scope of services

We typically take on:

• Brand — identity systems, naming, positioning, typography.
• Web — marketing sites, custom CMSes, scrolly product pages.
• Product — UI/UX, flows, prototypes, component libraries.
• Audit — technical review of work delivered by another vendor.
• Independent technical oversight — monthly reviewer role on the buyer's side of the table while another vendor builds (separate engagement).

We don't combine the vendor and reviewer roles in the same engagement — the journal post explains why.

How a project starts

Every engagement opens the same way:

1. Discovery — a free 30-minute call to frame the problem.
2. Proposal — written, scoped, fixed price and timeline.
3. Contract — signed document, 30% deposit.

We don't sell packaged price tiers — the journal post on transparent pricing explains why. Every project is priced on its own. Hourly rate is €95/hour, but project pricing is preferred.

Intellectual property

The default arrangement:

• Final deliverables (site, brand assets, design files, code) are owned by the client on full payment.
• The studio retains process artefacts — early sketches, alternative directions, internal components. These are never resold.
• Unless an NDA is in place, the studio keeps the right to show the work in our portfolio. When an NDA exists, the contract spells out what we can and can't show.
• Third-party assets (fonts, stock, plugins) are licensed line-by-line in the contract and the licence is matched to the client's use.

Pause and cancellation

During Phase 2 (Direction) on the approach page, either side can stop the project — and half the fee is returned. That clause exists so both sides can stay honest about the direction decision.

Once Phase 3 (Execution) is live, cancellation works differently: we value the completed portion, refund the remainder, and the partially-delivered work is handed over as-is.

The studio reserves the right to stop a project if:

• The client is non-responsive for more than 14 days,
• The agreed communication frame breaks down, or
• An obvious ethical conflict surfaces.

If that happens, we run the same handover mechanic (proportional fee + handover of artefacts produced so far).

Liability

We work carefully and every deliverable is reviewed by a human. Standard liability is capped per contract — usually at the total project value. Indirect damages (lost revenue, business interruption) are excluded.

Governing law

These terms and every project contract are governed by the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Disputes are resolved through negotiation first, and then through the Baku city courts.

Changes

If this document changes, the date above gets updated. Existing contracts stay on the version in force at signing.

Questions

Any question — write to salam@qaynaq.com. I read and answer them myself, within 24 hours.