Is Freelance Web Design without coding lucrative? Choose the path meant for you. It will lead to the greatest joy and the biggest results as a beginner freelancer. As someone who wants to build an income and have freedom, how can you know what’s right for you? Is it finding solutions through coding or playing with visuals? Let’s clarify this for you in this article.
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I will share my thoughts on this and what gave me freedom
A quick answer to the topic of coding for new freelancers: No, you don’t need to learn coding as a beginner freelancer. Even for Web Design. Focus on existing high quality building blocks, and go from there. Learning more about design is also an option. But not necessary to start making a living. Doing freelance web design without coding or even design skills is very possible.
Consider the rest of the article important freelancing tips for beginners.
I have been a Web Designer for many years. It’s been giving me amazing freedom. And I know you can have it too.
To build websites, my primary go-to platform has been WordPress. But I’m also a Shopify Expert, working with various clients around the world. Not so much of that anymore though, since I like having more control of design and features using WordPress.
I work from anywhere. I’ve got full freedom.
But, coding new solutions and doing programming is not what brought me this freedom. Coding had nothing to do with me having the time and space to sit here on the plane back to Thailand and write this article for you.
I truly enjoy working from anywhere. And it’s all thanks to WordPress.
Should freelancers learn coding and development? If you have asked yourself if this is necessary for you to build custom, advanced websites, the answer is no. Most of what your future clients will be asking for has already been built by developers. And it’s now available for you to put it all together using WordPress.
Now, for my part, I have been diving into coding. And I have, for the last two years, spent what feels like endless hours learning and understanding this totally chaotic landscape of coding. I don’t need it. But I have a need to know.
It’s like when I was 6, and took apart everything mechanical to figure out how it worked. I enjoy having control. I want to know the advanced stuff so I can do more than just building with Lego.
It’s probably why I got into hacking in my early days. I didn’t make it a career though.
I enjoy my Americano, keyboards, remote work, and coffee shops. I also enjoy beautiful design and nice UI. But, if I can handle both coding and design, I’m gonna be a lean, mean, SaaS machine!
And building cool stuff people want to pay for. Maybe.
Should you learn coding? If you will be diving into Web Design, I would say yes, cool. But you don’t have to.
Let’s read further.
Getting to know what turns you on
If you are looking to create yourself a new reality where you live and work from anywhere as a freelancer or online entrepreneur, you’d better pick something that fires up your desires.
When we talk about Web Design specifically, I would say we should consider two primary paths.
After that, I’ll add in one mixed path.
Which is the type of work I have been doing for years.
After you look over these three paths as a Web Designer, you will gain better clarity to choose your own path. And you’ll be better off picking one that will bring you the greatest result. What turns you on brings you the greatest energy and positive outcome.
Which usually also leads to financial gain.
Path one for Freelancers – Design
Go into design if you feel positive emotional triggers for layouts, UI, colors, fonts, and creative work. No education needed.
Let me use myself as an example for a moment.
I’m a Libra star sign. We like harmony, balance, and beauty. And it’s not uncommon that Libras like design. To me, it’s a very important part of my work.
You can start learning design principles from Apple for free. Or you can go to YouTube, blogs, and free and paid course websites. Check out Design + Code. Be inspired.
Learn Figma. Download free UI kits. Copy tutorials and get going in one week. When you learn to design stuff on such a well-known and professional platform, there are clients out there that will pay you for it.
Web Design, UI design, brand design, and stuff like that is worth bags of money. And a nice entry to do freelance Web Design without coding. You focus on design instead.
A few minutes ago while flying over the Swiss mountains, I watched the latest “re-brand in public” video from ConvertKit as they have become “Kit”.
They spent $380,000 on their new brand identity. Just so you know.
Path two for Freelancers – Coding
Programming makes you powerful. Coding makes you even look cool.
Besides that, it can make you “wanted” and bring you great freedom. Even a Porsche. I would say, it’s a cooler way of being desired than promoting your body on Tinder.
At this time, programming will also include diving into the state of coding through AI. You can’t avoid that any longer. If you dive into coding, also spend time learning about AI development and how to use it and combine it in your work.
Will AI take over for programmers?
Well, AI is still not emotionally invested. A human programmer is. And AI also won’t be able to feel and capture the grand idea you have for a project. But yes, it can be a helpful partner for sure. Not to mention as a coding tutor for beginners and experienced programmers.
Here on this 12-hour flight towards Bangkok, I happened to notice a young guy in the seat in front of me. Travelling the world with his dad and little brother. I noticed he had VSCode open on his Mac and worked on some animations in JavaScript.
I had to talk to him. He was shy and kind of quiet. But after chatting with him and his dad, I learned that he has been a problem solver since he was 12. He mentioned to me that he didn’t like front-end so much. More the back-end of things.
Right. He won’t be a designer and will never love it. He is a problem solver. And he is 16 years old.
Choose coding if you like code, find solutions, build cool stuff, and become great while looking cool at the same time. Academind has many good courses on coding and development.
The mixed path for Freelancers – Just build websites
This “mixed” path has been my way of building my freedom.
Being a “Web Designer” is a term that has become pretty general. Many years ago, it would involve a lot of coding. But not anymore.
A Web Designer in 2024 is also not necessarily doing “design”. Like I described in the first path (Design). I have a new course platform I build to teach a freelance Web Design without coding journey.
Many of today’s Web Designers are freelancers and creatives who know how to put together professional websites using modern builders, tools, and add-ons. They know how to register domains, work with DNS, set up hosting, and make it all play nicely in harmony as a solid and professional solution.
But all of that does not require coding or design work. This mixed path, as I call it, as another way to do freelance Web Design without coding or design skills.
Instead, it’s just about understanding what the client needs. How a proper WordPress website should be put together. How to use professional page-builders like Bricks Builder or Oxygen Builder. And further, to help your clients put together and connect the tools and services they need.
You MAY come to a point where some coding could be needed.
You MAY decide to help a client with proper design work in Figma before it’s all put together on a website.
But for the most part, it is not my workflow at all. And clients pay me well for my technical work and my consulting.
But, knowing HTML and CSS as a Web Designer is a must. Though, we don’t really consider HTML nor CSS a “programming language”. It’s code. But not programming.
Now, if you can learn Javascript, it will make you more flexible and skillful. But as you see, you can choose a mixed path and build great stuff for clients who will pay you without the need for programming. All the building blocks are already available to you.
Conclusion – Freelance Web Design without coding is an option
So after reading through these options and paths for you as a freelancer, what do you picture will make you the happiest?
What fires you up the most?
Should freelancers learn coding? — only if you like coding.
Should freelancers learn design? — only if you like design.
Should freelancers seeking freedom and flexible income go the mixed path?
Only if they don’t enjoy either coding or pure design, but love building stuff and finding systems solutions.
Sometimes we just have to try out things and find our way in the landscape of creative online work. To clarify the three paths for you even more, with a grade of easy to hard, here it is:
- The mixed path: Easy — Build cool stuff with existing platforms and solutions
- Path one for Freelancers — Design: Easier to get started and quicker to learn
- Path two for Freelancers — Coding: Harder to learn and not for everybody
So, the conclusion is that the first (mixed) path is the easiest one. And it’s a path that will pay you money the quickest. Read more about doing Web Design without coding here.
I would say, start on this path. Earn an income. And decide to raise your skills with either higher design skills and qualities.
Or dive into programming and expand your skills that way. This could also lead you into the world of building a SaaS. Which can become a good business income.