Hitchhiker’s guide to become a freelance designer

Courtesy of @daniandor_uiuxdesigner

Short guide of how I’ve switched from a full-time job to freelancing

?? Get a full-time job?

This might look counterintuitive, but if you are a junior, it will help you a lot to start out in a company because you have access to resources and people from which you can learn a lot of stuff. 

?? Learn as much as possible?

Once you started working in a company, observe all areas of product development. It's very helpful to understand how what you are doing fits in the big picture. 

??? Connect with people?

Creating a Linkedln profile or getting on various design online communities is always a good thing. Follow other designers to learn from them, and whenever it's possible to meet and talk to people in real-life. 

???? Put your work out there?

You should put your work so others can see what you are doing. A portfolio is always a good idea, either you create your own or use a platform for this. 

???? Create a safety net?

Put some money aside that could cover 3-4 months of expenses, in case you don't find a project in that period of time. It's very comforting to not feel a huge pressure when you start your life as a freelancer. Another way to do it is to have a part-time job and look for freelance gigs besides that.

?? Re-think salary?

As a freelancer, you can wave goodbye to the idea of a salary coming on the same day of the month. You have to learn to think a bit differently when it comes to money. I created a spreadsheet for tracking incomes and expenses; if you are interested, DM me. 

?? Let them know that you are looking for work?

Start asking in your circle of people to see if someone knows anything about a project. Also, you can post it on Linkedln. The idea is to let people know that you are looking for work. Besides that, start actively searching on various platforms destined for this. 

?? Ask for recommendations & referrals?

Once you finished a project, don't hesitate to ask for a short recommendation or even for a referral. A happy client's recommendation might help you a lot in the future. 

Bonus — useful tools for everyday usage:

Crello — a free graphic design editor that helps create images for social media, print, and other web-based graphics.

FlowKit — allows designers to create frighteningly fast user flows within Sketch and Figma.

LetyShops - this service allows you to get a cashback of the amount spent on the purchase - up to 30%!

Leadpages — lets you build beautiful, high-converting websites, unlimited landing pages, pop-up forms you can add to your other websites.

Zadarma - cloud communications platform that offers the best VoIP phone system – IP PBX, virtual numbers in 90 countries.

Integromat — is a powerful automation tool that connects your apps and services to work smarter, not harder.

FlyWheel — is managed WordPress hosting built for designers and creative agencies.

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