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Things Every Freelance Designer Should Know

So you want to be a freelance designer?

Let’s be honest: designing isn’t the most difficult part of a designer’s job. Anyone can be good at it if they put in the time. What really prevents most freelancers from earning a decent living from their craft in how they handle the non-design aspects of it?  A lot of what you need to survive will not be learned in a design school.

Here are a few solid pointers every freelancer must remember:

1.    Always get paid.

Sure, there will be times that you will have to work for considerably less than you need to, or even for free. But these instances should always be the exception. Ideally, they should not happen at all. If you find yourself constantly doing this, then what you have is a hobby, not a job.

Be sure to get a deposit before starting a project and never send the final files until the remaining balance has been paid. 

      2.    Know what you’re worth

Or at the very least, know what your expenses are! Beyond that, it pays to have a realistic idea of how much your work might be worth to clients. Most will try to lowball you, but always stick to your guns. Provided you’re not deluded about your real worth, of course.

3. Never start work without a written contract

Time you spend working on something you’re not paid for can very well be spent on something that you’re paid for. No matter how much a client complains, you’re simply not obligated to start work until both parties have formally signed a contract.

      4.    Always keep backups

Your workstation should have a good UPS and laptops should always have a functioning battery in them, to prevent the off chance of a power surge or a playful pet cutting off power to your computer.

Make it a habit to back up files regularly. At this point, hard disk space is the cheapest it’s ever been, so don’t think a second level of backups (whether on the cloud or on your own hard disks) is out of the question.

5. Always keep learning

Allot time and money if necessary to further increase your knowledge in your craft. Always check out new developments to see how they might relate to your field.

Also be sure to check out current events and developments in tech and design as these often have implications for designers not just in terms of what aesthetics and techniques are trending, but also which tools might be worth looking into.