Freelance designer 101: design process & Figma file organization

In my previous posts, I covered the first contact with your client, pricing strategies, and project proposal.

In this article, I’ll show you how I approach the design process and organize Figma files for efficiency and collaboration.

The design process for freelance projects is a little different from what you might be used to as a product or UX designer. There’s usually less data, fewer insights, and minimal user analysis to work with, so you have to stay flexible and think on your feet. That said, I still try to gather as many insights as I can from whatever sources are available.

Here’s what my typical freelance design process looks like:

1. Research & Moodboard: Laying the groundwork with competitor research and visual inspiration.
2. Visual Directions: Proposing initial ideas to align with the client’s vision.
3. Project Milestones & Feedback Rounds: Breaking the project into smaller, reviewable phases.
4. Design System (or Style Guide): Creating a system to keep everything consistent.