Mason Hipp at Freelance Folder has written a very interesting article on why he thinks most designers will be freelancers within 20 Years. It’s certainly an interesting point. You might argue that with the global economy in such a mess, many people are starting their own businesses on the back of redundancies, and as such, are looking for cost-effective alternatives. Freelancers (as a general rule) tend to be more financially competitive that design houses (simply because of the overheads) and tend to foster more immediate relationship with their clients.

From my own experience/way of working (biased I know) freelancers do tend to ‘care’ more about their clients; your working relationship is based on a 1:1 level, rather than the client tending to work with several members of a project team. As such, the route to a clear understanding of what the client wants can be a little smoother, and more importantly, you can develop a relationship that is more than just a number on the balance sheet.

Of course, it’s not all plain sailing, and of course, design houses can offer (most of the time) facilities and other amenities that a freelancer can’t get close to. But by and large, what most clients want is to know that they’re valued, that their work is of a high quality, and that the integrity of their work is as important to the designer as it is to the client.