Pay check: what creative roles pay
What the jobs in our index pay, by level, from the salaries companies publish. The charts update with every new role, so the numbers are always current.
About
Tips for finding and landing creative work, what the jobs in our index pay, and the tools we keep coming back to. Picked by WorkWithUs.
Guides
Advice on pay, portfolios, applications and freelance work.
Where the jobs are: reading the creative job market
Which skills are in demand, where the roles are, and what that means for your search. Based on the live index, updated with every new role.
How to write a portfolio case study that gets read
Hiring teams skim. Lead with the outcome, show three decisions instead of thirty screens, and keep the process to what changed the result.
What to put in your first message to a studio
Applying3 min readShort beats clever: who you are, why this studio, one project that fits, and a link that opens without a login.
Setting your day rate as a freelance designer
Freelance3 min readStart from what you need to earn in a year, divide by the days you can really bill, then check the result against the market.
The portfolio walkthrough: preparing for a design interview
Interviews3 min readPick two projects, rehearse ten minutes each, and be ready for the question about what you would do differently.
Remote, hybrid, on-site: what to ask before you apply
Applying2 min readOffice days, time zones, travel and equipment are worth asking about before the first call, not after the offer.
A designer's CV: one page, no gimmicks
CV3 min readYour portfolio shows the craft. The CV only has to make the facts easy to find: roles, dates, tools, location, link.
Design tasks and take-home challenges: when to say yes
Interviews2 min readA good task is short, clearly scoped and close to the real job. Here is how to judge one, and how to do it well.
Tools
Useful sites for designers.Portfolio websites
Cargo
cargo.siteSite builder popular with artists and designers, with editorial layouts.
Readymag
readymag.comBrowser-based layout tool for portfolios, magazines and landing pages.
Framer
framer.comDesign and publish responsive sites, with a CMS and animations.
Semplice
semplice.comPortfolio system for designers, built on WordPress.
Webflow
webflow.comVisual web builder with a CMS, for more complex sites.
Invoicing & admin
Invoice Ninja
invoiceninja.comOpen-source invoicing, quotes and time tracking.
Bonsai
hellobonsai.comContracts, proposals and invoices for freelancers.
Toggl Track
toggl.comTime tracking to see where billable hours go.
Typography
Fonts In Use
fontsinuse.comArchive of typography in real-world design, searchable by typeface.
Typewolf
typewolf.comFont recommendations, pairings and sites in use.
Google Fonts
fonts.google.comOpen-source fonts for web and print.
Future Fonts
futurefonts.xyzTypefaces in progress from independent designers.
Design inspiration
The Brand Identity
the-brandidentity.comOnline magazine for brand identity and graphic design, with new projects every day.
Mobbin
mobbin.comScreens and flows from real apps, searchable by pattern.
Godly
godly.websiteCurated web design inspiration, much of it animated.
Siteinspire
siteinspire.comLong-running web design showcase, filterable by style and type.
Land-book
land-book.comGallery of landing pages and websites.
Colour, images & mock-ups
Coolors
coolors.coGenerate, adjust and save colour palettes.
Unsplash
unsplash.comPhotos you can use under the Unsplash licence.
LS Graphics
ls.graphicsHigh-end mock-up templates for branding and devices, free and paid.
Shots
shots.soTurn screenshots into device and browser mock-ups in seconds.
Rotato
rotato.appAnimated 3D device mock-ups for app and web work, on the Mac.