6 Tips to Become a Successful Freelance UX Designer in 2022

Freelancing has become one of the most lucrative career opportunities for professionals. According to the statistics by Upwork, a whopping 59 million Americans performed freelance work in the past 12 months, representing over one-third - of the entire United States workforce. But what exactly is freelancing all about? Freelancing is a work process that involves working with the client or for a company without a full-time commitment. There are some who dedicate themselves completely to freelance work and others who choose to pursue it part-time. Freelancing opportunities are available across different fields, including designing, writing, web development, etc. It has become popular among professionals given its flexible work schedule, high-paying salaries, and zero geographic location barriers for freelancers.

With the right skill set, a solid portfolio of work, and a few other best practices, a freelance UI UX designer can easily attract the right opportunities, accelerate career growth, and become successful in the freelancing business. Before we take a deep dive into the tips for becoming a highly paid freelance UX designer, let’s first understand the pros and cons of the freelancing business.

Advantages of becoming a freelance UX designer

1. Compensation - When it comes to making money as a freelance UI UX designer, there are various advantages. For starters, it provides the independence of opting for preferred work at any desired time and pay rate. Similarly, freelancers don’t have to deal with the hassle of yearly company increments and can witness exponential growth by picking high-paying freelance gigs. The compensation for freelance projects varies depending on the freelancer’s skill set, project duration, type, and overall budget.

2. Working hours - One of the major perks that freelancing offers are flexible working hours. Freelancers can work at any hour of the day without the obligation of completing the 9 to 5 - a standard working shift set by most companies. They have the advantage of logging in and logging out as per their choice. Also, as freelancers usually possess the skills needed to finish a particular project, they take fewer hours to complete a project compared to full-time employees.

3. Location - Another great advantage of working as a freelance UI UX designer is that there are no location-related barriers, and one can easily work remotely. This curtails the time and energy needed to commute to the office daily and infuses more productivity. Not to forget, freelancers can wear any clothing of their choice and work from anywhere, as long as the place is free from distractions and they have a stable network and laptop.

Disadvantages of becoming a freelance UX designer

1. Limited social interaction - One of the biggest disadvantages associated with freelancing is the lack of networking. Freelancers usually work remotely, which allows them to work at odd hours and also reduces their chances of connecting with the other team members of the company. This can, at times, result in loneliness and social anxiety. Therefore, it’s crucial that freelancers maintain clear work boundaries to keep their work-life balance intact.

2. Financial instability - Although freelancing can offer great financial growth benefits, it can also sometimes result in financial instability. For instance, a professional might find it hard to start the freelancing journey given the lack of client testimonials or past freelancing work. Similarly, there are many other factors that can result in unstable income, including unavailability of projects, not finding the right opportunities, and unreliable scammy employers. Moreover, the pay varies from project to project, and there is no guaranteed fixed salary that gets credited at the end of every month. Therefore, a freelance UX designer should always have some form of savings in their account to manage their living.

3. Tax issues - Filing tax returns as a freelance UI UX designer can be tricky, especially if you are new to it. Every country and state has different laws for taxation that needs to be taken into account. As freelancers book gigs with companies all around the world, they have to be very careful when it comes to filing tax returns. Therefore, the overall process can become very tiring and slow if you don’t have much knowledge about it.

How to become a freelance UX designer in 2022?

1. Choose your area of expertise - Before you start your journey as a professional freelance UX designer, it is essential to pick a niche. There are a few factors to keep in mind while choosing your specific expertise areas, such as the type of UX work, the industry you wish to work in, the technology stack you need to learn, and other skill sets that can help you stand out from the crowd.

2. Polish your skills - The overall competition is extremely high in the freelancing business. Hence, it’s very important to constantly learn new skills and evolve as a professional to keep up with new dynamic project demands. For instance, staying up to date with the latest UX techniques and keeping tabs on new upcoming UI UX trends to continually improve the quality of work delivered. You can sign up for online courses, certifications, and take up different types of projects to fine-tune your work and be adept at different UX techniques.

3. Demand the right compensation for your work - It’s very important to know your worth and not undersell your work. It is essential for a freelancer to be confident in his/her skills and to acknowledge the skills that he/she brings to the table. Typically, freelancers’ price their work based on the nature of the project and the number of hours spent on it. Also, it’s a good practice to connect with other UX freelancers to get an idea of the industry rate for the kind of projects you take up.

4. Expand network to connect with new clients - You can really boost your career growth if you know how to network well. The bigger the network, the larger the number of opportunities that you can get. There are various networking platforms available online that can help expand a freelancer’s network. LinkedIn, for instance, is great and easy to expand your network.

5. Promote your work on professional networking platforms - Showing freelance talent on networking platforms can provide companies with a clear idea of your skills. This form of self-promotion can get you more company projects. There are various platforms, such as Behance, LinkedIn, Toptal, PeoplePerHour, Freelancer, etc., that can prove beneficial for any freelance UX designer. Similarly, posting UI UX freelancing-related blogs and other general UI UX-related tips can show your expertise in the area and attract the right set of people to your profile.

6. Gather client testimonials - Lastly, testimonials act as a form of positive work recognition from previous clients or companies a freelance UX designer has worked with. This provides validation for your freelance talent work to other companies and proves that you can deliver high-quality work. This can revamp your image as a brand and gather more high-paid freelance projects.

Summing it up, the process of becoming a highly paid freelance UX designer in 2022 has become easier. You just need to implement certain best practices to truly shine as a freelancer and make your name in the industry. There are also various platforms and mediums online that make it easier to find good opportunities and boost your growth in the freelancing business.