Let’s get one thing out of the way: not all web designers can design.
I know. The horror.
It’s weirdly common in the industry. You meet someone who calls themselves a “web designer” and the first thing they say is, “Oh, I don’t do design — I leave that to someone else.” Sorry, what?
That’s like a chef saying, “Oh, I don’t really cook — I let the microwave handle that bit.”
Now, I get it — not everyone’s a natural. Some folks are brilliant developers but couldn’t lay out a header and hero section without crying. And fair enough. Design is a different muscle. Some people train it. Others were just born with it.
Why Design Still Gets Treated Like an Optional Extra
Here’s the thing that grinds my gears: design isn’t some fluffy afterthought you tack onto a dev build like a decorative cherry. It’s the whole flipping cake.
A great website is part psychology, part storytelling, part witchcraft — and yeah, some CSS. You’re not just making it “look nice.” You’re guiding users, setting tone, building trust. Every click, scroll, and button tap is part of an experience — and bad design kills that experience faster than a pop-up on a 3g connection.
Creativity ≠ Chaos
Being creative doesn’t mean throwing gradients and parallax at the screen until something sticks. Creativity needs a reason. Purpose. Just because you can animate a CTA button to pulse like a heartbeat doesn’t mean you should.
Good design solves problems. Great design makes users forget there was ever a problem in the first place.
Why I’m Not Like “Other Freelance Web Designers”
(God, I know how that sounds — bear with me)
I’m not going to sit here and claim I’m a magical unicorn of pixel-perfect joy.
(Although, let’s be honest, you’re still reading — so maybe I am.)
But I do approach this stuff differently. I’ve been a freelance web designer for over 15 years, and that time has been split pretty evenly between working with clients, fixing what agencies broke, and wondering why people think sliders are still a good idea.
Here’s how I work, and why clients tend to stick around longer than their old CMS did.
I’m Fast. And Not the Scary Kind of Fast.
Yes, I work quickly. No, it’s not because I’m rushing or cutting corners — it’s because I’ve done this a lot. I’ve spent more time in Figma and WordPress than most people spend on Netflix.
Speed comes from process. From knowing what works. From not having to Google “how to align a div” every five minutes. You’d be amazed how many developers still do that. (If that’s you… hi. You’re not the target audience for this blog, but I wish you well.)
I Actually Give a Shit
Some people clock off the second the invoice is paid. I get that little twinge in my brain that won’t shut up about improving that one bit of spacing on the pricing section you didn’t even ask me to change.
You know when you find a typo on a menu and it physically pains you? Yeah. Like that — but with UI. I’ll wake up thinking about your contact form alignment. It’s a disease. I’m not sorry.
No Commute = More Time Making Cool Stuff
One of the perks of being a freelance web designer who works remotely? You’re not paying for my train fare. You’re paying for me to actually work. There’s no boardroom. No “quick team sync.” No Karen in accounts asking if I’ve seen her mug. Just me. Head down. Cracking on with your project while the agencies are still booking a discovery workshop to find out what a ‘hero section’ is.
Clean Design Isn’t Just a Vibe — It’s a Strategy
You ever land on a website and immediately want to leave?
Yeah, me too. Usually because it’s trying to throw fifteen different messages at me at once while a cookie banner slaps me in the face and a chatbot pops up asking if I need help. Mate, I just got here.
Clean design cuts through that chaos.
It respects your visitor’s time. It gives them breathing room. It guides them to where they want to go instead of shoving them in all directions like a carnival barker on speed.
You don’t need to be loud. You just need to be clear.
If you want a freelance web designer who actually designs, replies to emails faster than most people reply to texts, and won’t shove you into a pre-made theme because it’s “easier”… well. You’re already here, aren’t you?
No templates. No BS.
Just clean code, bold design, and the odd bit of swearing.