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Business

Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points
Posted by Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points

Do freelance developers hire freelance UI designers?

Hi Guys,

First a little bit about me, I came to Treehouse a few years ago looking to learn how to code so I could start a new career. I learnt some HTML/CSS but realised my design skills were horrible so I started to learn about design to complement my budding coding skills. I enjoyed learning design so much that I never got back to code, I plan to some day but not quite yet.

I've been freelancing as a UI designer for just over a year now and worked on some pretty cool projects. Most of my work comes from startups but I have worked with a few developers and they've been enjoyable experiences so far.

I've designed and built myself a portfolio and wrote the language to try and appeal to startups and developers.

http://marcushanda.co

Would you guys ever contemplate hiring a UI designer to help you work on client projects? Does the language I've used address any pain points you have as developers? Do you have any advice on how I can reach developers? Would cold emailing them be a bad idea?

Thanks,
Marcus

3 Answers

amadeo brands
amadeo brands
15,375 Points
amadeo brands
amadeo brands
15,375 Points

Hi Marcus,

Your portfolio looks great :) Best way to reach that target group is to scout forums and find people that are in need of some design work. There are loads of Facebook groups that might be interesting to follow. I am a developer and I post work request in my network and see who is available.

I scout designer via different Facebook groups platforms. Loads of times I land on interesting projects they made and shared and contact them directly. Maby I am also interested in some design work you can always shoot me message to a.brands@ab-isolutions.nl :)

Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points
Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points

Thanks :)

I was worried that targeting directly would come across a bit forceful and spammy so I haven't taken that route just yet but I'll put some more thought into it for sure. I don't really use Facebook in my personal life but that doesn't stop me making a new account purely for my business I guess.

Yeah if you ever need any design work you have my website address!

Markus Mönch
Markus Mönch
16,383 Points
Markus Mönch
Markus Mönch
16,383 Points

Hi Marcus,

I came across your post on treehouse. I am also increasing my design and coding skills. I have a background in business/marketing, but I really want to increase my skills because I'm interested in apps.

I checked out your website, it looks good. It seems you have had some good experiences. What are you currently working on?

Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points
Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points

Hi Markus,

I think Treehouse a great place to start for both design and coding but if you want to go deeper in design you'd better served looking elsewhere. Here's a few resources I found useful while I was learning (and still am) :-

UXPin Ebooks - http://studio.uxpin.com/ebooks
Austin Kleons's Steal Like an Artist - http://austinkleon.com/steal/
The Non-Designers Design Book - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0133966151
Tutsplus -http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/courses

I'm not working on anything major at the moment but I have a few small ongoing jobs.

Jason Anders
MOD
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points
Jason Anders
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,860 Points

Hey Marcus,

First off, I should point out that I have ZERO artistic / design ability, but I can code.

Once I transition completely into freelance development, I would definitely either hire a Designer or work with a Designer. Some people I know do both, but I know I can't. But you give me a mockup of the completed project, and I can turn it into a marvel of code. Color palettes, proportions... nope - commas, brackets, and functions... yep.

As for how to find work, I'm located in Canada, so my ideas may not be helpful in the UK. I would try cold calling developers (though I usually find that not so fruitful). Maybe try some "meet-ups" (if you have those there). Check job boards, etc. Go to seminars and/or conferences... basically, I think Networking is the best way.

Your page looks great and will be helpful. Just get your name out there. I've already bookmarked you, and when I get going and need a good Designer (as long as we can work out the different continents. lol), I'd give you a ring.

:)

Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points
Marcus H
Marcus H
4,267 Points

Hi Jason,

Are you currently working full-time and freelancing on the side? I've read a few books on freelancing and most of them say to save 3-6 months of backup money or when your freelancing income overtakes your full-time income. I can't offer any advice from my side as I was unemployed and then went straight into freelancing :)

I think I'll try and contact some developers directly via portfolios and such, I definitely need to work on my general networking so thanks for all the suggestions you made.

Thanks for the praise, the site took longer than I expected and I'm sure I'll be tweaking it forever. That would be great if we can work together in the future and I'm sure we can make the time difference work. One of the developers I work with is based in SF and it's going great and the majority of my clients are based in North America.