April 16, 201214 yr Hi everyone, My names Phil and as part of my degree I am writing an essay with the following title “An Investigation into becoming a freelance web designer. With reference to the skills and resources required” I hope on graduation to work as a freelance web designer if I am unable to find employment straight away. So for me, I chose the topic of this essay as a means of gaining a better insight into what skills and resources I should focus on. I would be very interested to hear the views of anyone who is already a freelance web designer and if you could spare a few minutes to tell me those views, that would be very beneficial to me. I would like to thank anyone in advance who posts a reply. Phil.
April 16, 201214 yr Business, marketing, people skills first. You can be the best designer in the world but if you cant promote yourself, have no idea how to manage money or can't talk to people then forget it! Not meant to be harsh, just my opinion.
April 16, 201214 yr ^ yep people and communication skills, also, basic business etiquette. I'd say the top one for me is problem solving skills. As a freelancer you're often in a position where you need to be able to look at a clients requirements and find solutions.
April 17, 201214 yr ^ yep people and communication skills, also, basic business etiquette. I'd say the top one for me is problem solving skills. As a freelancer you're often in a position where you need to be able to look at a clients requirements and find solutions. Yh agree with that. Quite often you will get the 'impossible' clients, the ones with the big ideas and a tiny budget so you need to be able to talk to them and offer a more cost effective solution.
April 17, 201214 yr problem solving skills This is massive, in my opinion. One of the key parts of being a good problem solver is being a good researcher. There are usually multiple ways of solving the same problem but often only one of them is the right one to use, it's important to be able to know how to use the internet to research a particular problem to find a solution. You should never be saying you "can't" do something, I'm not sure a client or boss is even able to hear that phrase.
April 17, 201214 yr Communication Reliability Integrity Marketing nouse Design ability In addition to having good business skills for your own business, clients really appreciate it if you can pass these onto their projects. You'd be amazed how many clients don't understand the internet or how best to use it to support their offline business. Being able to advise and guide them to the best solution, and back up your suggestions with research and examples is invaluable. I would say being good with money is not as important as some members are suggesting. Either you're good with money or you're not, whether your salaried or self-employed. But it's true, you need to spend time calculating the bare minimum hourly rate you need to survive. Plus you need to factor in un-billable hours as you'd be amazed how many of these we freelancers put in.
April 17, 201214 yr Author Thanks, Thats great everyone. Thanks for your input. I was under the impression that it isn't so much about the practical skills and more about people skills etc. Thanks again, this has given me a foundation for my essay and also a better insight into what makes a freelance web designer. Phil.
April 17, 201214 yr Thanks, Thats great everyone. Thanks for your input. I was under the impression that it isn't so much about the practical skills and more about people skills etc. Thanks again, this has given me a foundation for my essay and also a better insight into what makes a freelance web designer. Phil. You still have to be good at what you do, and being freelance you do tend to have to delve in to many areas, not just 'design', as you haven't got an office full of people to do stuff for you. I would say, at least, basic skills in design, coding, seo, branding and marketing are needed if you plan on sticking around.
April 17, 201214 yr Communication Reliability Integrity Marketing nouse Design ability Problem Solving Skills Office Skills People Skills Communication Skills Business Etiquette Web Design HTML CSS Javascript PHP Photoshop Branding Finance Time Management Discipline Adaptability Flexibility Market Strategy Microsoft Office Writing Skills Project Management Research Skills Thought I'd round them up and add a few more. Edited April 17, 201214 yr by brightonmike
Create an account or sign in to comment