Okay so I get a pile of emails asking me how to become a freelance web designer and I often spend a while answering the specific queries individually, but figured I may as well do it publicly so its all shared. One thing to note this is just my opinion, I hold no responsibility if anyone acts on my opinion and isn’t able to pay the rent (I’ve come close once or twice in the past).

Please treat this as a living document, feel fit to ask new questions either privately through Rich *at* McCoy *dot* co *dot* uk or in the comments section and I’ll see what I can do in response.

Getting a client Base

I am now going alone and wondered if you have any advice for a freelance web designer and how to go about finding new clients? sorry to ask such questions, but you have seem to have a very good portfolio and clients base.

Firstly good luck with going it alone, it takes stamina, blind faith, supportive friends family and partner, a bit of blind faith and if you can manage it a cash reserve for when things take longer to get off the ground then you had anticipated.

Well often its via the same way that you probably found me, I guess you searched for the term “Freelance Web Designer” in google UK and there I was. that position didn’t happen by luck, hard work, a bit of borrowed know how from folks who know there SEO onions (Thanks Lee), a solid clean web page build and a little bit of magic got me that position.

I’ve also been around a fair bit and had the fortune to work on some interesting projects for recognized names, this helps, it assures folks that I know what I’m doing and have the trust of other folks like them (unfortunately there is no short cut to this).

I often recommend registering with some of the better recruitment agencies! They can often get you interesting projects with agencies where you will get you face known, and its surprising how many folks in Agencies have ‘A little side project they need some help with’ out side of there normal day job. In doing this you will also meet other freelancers either in your field or in complimentary area’s who when they move on may well recommend you for other projects and then you have a nice little snowball on your hands.

….. what’s the best way you get your work, from big companies and little ones, like the *** one which looks great and how you go about pricing them.

In answer to you question, little ones pretty much just come rolling in via website inquiries, bigger projects are just from experience and exposure, the*** job for example I got because the head of Code & Design used to work with me when he was a student on placement, I had just moved from Australia back to the UK and started freelancing, he needed someone to take care of the project so the timing was just right and it happened. Others like *** where through a project manager I worked with had moved onto one of the larger UK agencies and they needed someone near ***, the agency then moved and handed it over to me to look after!

So my advice would be get a great portfolio together, get the smaller jobs, service the projects well, do good work and things build on themselves!

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What tools for the Job?

Hi there, My name is *** ,im 14 years and im hoping to get an early start in web designing, the only problem is i dotn knwo where to start… If possible i want as much information as possible, like what sorts of software would i need… Just things like that, i hope you don’t mind… Thanks,***

I would recommend going the open source software route it would cost you a fraction of the price of the pro stuff and its easier to get used to the open source before you get stuck in the habits of the expensive software, plus I wouldn’t advocate piracy now.

Try pixelmator for your graphical needs, Filezilla for FTP (the way files get onto your web server from your computer) & Espresso for your coding needs, to start with! Get your self playing and making your own projects and see what you learn and what interests you, then if your liking what your doing great, if not then you’ve not spent a fortune and the pro tolls are cripplingly expensive!

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Formal web design course, books or teach your self

I’m a 20 year old studying web design in *** city, hoping to go into web design as a career! I came across your website and wondered if you could give me any advice on where to start as I am very impressed with the type of work that you have done. I am particularly interested in flash and the designing side of websites and have recently completed a course in HTML and web creation just to get me started. I’m interested to know how you started your journey and how you have become so successful in being a freelance web designer. At the moment I am familiarizing myself with Dreamweaver and will be looking into an Open University course in web design and flash as I am currently in full time employment. Am I heading in the right direction? please reply to my email account , I hope you can help, Thank you for your time, ***.

I get a few like this and its difficult to know where to begin, I cant really say if your heading in the right direction or not! I’ve known many designers who have taken formal education to learn the craft, some who from books and many who just taught them selves (my self included, my background is as a fine art sculptor), I personally favor learning by doing, and have always created my own projects to challenge me and push me into directions I’ve not wandered down before. That being said I have been very impressed by some of the folks that have come out of these formal university courses in design, they know all the fancy names for things that I just use and do (that sounds slightly more sarcastic then I intended).

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Manage hosting yourself or make a referral?

Hello I have just got my Degree for Business Computing and currently looking for work, as there is not much work around I am freelancing my skills. I looked around your site and really like your work, the major problem I am having is that since I don’t have any actual Web Design work experience I don’t knows how certain areas work in the industry. Like went doing a website for somebody how does the hosting work, do I maintain control of it and bill the clients or do I set it up with there info. It would really help me if I can email you asking these types of questions if I ever get totally stuck. Thank you for your time ***

Regards hosting, I tend to stay away from that side of things, I know of some guys that do it in addition and its quite lucrative for them but for me Its just not something that interests me, getting involved in all the messy heavy lifting stuff. Some guys also subcontract that bit out to and put a little fat over the top when charging, I can’t be doing with all that, I tend to work with a clients host or recommend and introduce someone I’ve used before that hasn’t messed me about, that way I can keep my eyes on what I do best and enjoy most!

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Use Twitter to reach out to your community and do stuff for the power of good

I had a good browse through your website and, well, I like your work!

I’m a designer, with a degree in ‘***’, presently working as a tutor teaching interior design at ***. (I’m 30)
I’d like to become a freelance web designer, but I don’t want to be a full time student again…
I’ve been studying dreamweaver on Lynda.com, and I plan to learn flash also.

I thought a good way to learn would be to work (for free) for a good web designer or web design company.

I was wondering if you know any local (*** or ***) web designers who might be open to giving me some advice and/or having me volunteer/learn with them?

Do you think this is a good way for me to go about this?  Or should I just go to a media design school?

Hope you don’t mind all my questions!  Ignore me if you are too busy!

I may be a little biased with regards design schools and all that but I never went to one, I did an Art Degree way back in the 90′s when I was younger and found my self involved in web design when it started, so I’m very much self taught.

What would I do if I was you?!

Well if you want to stay where you are and who would blame you for that, your choices are a little limited in terms of designers to work for however there are a fair few, but there are even more very Waiheke style initiatives that are online that could do with help and its probably better to give of your time to help whats happening on the island then it is to help line a designers pockets. A good way I found of connecting with folks is to get a Twitter account, install a desktop client and set up an alert for anyone mentioning Waiheke and contact them, also mention Waiheke and you’ll soon get contacted by folks. There are a lot of folks involved with projects that have a large online side to them and would be glad of the bodies.

So in short there is plenty to get involved with online that will actually be of some tangible benefit it just takes a bit of poking about.

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What skills should I learn to be  a Freelance Web Designer?

Just pretend for one moment (if you please) that you were designing me a ‘course’ of self directed study with the goal of being a freelance webdesigner…   Which programmes and skills should I learn/cultivate???

Dreamweaver?

Almost definitely, it the industry standard!

Flash?

To be honest I never bothered, I don’t much care for it but it all depends on the kind of thing you like as to is you bother or not.

Adobe Illustrator (for print)?

I have a passing knowledge of Illustrator and tend to use it more for logo design stuff, so it would be useful to have an acquaintance of how it works but you could get by without it

Basic accounting skills?

I would advise getting to grips with book keeping and getting an accountant to do the heavy lifting, its far to complicated and distracting to take on yourself, plus they will have a better knowledge of the trappings and tricks!

Copy writing skills?

Helpful but not necessary, I write terribly but manage to get by, I tend to refer to the experts when something is uber important

Photography?

Again helpful but not necessary

Photoshop skills?

Absolutely, photoshop or equivalent open source will be your bread and butter, its the cornerstone tool to everything!

CSS?

Unfortunately so, dreamweaver can only take you so far, and its nearly not as daunting as it first looks, first step is to realize its not a programming language, there is a meditative element in constructing CSS with a good cascade and flow!

HTML?

Again this is the fiber of the internet and dreamweaver can only take you so far, plus there will be times where things go wrong and you’ll need a knowledge of html (xhtml) to fight your way out of it.

Search engine maximising?

Kinda, helps to have a knowledge but unless you want to specialist I would leave it at that, its a big sticky field.

Marketing?

A passing knowledge would help!

All of the above and more?

I would recommend also spending the time listening to podcasts on the industry like Boagworld I also recommend Freelance Switch.

I have a list of Podcasts on my site at http://www.mccoy.co.uk/news/podcasts.php
and Books at http://www.mccoy.co.uk/news/webdesignbooks.php
and web sites at http://www.mccoy.co.uk/news/webindustryresources.php

I think that my strengths as a designer are my minimal but strong aesthetic, clear and savvy communication, and user friendly layouts.

All these will serve you well online!

I’m not so much of a tech geek that I love HTML or coding… in fact they bore me stupid!

The trick is learning where to see the beauty in it!

If I master dreamweaver I should be able to avoid having to learn too much about coding right????

Not really, you’ll probably be able to avoid coding but not markup, plus if you know what your up-to you can get involved in adapting off the shelf stuff like blogs etc.

Lynda.com is a wonderful site for learning programs, better than going to a school… at my own pace, in my home, on my mac.  Lynda.com will be my teacher!

I’ve not looked at Lynda I do like her friend ted.com though

I really appreciate your time and advice Rich, thanks again.

No problem at all!

Please feel free to add retort, advice and  comment