This week’s Freelancer Insides interview is with Vahid Lupic, a freelance UI/UX designer from Sarajevo, Bosnia. Check out our interview with him, discussing how Vahid stays one step ahead of the competition, and the obstacles he encountered when he first became a freelancer!
1. Hello Vahid, thanks for being here to share your freelancing story with us. Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself and what are you up to right now?
Hi, first of all, thank you for the interview invitation. My name is Vahid Lupic, and I live in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have been working as an UI/UX designer since 2010.
2. What was your inspiration and when did you actually decide to become a freelancer?
I find my inspiration in all things that surround me on a daily basis. I decided to become a freelancer for several reasons – when you work in a company, sometimes you cannot implement your ideas to the maximum the way you envisioned them, you cannot choose the projects you are going to work on, you have set working hours with little or no flexibility, etc.
I have been employed full time with several companies and those experiences have shaped me to the person I am today, and I have learned many good things that I am now using in my work as a freelancer.
3. Was it difficult for you to start freelancing? Could you share with our readers the most important lessons that you have learned on the way?
Starting a freelance career was not easy. For me, the most important thing was to organize each day well and make sure to accomplish all the tasks I had planned for that day. I think that is the most important thing when you are a freelancer.
After that, you have to build a network of clients, which takes time and a lot of work to prove yourself as a reliable professional. Also, it is assumed that you are learning and improving yourself on a daily basis, and expanding that network too.
“Starting a freelance career was not easy. For me, the most important thing was to organize each day.“
I made a mistake at the beginning of not having a client network; I started freelancing with 0 clients, with no promised project. My work days sometimes lasted for 18 hours. But eventually, I have made it through – you just have to be dedicated, persistent, organized and committed to your work.
4. What kind of services have your clients asked you to provide? Is there any particular project that you are especially proud of?
Right now, I am working on different projects:
– iOS UI design
– logo/brand identity/packaging
– web design
– illustration
– product design
For me, each project is important and has something special that I love about it.
5. Do you use other freelancers or companies to provide skills that you don’t possess or to delegate tasks that you don’t enjoy that much (accounting, taxes, etc.)?
Yes, I do, but that also depends on the project. Sometimes I hire an agency or a freelancer who will work with me on a project. Those are projects that require a team of people with different expertise.
In situations like that, I try to hire freelancers that I find by recommendations or on websites like freelancermap. For example, for accounting purposes etc I hired a company to handle it because that is not something I do and have time for.
6. Now tell us, how do you find new clients that are interested in your services?
Today I have a network of clients who are happy with my work and with whom I have been working for many years. They keep recommending me to their associates, business partners, friends, etc. Beside my personal website www.vahidlupic.com, I also use other freelancing websites and services. Also, social media is a great tool that I use for advertising and promotion of my work.
7. How do you set yourself apart from your competitors? What makes you special?
As a designer, I always have to think one step ahead of the competition and give my maximum in my job. My professionalism, experience, knowledge, effort – they give me the possibility to be ahead a lot of times. Every project I work on is my most important project, and I give it my all, and clients always recognize and appreciate that.
“As a designer, I always have to think one step ahead of the competition.“
8. What is a typical day like for you? How do you manage to balance work and life? Do you use any apps or software to help you organizing yourself?
My workday begins with checking my email, going through my tasks for the day, preparing for the meetings, etc. When you are organized, everything can be done, including personal and business commitments. Depending on the project, my work day can sometimes be 12-14 hours, but lately, I have been trying to work no more than 5-6 hours effectively, and that is usually enough.
I use some applications to help me with organization, track time, etc, to make sure I use my time in a most proficient way. They are connected to my laptop and phone and I have access to all my plans and tasks wherever I am, at any time, and I also get notifications for all events in my calendar (meetings, deadlines, etc), which is very important.
9. What are your top tips for web design?
Stay on top of the current trends, keep learning and improving on a daily basis, exchange experiences with other freelancers, work on different projects.
10. Is being your own boss what you expected? Do you work more hours (or less) than you had first anticipated? Will you continue freelancing or would you consider working full time again?
Some things are much better, some not so much when you are your own boss. As a freelancer, you have to think about a lot of things other than your work – there are taxes, contracts, clients, finding more work, etc. In the beginning, I used to work a lot more hours a day, but now I have the freedom to work as many as I want to. I plan to continue freelancing for the time being. In the future I might be working again for a company, anything can happen.
“In the beginning, I used to work a lot more hours a day, but now I hhave the freedom to work as many as I want.“
11. Freestyle! Is there anything you would like to tell our readers?
Follow, learn and explore current trends. Each client and each project are equally important. Share your knowledge and experience with others.
You can find Vahid Lupic here: www.vahidlupic.com
