Hey, new designers …
Start a business with the UX Design certificate you earned!
Google’s UX Design certification has trained you to design a product from conception to delivery. You have what it takes to solve real problems in the world. Why not do it for yourself? Whether you want to start your own design agency, freelance, or bring a product to life, you know the steps to take.
Design agency
Starting your own agency is the most daunting of the three because you’ll need to continually improve your skill set to keep up with trends and new tools, as well as hiring other designers and forming a proper business. This can be expensive to start and has less flexibility for your schedule, but if you have the means, your business can take off quickly.
Marketing knowledge is essential here where you’ll target a specific market to form the business around. Learn as much as you can about the niche you choose to start gaining trust & authority in the field, and do a case study so you’ll know what your competitors are doing and how you can stand out. The great part about this option is that you will need to hire other designers, potentially who will be able to fill in the gaps in your design knowledge. Or, consider partnering with another designer to share responsibilities and risk.
Freelancing
If you are searching for more flexibility and freedom, this is a great option. You choose when to work, with whom you work, and where you work! An excellent option for a digital nomad. Each time you start a new project with a client you’ll learn more and more about how you work best, what works, what doesn’t, and how much to charge. There are a lot of businesses going online for the first time, as well as businesses that need their website to be updated.
Start where you are. Take a walk around the town you live in, writing down businesses that fit your niche and look them up online to see if they have a presence, or if their website needs an upgrade. Send them a well crafted email, or drop off a letter that describes what you can offer them.
There are also several freelancing platforms where businesses and individuals go to hire designers for specific jobs and pay. Here are a few:
You’ll get a description of the project, how much they pay, and how quickly the job needs to be completed, as well as reviews from previous designers. A bit of caution is necessary with freelancing sites, however, because there are scammers everywhere! Just use your best judgment. If an offer seems too good to be true… you know the deal. I stay away from postings that have no previous reviews and payments.
Make your own product or service
If you have a great idea for a new product or service, do a case study and test it out. Follow your framework and find out if that app you’ve been thinking about has legs. You can use a website builder like Wix, Webflow, Squarespace, or GoDaddy to bring it to life.
After all of your hard work, imagine seeing your product in the app store and making your first sale. Sounds pretty good.
In this realm, you can also sell digital products on platforms like Dribbble, Etsy, and Gumroad, to make passive income. Are you good at illustration, or design systems, or creating templates?
The point is, there are many ways to use your newly minted skills in UX design, and a ton of resources to help you along the way. Check out Google’s resources to help in all the different aspects of your business needs.
Working for yourself is not for everyone, but if it is something you’re interested in, go for it. Since the pandemic changed the world of work, companies have had to adjust to the changing attitudes of workers and the way work gets done. There are more options than physically going to a brick-and-mortar building to conduct business. There’s never been a better time to branch out on your own.
Starting a business of your own can be a scary step and very rewarding.
You can do it! Good luck.
