TL;DR
Freelance marketplaces favour designers with years of reviews, so beginners rarely win there.
Beginners get their first clients from proximity, meaning people who already trust them a little.
Share small redesigns and teardowns instead of pitching, so people see how you think.
Cold DMs work when they point out a specific problem and offer a fix.
Small paid projects with a fixed scope beat endless unpaid work.
I’ve been exactly where you are, looking for a freelance gig.
Confused, scrolling job boards, wondering if everyone else knows a secret to getting a real client.
First, a reality check.
Marketplaces like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer are not broken.
They’re just not designed for beginners to win easily.
People who started earlier have more reviews and have more projects to show they will beat you.
In the past I used sites like these early on I would just undercut and charge low amounts to get clients then gather reviews, which helped me get more projects.
Long term it wasn’t sustainable because most projects on these sites are cheap.
Unless you are in the top %1 they get large projects which takes years to build.
Where do beginners actually find their first design, brand or UI freelance client?
Almost never on job boards.
Beginners get their first clients from proximity, not platforms.
That means:
People already around you.
People who already trust you a little.
People who don’t need the “perfect” designer yet.
Real places beginners actually win:
Small local businesses with bad websites
Solo founders building their first MVP
Agencies that have too much work and need overflow help
Friends, family, friends of friends
Early stage startups on Twitter, Indie Hackers, LinkedIn
The key shift is this.
Stop trying to be “hireable”.
Start being helpful.
Stop being desperate.
Start being valuable.
If someone has a broken onboarding flow, poor mobile layout, confusing landing page, that’s an entry point.
You don’t need permission to notice problems.
Your first client doesn’t come from applying.
They come from showing initiative.
Are there any free platforms, communities, or unconventional ways that worked?
Yes, but only if you show up as a human, not a lurker.
Free places that actually work if used properly:
Twitter and LinkedIn, commenting thoughtfully on founders’ posts
Indie Hackers, especially people sharing new product launches
Discord and Slack communities around startups or no code tools
Local business Facebook groups
Design communities where agencies hang out, not just students
The unconventional part is this.
Don’t pitch.
Instead:
Share small UI improvements
Redesign one screen and explain why
Post teardown threads
Show before and afters
When people see how you think, they start asking questions.
That’s how work starts.
Is cold DMing founders or startups worth it?
Yes. But most people do it terribly.
Cold DMing only works when it’s specific and useful.
Bad cold DM:
“Hey I’m a UI UX designer looking for work.”
That’s not going to work
Good cold DM:
“I noticed your signup flow asks for too much upfront. I redesigned a simpler version that could increase completion. Happy to walk you through it.”
One is begging.
The other is value.
It’s about relevance, and if you are on someone's radar. That's why following someone and engaging on the posts so you are constantly showing up in feed.
Or just asking to collaborate or connect with no sales intended just to connect.
You might send 10 messages and get 1 reply. That’s normal.
One decent project is enough to move you forward.
Content is the only other way to attract leads but I talk about this in my freelance course.
Should you focus on unpaid or low paid projects first?
Yes, but with rules.
Unpaid work is only useful if:
The project looks real
You control the outcome
You can turn it into a strong case study for your portfolio
You set boundaries like a paid project
What you should avoid:
Endless “volunteer” work
Clients who don’t respect your time
Projects with no clear outcome
A better option than “free” is:
Small paid projects
Fixed scope
Clear deliverables
Even $200 to $500 projects change how clients treat you and how you see yourself.
Credibility doesn’t come from money alone.
It comes from showing process, thinking, and results.
What would I do differently if I were starting today?
I’d stop chasing permission.
I’d do three things immediately.
1. Niche early. Not forever, just for now.
Pick one type of product or client and design for them relentlessly.
You can go broad later on once you have work under your belt.
2. Build fewer case studies, but deeper ones.
Explain the problem. The decisions. The trade offs. Clients care about thinking, not screens.
3. Talk publicly about what I’m learning.
Post breakdowns.
Share mistakes.
Document progress.
Visibility compounds faster than silent grinding.
One last thing that matters more than tools, platforms, or portfolios.
Momentum.
Your goal is not to “be ready”.
Your goal is to be in motion.
One conversation.
One small project.
One real interaction.
That’s how this phase ends.
And it does end, if you keep moving forward deliberately.
Have a beautiful week.
Jeremy
Questions, answered
Where do beginner designers find their first client?
Almost never on job boards. First clients usually come from proximity, the people already around you who trust you a little. Think small local businesses, solo founders, busy agencies, friends and family, and early stage startups.
Are Fiverr and Upwork good for new designers?
They are not broken, but they are not designed for beginners to win easily. People with more reviews and projects will beat you. Most projects there are cheap, so undercutting to get reviews isn't sustainable long term.
Is cold DMing clients worth it as a designer?
Yes, if it is specific and useful. Don't just say you are looking for work. Point out a real problem, like a signup flow that asks for too much, and offer a simpler version. Expect about 1 reply from 10 messages.
Should I do free design work to build a portfolio?
Only with rules. The project should look real, you should control the outcome, and it should become a strong case study. Small paid projects of $200 to $500 with a fixed scope are a better option.
What should a new designer focus on first?
Niche early, just for now, and design for one type of client. Build fewer but deeper case studies that explain your thinking. Talk publicly about what you are learning, because visibility compounds.
Written by Jeremy Mura
Brand designer, founder of Mura Studio and Designer School
