Scaling a freelance platform from
5 to 50+ projects through self-service UX
Scaling a freelance platform from
5 to 50+ projects through self-service UX
Overview
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connected clients with creative professionals through a manual "design concierge" — staff handled all consultations, matching and coordination within a limited internal network.
Challenge
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
The manual coordination required 3 hours per project, capping the platform’s capacity at just 5 concurrent projects. The goal was to automate this "human" workflow into a self-service UX that could scale 10x (50+ projects) without losing the human touch.
My role
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
UX/Product Designer. Designed core MVP user flows and interfaces within an Agile team. For 6 weeks mid-project, I worked independently with the Creative Director and developers, leading sprint reviews and presenting design decisions.
Team & Timeline
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
@ Ngrane Agency, Amsterdam (5 months, March – July 2025)
Creative Director (client), Business Director (client), Business Strategist, Senior UX Designer, Junior Designer, 3 Developers
From business problem to design priority
From business
problem to
design priority
Business Goal
Business Goal
User need
Design Decision
4 sprints solving a different trust breakdown
4 sprints solving a different trust breakdown
Sprint 1
Role-Based Onboarding
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
The platform serves three fundamentally different user types. Without role clarity at entry, every subsequent interaction risks misalignment.
Solution: a role-first onboarding that routes users into tailored experiences from the first screen. Clients see the value of posting projects. Freelancers see the value of applying. Neither has to figure out where they belong.
Sprint 2
Guided Project Brief
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
Research showed clients consistently struggled to articulate project scope without assistance. The old model required a 3-hour consultation call to capture what the brief wizard now captures independently.
Solution: a structured, step-by-step brief flow with contextual guidance at each field. Placeholder copy reduces cognitive load and models what good input looks like, without requiring design expertise from the client.
Sprint 3
Transparent Matching & Workflow
Scaling the talent pool
beyond internal network:
Freelancers reported that opaque matching eroded trust before collaboration even began. Clients couldn't track progress without requesting updates.
Solution: a structured project feed with clear metadata (deadline, budget, service type) giving freelancers full context before applying. Combined with event-driven progress tracking, when a quote is approved, the project advances automatically, every stakeholder always knows the current state without manual reporting.
Freelancers reported that opaque matching eroded trust before collaboration even began. Clients couldn't track progress without requesting updates.
Solution: a structured project feed with clear metadata (deadline, budget, service type) giving freelancers full context before applying.
Combined with event-driven progress tracking, when a quote is approved, the project advances automatically, every stakeholder always knows the current state without manual reporting.
Sprint 4
Integrated Async Workspace
Scaling the talent pool
beyond internal network:
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams.
It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
My goal was to redesign the system so that it could scale without losing the human quality that made it valuable.
6 out of 8 research participants cited tool fragmentation as a core collaboration barrier — conversations in WhatsApp, files in email, status updates in separate calls.
Solution: a unified project environment where messages, files, quotes, and deliverables coexist within a single workspace. Every action automatically updates the shared project timeline, replacing manual coordination with transparent, self-documenting collaboration.
Challenges
Midway through the project, our Senior UX Designer went on leave for 6 weeks. With no design lead, I stepped up to work directly with the Creative Director and development team.
Driving retention through
quality delivery
This meant owning decisions I hadn't owned before and presenting design rationale to stakeholders, negotiating scope with developers, and facilitating sprint reviews independently.
→ 100% task completion across all user groups
→ Seniors and clients reported clearer expectations throughout the entire project lifecycle
→ All participants immediately identified their next action without guidance, reducing friction at every handover point
Scaling the talent pool beyond
internal network
Scaling the talent pool
beyond internal network:
It accelerated my ability to communicate design thinking to non-designers, and taught me that clarity of rationale matters more than seniority of title.
Results: self-service validated
Growing the client base from
5 to 50+ concurrent projects
✔️ Clients completed full project briefs independently, without staff assistance ✔️ Self-service model validated, zero manual consultations needed during testing ✔️ Platform structure supports 10x project volume without additional operational staff
✔️ Clients completed full project briefs independently, without staff assistance
✔️ Self-service model validated, zero manual consultations needed during testing
✔️ Platform structure supports 10x project volume without additional operational staff
Driving retention through
quality delivery
✔️ 100% task completion across all user groups
✔️ Seniors and clients reported clearer expectations throughout the entire project lifecycle ✔️ All participants immediately identified their next action without guidance, reducing friction at every handover point
✔️ 100% task completion across all user groups
✔️ Seniors and clients reported clearer expectations throughout the entire project lifecycle
✔️ All participants immediately identified their next action without guidance, reducing friction at every handover point
✔️ 100% task completion across all user groups
✔️ Seniors and clients reported clearer expectations throughout the entire project lifecycle ✔️ All participants immediately identified their next action without guidance, reducing friction at every handover point
✔️ 100% task completion across all user groups ✔️ Seniors and clients reported clearer expectations throughout the entire project lifecycle ✔️ All participants immediately identified their next action without guidance, reducing friction at every handover point
Scaling the talent pool beyond
internal network
Scaling the talent pool
beyond internal network:
✔️ Juniors reported increased confidence through visible mentorship cues and structured review points
✔️ Senior-junior pairing logic validated as trustworthy by both
✔️ MVP accepted by Ngrane leadership and handed off to development team
✔️ Juniors reported increased confidence through visible mentorship cues and structured review points ✔️ Senior-junior pairing logic validated as trustworthy by both
✔️ MVP accepted by Ngrane leadership and handed off to development team
