If you’re a freelance designer or developer, you’re probably already familiar and working on some of your agreement templates or contract templates with the powerful and popular Sketch app. It's one of the best tools for graphic and web designers. Used to create beautiful user interfaces, engaging websites, and custom icons, it’s embraced by the creative community – in part – because of its quickly growing plugin library. Even better, many of the best Sketch tools are shared freely among creators. It's perfect for bootstrapped startup freelancers with a limited budget.
Currently, there are dozens upon dozens of apps available, and most are available for the for many versions of the Sketch app. While new tools are being created and shared among fans every day, here are some of the most talked-about and highly-praised plugins available for today’s Sketch users.
Tip: Before you get started, be sure you download the Sketch Toolbox, a plug-in manager designed to help you keep everything sorted. It will also alert you to new plugins as they are developed, and automatically update your existing plugins to keep your work bug-free!
Fans of OpenType will love this plugin that allows you to create fonts from inside the Sketch app, then edit and export as an OpenType file. It makes sharing your print, web, and mobile font favorites free and easy.
Create a dark-layered look to any of your Sketch designs with this simple plugin. Priced at $8, it comes with a free trial to see how your photos look with one of their three themes: Night Owl, Designer, and Lark (a bonus Ultra-Light theme.)
Messy files have no business being turned in to clients. Free your designs from hidden, unused layers and styles, while naming everything with a consistent title. Use four of the most powerful actions at once – automatically – with a click! Pay what you want this plugin (suggested price $2+.)
Generate random confetti patterns with one click, and customize to tweak density, layering, particle size, shape, and more. This plugin works with Symbols to make it a seamless addition to your design toolkit. Recommended donation price of $2 is requested with download.
Color is important. That’s why this plugin allows you to create and save the perfect color combos for any project and keep them handy for future work. Import and export your favorite presets with this tool that supports colors, gradients, and pattern fills. Get it free via GitHub.
Fix or update text on any layer with this powerfully simple tool that searches your work and replaces with the words you want. It’s available for free with GitHub.
Collaboration can get tricky, especially when more members are added to a team. To keep feedback, cooperation, and change-tracking simple, consider adding this plug-in to your toolkit. It makes communications between designers and developers simple and efficient. Plans start for free and cost no more than $30 a month for teams.
Creating mockups used to be so complicated, as it involved using an outside tool (such as the Smart Object feature in Photoshop). Now, designers can use the Perspective Transformation function in Sketch and never leave the app when creating mockups. The tool costs as little as $1.99 with an annual payment plan.
Keep your stuff sorted by assigning all of your work placeholder images that can be created with a click. Know where things are at a glance. Available on GitHub for free.
As explained by the title of the plug-in, this is a tool for making the circular graphics used in diagrams, instrumentation, and analytics. Available for free at GitHub.
Making mock-ups can be difficult when fields, designs, avatars, geographic locations, and names need to be filled. This plug-in automatically generates random information to act as placeholders on these mock-ups. Get it from GitHub for free.
Working on the level of pixels can be painstaking. Quickly locate any improperly-spaced pixels with this intuitive tool so you can spend your time fixing them and moving on! Get it for free from GitHub.
Use this quick and easy plug-in to sort your layers and art-boards by file name. Available at GitHub.
Keeping track of all the tasks you need to do inside Sketch can be difficult – especially if you are taking notes on a medium outside of the app. With Sketch Focus, you can annotate the things you have yet to do from inside Sketch, making it more likely you won't overlook an vital fix or task. Link each task to the layer it's applied to, and export data as needed. Get the limited free version, or upgrade to Pro for $14.00.
Evenly distribute objects in a specified pattern and within a limited space – either horizontally or vertically -- with this easy and free tool. Get it from GitHub.
Skip the clunky drop-down command menu and run tasks from your keyboard with this plug-in. It allows you to type in “run” – then the command or task of your choice -- with easy-to-remember prompts. The “goto” command lets you jump between layers, groups, pages, and artboards easily, too. It’s free in Beta mode.
Get a look at what your design will look out in a variety of layouts, from iPhone to iPad, with this plug-in. LaunchPad makes it simple to design responsive screens in Sketch and publish to HTML. Formerly called AutoLayout, you can get it (and loads of supporting documentation and hacks) for free.
This simple plug-in does as it says. Use it to unlock all layers of the current artboard using ⌘⌥L. Get it free from GitHub.
Using information from Google Maps and Mapbox, creators can type in an address and generate a map automatically for their project. Snag it for free from GitHub.
Create timeline animations easily from inside the Sketch interface. You can also make GIFs and videos, as well as share them with your teams. This high-end plugin is currently in presale mode and costs $59 in the fundraising stage.
As you can see, there is no limit to the things you can do within Sketch. A creative fan-base ensures that new plugins will continue to hit the market, and many will always be available for free to the community. As with any tool, you are wise to make sure that the plugin you want is supported by newer versions of Sketch before you download and buy. There’s always the chance that it has become obsolete or the developers are no longer offering refunds or support for glitchy behaviors in new updates.
You can see some of the fantastic things people are making with Sketch (and the various plugins) at design portfolio sites like Dribbble. Understanding what is possible with a versatile tool like Sketch may help you to come up with some fantastic projects of your own. It may also inspire you to create your own plugins to share with the community. What Sketch plugin can you not live without?
Try managing your creative business with Bonsai, sign up for a free trial today.
A verbal contract (formally called an oral contract) refers to an agreement between two parties that's made —you guessed it— verbally.
Formal contracts, like those between an employee and an employer, are typically written down. However, some professional transactions take place based on verbally agreed terms.
Freelancers are a good example of this. Often, freelancers will take on projects having agreed on the terms and payment via the phone, or an email. Unfortunately, sometimes clients don't pull through on their agreements, and hardworking freelancers can find themselves out of pocket and wondering whether a legal battle is worth all the hassle.
The main differences between written and oral contracts are that the former is signed and documented, whereas the latter is solely attributed to verbal communication.
Verbal contracts are a bit of a gray area for most people unfamiliar with contract law —which is most of us, right?— due to the fact that there's no physical evidence to support the claims made by the implemented parties.
For any contract (written or verbal) to be binding, there are four major elements which need to be in place. The crucial elements of a contract are as follows:
Therefore, an oral agreement has legal validity if all of these elements are present. However, verbal contracts can be difficult to enforce in a court of law. In the next section, we take a look at how oral agreements hold up in court.
Most business professionals are wary of entering into contracts orally because they can difficult to enforce in the face of the law.
If an oral contract is brought in front of a court of law, there is increased risk of one party (or both!) lying about the initial terms of the agreement. This is problematic for the court, as there's no unbiased way to conclude the case; often, this will result in the case being disregarded. Moreover, it can be difficult to outline contract defects if it's not in writing.
That being said, there are plenty of situations where enforceable contracts do not need to be written or spoken, they're simply implied. For instance, when you buy milk from a store, you give something in exchange for something else and enter into an implied contract, in this case - money is exchanged for goods.
There are some types of contracts which must be in writing.
The Statute of Frauds is a legal statute which states that certain kinds of contracts must be executed in writing and signed by the parties involved. The Statute of Frauds has been adopted in almost all U.S states, and requires a written contract for the following purposes:
Typically, a court of law won't enforce an oral agreement in any of these circumstances under the statute. Instead, a written document is required to make the contract enforceable.
Contract law is generally doesn't favor contracts agreed upon verbally. A verbal agreement is difficult to prove, and can be used by those intent on committing fraud. For that reason, it's always best to put any agreements in writing and ensure all parties have fully understood and consented to signing.
Verbal agreements can be proven with actions in the absence of physical documentation. Any oral promise to provide the sale of goods or perform a service that you agreed to counts as a valid contract. So, when facing a court of law, what evidence can you provide to enforce a verbal agreement?
Unfortunately, without solid proof, it may be difficult to convince a court of the legality of an oral contract. Without witnesses to testify to the oral agreement taking place or other forms of evidence, oral contracts won't stand up in court. Instead, it becomes a matter of "he-said-she-said" - which legal professionals definitely don't have time for!
If you were to enter into a verbal contract, it's recommended to follow up with an email or a letter confirming the offer, the terms of the agreement , and payment conditions. The more you can document the elements of a contract, the better your chances of legally enforcing a oral contract.
Another option is to make a recording of the conversation where the agreement is verbalized. This can be used to support your claims in the absence of a written agreement. However, it's always best to gain the permission of the other involved parties before hitting record.
Fundamentally, most verbal agreements are legally valid as long as they meet all the requirements for a contract. However, if you were to go to court over one party not fulfilling the terms of the contract, proving that the interaction took place can be extremely taxing.
So, ultimately, the question is: written or verbal agreements?
Any good lawyer, contract law firm, or legal professional would advise you to make sure you formalize any professional agreement with a written agreement. Written contracts provide a secure testament to the conditions that were agreed and signed by the two parties involved. If it comes to it, a physical contract is much easier to eviden in legal circumstances.
Freelancers, in particular, should be aware of the extra security that digital contracts may provide. Many people choose to stick to executing contracts verbally because they're not sure how to write a contract, or they think writing out the contract terms is too complicated or requires expensive legal advice. However, this is no longer the case.
Today, we have a world of resources available at our fingertips. The internet is a treasure trove of invaluable information, platforms, and software that simplifies our lives. Creating, signing, and sending contracts has never been easier. What's more, you don't have to rely on a hiring a lawyer to explain all that legal jargon anymore.
There are plenty of tools available online for freelancers to use for guidance when drafting digital contracts. Tools like Bonsai provide a range of customizable, vetted contract templates for all kinds of freelance professionals. No matter what industry you're operating in, Bonsai has a professional template to offer.
A written contract makes the agreement much easier to prove the terms of the agreement in case something were to go awry. The two parties involved can rest assured that they're legal rights are protected, and the terms of the contract are sufficiently documented. Plus, it provides both parties with peace of mind to focus on the tasks at hand.
Bonsai's product suite for freelancers allows users to make contracts from scratch, or using professional templates, and sign them using an online signature maker.
With Bonsai, you can streamline and automate all of the boring back-office tasks that come with being a freelancer. From creating proposals that clients can't say no to, to sealing the deal with a professional contract - Bonsai will revolutionize the way you do business as a freelancer.
Why not secure your business today and sign up for a free trial?