K12 — Content, Rights & Compliance

Say it plainly. Credit it properly.

How PROOF sites talk, how case studies are written, who gets credit, what a license covers, and the legal basics for EU-based creatives.

01

Voice

Personal, specific, confident, warm. First person for freelancers, “we” for studios. US spelling. No “passionate”, “pixel-perfect” or “creative solutions”. Confident because of the work, not because of adjectives.

✓ Write
I design identities for companies that would rather be remembered than noticed.
✕ Not
Hi, I’m Mara, a passionate, award-winning creative.
✓ Write
Brühl’s label couldn’t be read from two meters. We fixed that first.
✕ Not
We leveraged a holistic, synergistic approach to elevate the brand.
✓ Write
From €9k. Most identities land between €12k and €18k.
✕ Not
Every project is unique. Get in touch for a custom quote!
02

Case-study template

Fill every field. If you can’t, the project isn’t ready to publish.

Title
Client + one-line outcome. “Brühl Coffee: a label that reads from the shelf.”
Fact sheet
Client · Role · Year · Scope · Duration · Result (with period and source).
The brief
60–90 words. What they asked for and why now.
The constraint
The hard part, honestly.
The decision
Show 2–3 options; annotate the chosen one.
The craft
2–4 detail images with loupe and alt text.
The result
Numbers per K10, or a quote if numbers are confidential.
What I learned
One honest paragraph. What you’d do differently.
Credits
Every collaborator, with role and link.
03

Credits & collaborators

Credit everyone
Designers, developers, photographers, copywriters, printers, the agency that hired you. Name and role, with a link.
Say who did what
“Design: Mara Lind. Development: Kai Brenner.” Never “we built” when a partner built it.
Agency work
Credit the agency as client or lead: “For Studio Nord, client Blau Hotel”. Check your contract first.
Photography
Every photo of work carries a photographer credit, even your own.
04

Usage rights & licensing

Make license terms visible before the inquiry. Photographers and illustrators license images directly from the work page.

License
Covers
Term
Price
Portfolio use
Show the work on your site and socials
Perpetual
Included by default in PROOF contracts
Editorial
One publication, one use, credit required
1 issue / 12 mo online
From €350
Commercial
Advertising, packaging, campaigns
1–3 years, territory
From €1,200
Exclusive buyout
Client owns usage; you keep portfolio right
Perpetual
Quote
Portrait of Ana, Lisbon, 2025
No. 12C · 85 mm · f/1.8 · 1/200 s · ISO 200
License this image
05

Compliance

Defaults for EU-based creatives. Not legal advice; have your own terms reviewed.

GDPR
Fonts, icons and scripts are self-hosted. No third-party trackers before consent. Forms state purpose and retention (12 months).
Imprint
Germany and Austria require an Impressum: name, address, contact, VAT ID. Linked from every footer.
Accessibility statement
WCAG 2.2 AA target, known issues, a contact for barriers. Required for many EU clients from 2025.
NDA work
Show an “Under NDA” frame with industry, role and year. Never blur a logo and hope.
AI disclosure
If generative tools touched the work, say where. Credit the humans first.
Illustrative content
Demo clients, figures and awards in this kit are fictional and labeled as such.
NDA frame
Under NDA
Fintech · Brand system · 2026
Consent banner · equal choices, no dark patterns
Cookies? Only one kind.
This site uses privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics. Embedded videos load only if you allow them.
Allow videos No thanks
06

Photography rights

For photographers and anyone showing people or private places.

  1. 01Model release on file for every identifiable person in licensable images
  2. 02Property release for private interiors and recognizable buildings
  3. 03Client approval before publishing commissioned work
  4. 04Copyright notice and credit line on every image
  5. 05License terms spelled out: usage, duration, territory, exclusivity
  6. 06ImageObject schema with creator, license and acquireLicensePage
07

Legal templates

Placeholders for German and Austrian business sites, collected in U06.

Legal notice (Impressum) Privacy policy Cookie notice Shop terms EU withdrawal + digital consent EU VAT for digital products Accessibility statement
08

Microcopy library

CTAs
Start a project · Book a 20-min call · See the work · Check availability · License this image
Brief builder
What are we making? · What should it achieve? · What’s the budget? · “Not sure yet” is a fine answer.
Not a fit
Under €4.5k, I’m probably not the right fit. Here’s what I’d do instead.
Availability
Booked until mid-November · 2 slots in December · Join the waitlist for Q1
Proofing
Choose 20 of 64 · Compare two · Approve round · Download finals
Shop & checkout
Add to cart · Free EU shipping from €40 · I want the download immediately…
Errors
That doesn’t look like an email. Check for typos? · Couldn’t send. Your answers are saved.
Empty states
No frames match these filters. · Your cart is empty. The Kiosk prints are a good place to start.
Confirmations
Thanks, Lea. I’ll reply by Wednesday. · Selection sent: 20 frames.