While attending art school, I created my own freelance design business. Going out on my own, much of the work regarded accounting for billable hours, client feedback and communication, contract negotiation, invoicing and expenses, etc.
Initially, I managed my business in email, PDFs, and paper. My manual process became inadequate as more clients wanted my services. I had no central place to manage my clients and finances. After countless iterations, I created an app that centralized all my projects, messages, time entries, client details, invoices, expenses, estimates, collaborators, files, and tasks.
I didn’t want to live like a starving artist while attending art school, so I decided to form my own freelance design business. Going out on my own, much of the work regarded accounting for billable hours, client feedback and communication, contract negotiation, invoicing and expenses, etc.
The idea for the app started in a coffee shop. I remember drafting an invoice for one of my clients in a graphics editor as I referenced the time logs I had written down in a separate word document. I thought to myself, this process shouldn't be like this. I researched existing invoicing and project management apps, but nothing seemed right for my needs. So I started sketching.
I created the basic outline of the app and put together a simple prototype. I loosely based the structure of the app on the file structure I used on my computer to manage clients. For each client, I had a folder for projects, invoices, and a document detailing the time I had spent on different tasks.
After iterating on invoicing and time entry interactions, I turned my focus to different ways to display aggregate overviews and project collaboration.
Managing my freelance work often felt like finding a needle in a haystack. My inbox was my notification system, my watch was my timer, and I'd only sorted out how much my business made when taxes were due. The app I created solved this by displaying aggregate overviews.
Project feedback and payment details would often get lost on my computer and in long email threads with the client. Having a central place for all messages, collaborators, time logs, invoices, estimates, and expenses brought clarity to everyone involved.
Freelance designers deliver services in visual form. Sharing and receiving feedback on these visuals is one of the most critical aspects of the work. This app allows users to upload, share, and contextually comment on designs.
Accounting for client information was often lost in my address book. For this app, I sought to centralize all activity on the app under its corresponding client. Users have piece-of-mind that things aren't getting lost in high-volume billing and project management.
Getting paid can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a freelance business. It sets the professional tone. This app makes it easy to convert time and expenses into line-items. Clients receive a beautiful PDF invoice, and the app tracks its payment status.
