What does your contract say?

Also how long ago did you give this deposit?

The first "sit down" with a designer is the 'free' part. That can be as much as 2-3 hours of their "time" sitting there listening to you and looking at your space/home. The deposit will, in part, pay for this sit down. You never get anything for "free".

Once they are hired and the contract written, signed and paid for (most contracts are not binding until money has changed hands). Once the deposit is offered (money changing hands) the contract is binding.

If the contract states, "Non-refundable Deposit"...then it is exactly as it states: non-refundable. If the contract states that the contract can be cancelled inside of "X" days (some states/countries/provinces have "buyers remorse" or a "cooling off" time frame of 72 hours) without penalty. After that, the penalty = "Y%" so long as NO WORK has begun. And "design" or drafts = WORK. Yes. As soon as the designer puts pen to PAPER...that signals "work" and the full amount of the deposit is forfeit.

Which of these situations relate to you?

Remember: you can add WHATEVER YOU WANT to the contract. So long as A) it is legal in your state; and B) BOTH OF YOU agree to the addition you can add whatever you like. If you write in a 7 week "wait and see" time frame, and the designer agrees, then you have 7 weeks. But you will not have ANY WORK done in those 7 weeks. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Don't expect the designer to have anything to show for those 7 weeks...they won't.

If there is no "out" clause...then you are stuck. That's why you ALWAYS take time to READ and EVALUATE the CONTRACT before putting down MONEY (again...exchange of money validates a contract and starts the timer for "72 hour cooling off period as per local laws).