Privacy Policy

01 — Who this policy covers

This policy applies to designwithkarl.com and to anyone who contacts, purchases from, or browses this site. Design With Karl is based at 1209 Marsalis Pl, Frederick, MD 21702, USA, and is the data controller for the information described below. For any privacy request, contact support@designwithkarl.com.

02 — What we collect

We collect only what's needed to run a project, respond to a message, or operate the site:

• When you use the contact form: your name, email address, optional phone number, the service you're asking about (if selected), and whatever you write in the project-details field. In its default configuration this form opens a pre-filled email in your own mail client rather than transmitting data to us directly — nothing is stored on our servers unless you choose to send that email.
• When you check out: your name, email, optional phone, optional company name, a project brief, a target start date, any links you provide, and billing details (billing name, address, city, state or province, ZIP or postal code, and country) needed to invoice you correctly. No payment card details are ever collected by this site — checkout runs on a clearly labeled demo/mock payment step that never asks for or stores card data (see the Terms of Service for how a real payment provider would be introduced).
• Automatically, only after you consent: if you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics 4 is loaded and records standard aggregate usage data (pages visited, general location at the country/region level, device and browser type). GA4 does not run, and no analytics request is sent, until you actively accept it — see §04 and the Cookie Policy.
• Stored locally in your browser regardless of consent (strictly necessary): your cart contents (dwk-cart-v1) and your cookie-consent choice (dwk-consent-v1), both kept in your browser's localStorage, and a temporary order record kept in sessionStorage so your confirmation page survives a refresh. None of this is transmitted to us; it lives on your device.

03 — Why we collect it

To reply to enquiries, to produce a written scope document and deliver a purchased package, to invoice correctly, to keep your cart and order state working across a session, and — only with consent — to understand in aggregate which pages get used, so the site itself can be improved. We do not use your information for any purpose beyond these.

04 — Cookies and consent

Non-essential cookies (Google Analytics 4) load only after you actively accept them through the cookie-consent banner. The banner presents Accept all, Reject all, and Preferences as equally weighted choices — nothing is pre-ticked, and rejecting analytics is exactly as easy as accepting it. Google's Consent Mode defaults to denied until you accept. Your choice is stored for 12 months, after which you're asked again; you can change it at any time using "Cookie settings" in the footer. Full detail on individual cookies, their names, purposes, and durations is in the Cookie Policy.

05 — Who we share it with

We do not sell personal information. Data is shared only where necessary to run the site and the business:

• Google Analytics 4 (only if you've consented) — Google LLC, for aggregate site-usage analytics.
• A future payment processor, if a real one is introduced in place of the current demo checkout — at that point this policy is updated to name it before it goes live.

No client lists, logos, or project details are shared publicly without your permission.

06 — International visitors

This site is operated from Maryland, USA, and accepts visitors and buyers worldwide. If you're located in the European Economic Area, the UK, or Switzerland, your information may be processed in the United States; by using the site and submitting information, you acknowledge this transfer. If you're a California resident, see §08 for your CCPA/CPRA rights. If you're a Maryland resident, see §07 for your rights under the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA).

07 — Your rights (Maryland — MODPA, and generally)

You can ask us to: tell you what personal information we hold about you, correct inaccurate information, delete information we hold about you, and receive a copy of it in a portable format. We do not sell personal information and do not use it for targeted advertising, so there is no sale or targeted-advertising opt-out to exercise. To make any request, email support@designwithkarl.com — we'll respond within a reasonable time and verify your identity before acting on the request.

08 — Your rights (California — CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request deletion, to correct inaccurate information, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Submit any request to support@designwithkarl.com; we will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

09 — Your rights (EU/UK — GDPR / UK GDPR)

If GDPR or UK GDPR applies to you, you additionally have the right to restrict or object to processing and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Our lawful bases for processing are: performance of a contract (running your project, processing your order), consent (analytics cookies), and legitimate interest (responding to enquiries, keeping the site secure).

10 — How long we keep information

Project and billing records are kept for as long as needed to deliver the work, meet accounting and tax obligations, and resolve any dispute — generally no longer than applicable Maryland and federal recordkeeping requirements require. Contact-form submissions handled by email are kept only as long as normal email retention on our end. Locally stored cart, consent, and session data clear when you clear your browser storage, or automatically after their stated expiry.

11 — Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we hold, including serving the site exclusively over HTTPS. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security.

12 — Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the "Last updated" date at the bottom of this page changes with it. We encourage you to review it periodically.