How I became a freelance web designer

My tools & systems → https://annadawsondesign.gumroad.com/

Walking you through the story of how I went from casual freelancing on the side of my 9-5 to running a full-time web design business (with consistent clients and high value projects).

This isn’t a “perfect blueprint” (I don’t think one exists!) but as I share my story, I’ll call out the key decisions, skills, and mindset shifts that made the biggest impact and prevented me from losing momentum.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro; what we'll cover!
01:20 - Starting out as a UX designer
02:20 - Key advice 1; learn basics of UX 🔑
3:03 - Key advice 2; learn basics of Figma 🔑
3:30 - What nudged me to quit UX & pivot to web design
04:28 - My first web design project!
05:06 - THE FREELANCE CHICKEN-AND-EGG CONUNDRUM 😱
06:24 - Key advice 3; soft launch to network (be relentless & unavoidable!) 🔑
06:40 - How to frame your early offer
07:14 - Key advice 4; be persistent; be resourceful; don't quit (even though this part is REALLYHARD) 🔑
08:27 - Key advice 5; work creating systems
09:50 - Investing in tools
10:18 - Finally quitting corporate for good (?!)
10:29 - How to know when is the right moment to take the leap
11:00 - When things start getting easy (lmk lol 😳)

My goal is to give you a clear, honest look at what starting a web design business really takes, and to help you build a roadmap that feels doable and realistic…not overwhelming.

Whether you’re coming from UX, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, or literally anywhere else - you have something in your background that can give you an advantage. I hope this video helps you spot it, use it, and keep going even when you feel stuck.

If you're currently in the “chicken and egg” phase (trying to land those first 3–5 strong portfolio projects): you aren't alone. I’m cheering you on ✊