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8 Most Prominent Websites for Freelance Designers

Wed.07.10.2020 BY Admin
Freelance Websites for Designers

Many graphic designers prefer to work as freelancers. For whatever reason, they can find working in a company static, confining, or even boring, and they rather opt for the more exciting yet less stable and secure source of income. Freelance designers can earn good money working online, however, it’s crucial to know where to look for jobs. In this post, we will give you a somewhat broad overview of the websites where you can find work as a graphic designer.

1. Upwork

You have probably seen this coming from a mile away. Upwork is one of the biggest and most popular freelance platforms out there. Even though Upwork is not strictly meant for designers alone, on the platform, you can find upwards of 300,000 designers ready to be employed. Many companies, big and small, post jobs on Upwork, however, because the platform is as big as it is, it can sometimes be difficult to actually be selected for the job. Since the price is one of the factors that usually push the companies to choose one candidate over another, you, as a beginner on the platform, will probably have to underprice your work just to score a job and receive some reviews. While Upwork definitely is a viable option, it may be too much competition, so if you decide to embark on the Upwork path, make sure to arm yourself with patience.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is a great place to start as a freelance designer. True, the money’s initially not great, but if you take the time and put in the effort, you can build up your niche and secure a steady flow of jobs and income. Also, if you’re new to designing, Fiverr is a great place to build up your portfolio. Since the base amount sellers charge for their work on Fiverr is, as the name suggests, only $5, it may require you do to a lot of gigs to earn any significant money, especially as the company takes $2 cut. It’s a good thing that you can negotiate prices with your clients, which means that you can probably earn a little bit more, but be aware that you’ll still need to work hard to earn money with Fiverr.

3. 99designs

99designs is a platform primarily aimed at graphic designers. Once again, it’s a great place where you can earn money as a designer, but it comes with a caveat. Unlike other platforms where clients first choose a designer and then discuss with them what kind of work they want done, at 99designs, clients describe what kind of design they want and then wait for designers to submit their solutions. The client then chooses the design they like best and pays for the design. The downside is that all the other submitted designs get rejected, and their designers don’t get paid for them. Still, the work you do is the work you can place in your portfolio for future use.

4. People per Hour

People per Hour is another great platform for freelancers. The largest portion of the platform’s users is from the UK, which means that many local UK businesses use it to outsource work. This taken into account, you can probably see that the money’s quite good, but so does everybody else. The downside of the platform is that many people find it lucrative, so the competition is generally quite high. Nonetheless, if you secure a job on People per Hour, you won’t have to focus on anything other than your work. Everything business-related is done automatically by People per Hour (invoicing, payments, etc.), so it’s up to you only to agree on the fee and actually do your work well.

5.Working not Working

If you’re a designer, you’re probably familiar with Dribbble, and just like Dribbble, Working not Working is another invite-only design community. Working not Working includes the most talented people in the creative industry, including graphic design. If you manage to join the community, you can compete with other freelance designers for amazing jobs. As Working not Working is an exclusive community, you can even expect clients to reach you directly. This is a high-end freelance platform, so if you manage to join it, consider it a success.

6. Guru

Guru is an authentic platform that values transparency and trust above all else. Through this, they ensure that the expectations are met on both sides of the business end. Job postings on Guru all clearly communicate what a project entails, which means that a designer can think of all the nuances even before they apply for a job. Guru is a reputable source to go to if you’re looking for new freelance design work.

7. Dribbble

Dribbble itself isn’t a freelance website per se, however, many designers have found work exactly because of Dribbble. As you may know, Dribbble can be seen as a show-off place, but there’s no denying that it includes amazing talent. Clients often browse Dribbble in search of the perfect candidate for a job they may have. Designers on Dribbble can expect to be contacted by businesses, and the better your Dribbble profile, the greater the chance you will be chosen. Of course, since Dribbble isn’t a freelancing platform, you’ll have to do all the business-related things yourself, which comes with an upside that you don’t have to pay any commissions to anyone.

8. SimplyHired

SimplyHired doesn’t charge companies to advertise their job postings, which many companies take advantage of. This means that there is often a lot of work that needs to be done, allowing you to apply for multiple gigs. Freelance workers are also allowed and encouraged to upload their resumes that prospective employers can see. SimplyHired is another great place where freelance graphic designers can find work, but once again, it is mostly up to each individual designer to sell themselves as best as they can.

Conclusion

The freelance market is huge, and there are many websites where designers can find work. Some are niche websites exclusively aimed at graphic designers, others not as much, but they all have one thing in common - clients who need the work done. If you want to take our advice - if you’re a beginner, go for it. Set up multiple accounts on multiple websites and go all-in in terms of finding work. Every beginning is hard, so do everything in your power to push through. Once you secure a steady flow of jobs from one or two platforms, you can choose to dedicate more time to them in particular, but until that happens, knock on all doors. And good luck!

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