UI/UX Designer Ki Pehli Freelance Project: ₹11,200 Mein Kya Kaam Tha

Short answer: UI/UX design freelancing mein beginners ₹8,000-15,000 per project kama sakte hain (10-15 screens ke around). Figma seekhna zaroori hai, degree nahi. Practice portfolio se hi pehla client mil sakta hai. Zero investment chahiye agar Figma free version use karo.

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Deadline teen baar miss hui thi mujhse. Client ne har baar politely reschedule kiya, aur har baar mujhe lagta tha ab shayad ye project cancel ho jayega.

Nahi hua. Aakhir mein maine 14 screens deliver kiye ek fitness app ke liye, ₹11,200 mein. Ye mera pehla real paid UI/UX project tha. Poora process bahut messy tha, honestly.

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Figma seekhna aur practice projects

Koi design background nahi tha mera. Commerce se graduate tha, aur ek din YouTube pe UI design tutorial dekh liya, bas wahin se shuru hua.

5 mahine tak sirf practice ki. Do fake projects banaye khud ke liye, ek fitness app concept aur ek restaurant website redesign. Koi client nahi tha inke peeche, sirf portfolio banane ke liye kiya.

Behance pe daal diya dono projects. Views kam aate the, kabhi 8, kabhi 20. Ek din ek recruiter (dusri company ka) ne message kiya, poocha ki kya main freelance projects leta hoon.

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Client se pehli baat

Client ek chhota startup tha, fitness app bana rahe the. Unhe UI design chahiye tha, backend already ready tha unke paas.

Pehli call mein bahut nervous tha main. Baar baar "ji haan" bolta raha bina achhe se samjhe unki requirement. Baad mein realize hua ki maine unse specific questions nahi puche the: kaunsa color palette, kaunse competitors dekhe hain unhone, target audience kaun hai.

Doosri call mein ye sab poocha. Tab jaake proper brief mila.

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Kaam kaise start hua

14 screens chahiye the: onboarding (3 screens), home dashboard, workout tracker, profile, settings, aur kuch minor screens.

Pehle wireframes banaye, kaagaz pe. Phir Figma mein le gaya. Ye part mujhe sabse zyada time laga, roughly 40 ghante total, spread over 3 hafte.

Waise, ye number thoda misleading hai. Actual "productive" ghante shayad 25 the, baaki time confusion aur redo mein gaya.

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Revisions ka chakkar

Pehla draft bhejne ke baad client ne 6 changes maangi. Sab reasonable thi, koi bura nahi laga. Par time zyada laga expected se.

Doosra draft bheja, phir 3 aur changes aayi. Teesra draft final ho gaya lagbhag, sirf color contrast thoda adjust karna tha accessibility ke liye.

Client ne ek baar kaha "ye button bahut chhota hai," maine size badhaya. Phir bola "ab bahut bada hai." Waise waise main seekh raha tha ki design mein "perfect" jaisa kuch nahi hota, sirf "acceptable to client" hota hai.

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Deadline kyun miss hui

Pehli deadline miss hui kyunki maine underestimate kiya time. 2 hafte bola tha, 3 hafte lage.

Doosri baar client khud request delayed karta raha feedback dene mein. Unke side se hi der ho rahi thi.

Teesri baar meri health kharab ho gayi thi, ek hafta kaam hi nahi kar paya. Client ko bataya honestly, unhone accha response diya, koi problem nahi hui.

Aur is sab ke baad bhi, final delivery pe client khush tha. Shayad delays itni badi baat nahi thi jitni main soch raha tha.

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Payment aur final hisab

₹11,200 total mila, 14 screens ke liye. Per screen nikaalo toh roughly ₹800 per screen banta hai.

Time lagaya: 40 ghante design mein, plus roughly 10 ghante calls aur revisions mein. 50 ghante total. Rate nikaalo toh ₹224 per ghanta ke around, jo bura nahi hai first project ke liye, par great bhi nahi.

Agla project isi client se mila 2 mahine baad, better rate pe. ₹18,500 ka tha, aur is baar time bhi kam laga kyunki main tools aur unka workflow dono samajh chuka tha.

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Ek baat jo abhi tak clear nahi hui mujhe: kuch clients screen dekhte hi decide kar lete hain accha hai ya nahi, 2 second mein. Aur kuch itni detail mein jaate hain ki lagta hai woh khud designer ban sakte the. Dono type ke saath kaam karna alag skill hai, aur main abhi bhi seekh raha hoon dono ko handle karna.