Part of the bottom 99% of designers. Building Kleo. Serving teams with fractional product design.

I help product teams move faster with fewer bottlenecks.Trusted by startups who have raised over $350M.I’ve partnered directly with founders, PMs, and heads of design.Web + mobile. Fast-paced. Strategic + hands-on.U.S.-based and async-friendly.If you need part-time design that feels full-time reliable, reach out. ⤵https://tidycal.com/trevordesign/chat-with-trevor

Newer designers worship Figma.

Experienced designers? Not so much.

When you’re just starting out,
Figma feels like the magic.

You think the tool gives you power.
You chase features, plugins, shortcuts.

But over time you realize...
you’re the one creating the magic.
Not the tool.

Designers who’ve been around?
They used Sketch. XD. Framer. Photoshop.
And they’ll use something else next year too.

They’re not loyal to tools.
They’re loyal to outcomes.

The best designers are tool agnostic.

They shape ideas with whatever’s in reach.
They understand design at its core.
They adapt fast to whatever comes next.

Because good design doesn’t die when a tool does.

Figma is great.
Lovable is great.
Cursor is great.
Framer is great.

Just don’t let the tool become your identity.
You are the value, not the software.

Trevor Nielsen

Freelance Product Designer | Helping teams build great products

Kelsey Tyler

Your next job might not be your dream job.

And that’s okay.

These are weird, messy times for design and tech.

Your next role might not fit your “plan”.
Hold that plan loosely.

Adaptability is everything. 

Back in 2014, I was scraping by as a freelance designer.

I took a full-time job as a photo retoucher.
Not my dream role.
But it paid the bills.

It allowed me to work with a creative team daily.
It gave me nights/weekends to sharpen my design skills.

Eventually, I landed a full-time design job.

Here’s what actually helped me move forward:

→ Took on freelance gigs to stay sharp
→ Rebuilt my portfolio around the work I wanted
→ Asked peers for feedback + actually used it
→ Eventually relocated for the job I wanted

Today’s detours may feel like dead ends.

But give it time. They’ll become chapters in your story.

Before I got laid off, I had one client on the side.

When the layoff hit, that client increased my hours.

That saved me from going straight to $0.

Freelancing while working full-time can be a lifeline.
But it can also be a headache.

Balancing both gave me peace of mind, but not without trade-offs.

A side client can offer financial cushion, creative freedom, and a stronger sense of control over your career.

But if it’s not set up right, it can lead to stress.
Conflicting deadlines. Poor boundaries.

Want to keep it low stress?

Keep your hours low. 
Set clear expectations early.
Stick to async work. 
Be transparent about your full-time role.

You don’t need to juggle five clients.
One good relationship can change everything.

It doesn't have to lead to burn out.
And it can become your safety net before you need it.

Great clients don’t just fall from the sky.

(I wish... but there's a bit more effort involved)

I get asked often how to find clients. 

So, I thought I'd share some behind the scenes. 
Here's the exact trail that led me to my biggest client this year:

I started posting on LinkedIn in 2022
I connected with Tommy
In 2023 he invited me to his Slack group
That’s where I met Jayneil
In March 2025, Jayneil and I had a 1:1 call
He recommended I meet Gev
I connected with Gev in April
Gev referred me to a client lead
I had a call with that client, they hired me
In August, we started our 6-month engagement

No job board. No cold applications.
Just lots of time trying to meet new, cool people. 

Posts → DMs → Slack groups → Calls → Referrals → Clients

And this is just one example.
Every designer/client union has its own unique trail.

There's no magic recipe.

And most of the time it's unpredictable.

But there is a common pattern:

Make your name show up on the internet, a lot.
Make sure people know you exist.
Make it easy for them to see your skills.

It's not easy, it's not guaranteed.

But it's the best method I've found for client acquisition.


p.s. next week I’m launching a free resource that goes deeper into how to find clients. Comment “hang will never get a faang job” and maybe I’ll share it with you early.

People think designers just polish interfaces.

Just Figma masters pushing pixels...

But I often spend 10+ hours weekly in non-design tools. 

Design is how we think.
Design tools just help us visualize it.

Here's a few non-UI tools I use regularly:
- Google Docs
- Notion
- JIRA
- Slack
- ChatGPT
- TickTick
- My brain

Yes, my brain.

I think through design challenges in my head.
I mentally map flows when away from the laptop.
I work through complex challenges with ChatGPT.

Most people don’t see that side.
They only see the shiny output.

But strong design outputs comes from strong thinking.

AI design tools won't save you from a lack of thinking skills.

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