I Left Client Work to Sell Templates on Framer: Here's What Happened

Anatolii Dmitrienko

Jun 13, 2025

A designer's journey from agency life to creative freedom

Right after university, I landed a job at a design agency. It was a solid start—two years of learning the ropes, working on real projects, and sharpening my skills. But eventually, I started craving more freedom. I wanted to choose my projects, be in control creatively, and maybe even work in my pajamas.

I had a few side clients, so the jump to freelancing wasn’t too scary. The work was steady, clients were happy, and everything seemed great—until it didn’t. Things got repetitive. Budgets didn’t grow. I felt disconnected from my work. I realized that freelancing wasn’t the kind of freedom I was chasing.

So I explored. Marketing, SEO, coding, 3D, no-code tools, anything that sparked curiosity. One day, I stumbled upon a YouTube video by Hamza on building a Framer template business. Game changer. That video flipped a switch in my brain, and suddenly, everything I’d learned over the past decade made sense.

I told my clients I was done with freelance and dove headfirst into Framer. I built my first template, and to my surprise, it started making money. I wasn’t some famous designer—but I knew how to make things that worked. Within a couple of months, I had templates ranking in the top spots of the Framer marketplace.

Why Framer?

At first, it was the speed. I could go from idea to live website in a day or two. But what kept me hooked was how fun the whole process felt. Design, animation, and publishing, all in one tool. No more juggling software or jumping through client hoops.

Then came the real kicker: Framer templates. I could build for myself, on my terms. No client approvals. No feedback loops. Just creating. And the marketplace? Super generous. It gave me the confidence to treat this like a real business.

Now that the Framer ecosystem is growing, the timing just feels right. More users = more demand = more motivation.

What keeps me building without burning out

Animation is my jam. I pull inspiration from animated sites all the time. When motion is done right, a page stops feeling like a layout and starts feeling like an experience.

Apple’s recent WWDC confirmed what I’ve felt for a while animation is the future of web design. But I always try to balance form with function. A good template should work with real content, be easy to edit, and not just look pretty.

That balance? It’s what keeps me curious.

Leaving freelance behind: why I bet on myself and Framer

Freelancing felt like the natural step. I had clients lined up, and it paid the bills. But over time, I knew I didn’t want to trade time for money forever.

Reading "The Millionaire Fastlane" gave me the final nudge. I didn’t need a detailed roadmap—I just needed to start. Framer gave me that opening. I learned by doing, figured things out as I went, and focused on progress over perfection.

Biggest lesson? You don’t need it all figured out. You just need to begin.

Inside my solo builder routine

No two days are the same. Some days I’m deep in design, other days it’s bug fixing, support emails, writing copy, you name it. I usually start around 8 or 9 AM, unless I hit the gym, then it’s a late start.

I try to block out time for focused work, but solo-building means wearing a lot of hats. Progress can feel slow, but that’s the tradeoff for having full control.

What’s next for me and Templifica

Big picture: I want the business to become more self-sustaining. Ideally, I’ll bring on collaborators so I can focus on creative direction and strategy.

In 2025, I’ll be launching more templates aimed at creative teams and agencies. I’ve already started curating partner templates on my site, mixing them with my own.

The goal? Keep growing without losing the spark.

One small fix that would make Framer better

Honestly, Framer fits my workflow perfectly. But if I had to tweak something—it’d be more layout units. Give me rems and percentages everywhere for smoother responsive design.