Tutorials, Tips & Opinions
Tools and subscriptions I use to run my Webflow and digital design business in 2024
As a freelance Designer I have the advantage of not having to invest in inventory, and office premises. As a solopreneur I don’t have employees and avoid large overheads, thereby keeping costs low. However, there are several tools and subscriptions I need to efficiently run my business. In this article I outline some of my favourite paid and free tools I use regularly. Let’s go!
Webflow
Of course, as a Webflow Designer/Developer I use the popular web platform for site maintenance and development. I currently use the Agency Workspace plan, where I store some of my completed sites. However I am also a member of several Webflow teams, which allows me to work with clients on their pre-existing Webflow sites.
Adobe Creative Cloud
For better or worse I still use Adobe Creative Cloud tools. I have to admit though that since I have started working with Figma, my use of Adobe CC has been greatly reduced. Usually I use Adobe InDesign for updating my resume and the occasional print-based project, Premiere Pro for video editing work and Adobe Illustrator for icons and other more complex vector projects.
Figma
Most of my is spent within Figma working on wireframes, mockups and prototypes. Oftentimes I also use Figma for exporting images for the web and basic adjustments to vectors.
Image Optim
This tool helps me reduce file sizes of jpegs and pngs for the web. It’s a free, Mac-only tool that works fast and efficiently.
Rounded
My accounting tool – which I have already mentioned in a previous newsletter – helps me keep track of all income and expenses, and lets me create quotes and invoices. While some features are probably only useful if you are an Aussie-based freelancer, the well laid out dashboard gives you a great overview of everything that’s going on in your business. I moved over from Hello Bonsai to Rounded quite a while ago and haven’t regretted it yet!
Loom
Screen recording tool Loom is great for recording brief instructional videos for clients. I use the tool to explain site functionality in Webflow to clients, or give a rundown of a Figma design. Loom is especially useful if you are often working in an asynchronous way with teams based in different countries and time zones.
Go Full Page
This little Chrome extension allows me to quickly "take a photo" of a website I've got open in Chrome and save it as a pdf or png.
Show Me The Styles
A Chrome extension helps to quickly check CSS values for a website open in your browser. This could be font sizes, colours as well as object sizes on a page. You can also exports assets such as images from your chosen site. Nice!
Asana and Jira (Project Managment), Zoom/GoogleMeet/Slack (Communication)
Depending on the client I work with, I use various tools for communication and project management. As a freelancer I find it easier to adapt to whatever tools my clients use, instead of trying to convert them to use a particular tool or software.
Trello
For organising all my client projects I utilise Trello. With Trello I always know which client project is currently waiting for approval, which project is coming up and which projects needs to be invoiced. Since I work on my own without a team or contractors, I haven't needed a more complex, customisable solution. Trello gives me a broad overview of what's happening project-wise across my business, while with tools like Asana and Jira I hone in on particular projects/tasks for a certain client I work with regularly. Currently I use the free version of Trello, but might upgrade in the future, if certain features prove to be useful.
