skilled designer?

prove it to unlock higher-paying jobs on Upwork

Overview

Upwork’s Pro Web Designer program helps promote the best web design talent on Upwork, where more than one million businesses go to hire top freelance talent. Designers accepted into the program are recommended for top-paying Upwork jobs and receive private introductions to Upwork’s enterprise clients, many of whom pay premium prices for long-term projects.

There is no cost to apply. If you're not already an Upwork user, sign up for free.

Upwork has partnered with Webflow, the most popular site builder for professional designers, to help applicants prepare for the design work they'll receive once accepted. Webflow allows designers to build fully responsive sites from scratch; it doesn’t lock designers into stock templates. Sites built in Webflow can be exported to clean HTML and CSS for hosting elsewhere.

If you're eager to stand out and get paid more for your design talent, please read this page carefully.

Application

  • You must have an Upwork profile to apply. If you are new to Upwork, create a free account.
  • We recommend completing the Webflow video course before applying to ensure that you can consistently create high-quality responsive and modern sites for clients.
  • You must complete the application form below with a link to your web design portfolio.
  • Applications are judged on a set of evaluation criteria (see right). We’ll let you know in 2 weeks if you’re accepted. If you’re not, we’ll explain why, and invite you to re-apply.

eligibility

  • To qualify as a Pro Web Designer, you must be able to build a website from scratch. If you cannot code a site from scratch without the help of a developer, you must have knowledge over a web design tool like Webflow that allows you to design from scratch without coding.
  • If you can code (again, not a requirement if you know a tool like Webflow), ensure that your coding skills are listed on your Upwork profile.

Evaluation

Your design work will be judged on three primary factors: Visual Design, Usability, and Responsiveness.

  • Visual Design: Your sites must exhibit modern and clean aesthetics. For examples, look at work regularly featured on web portfolio showcases like Awwwards and Webflow's Discover & Template sections.
  • Usability: Your sites must be simple and intuitive for a user to interact with. Users should be able to easily navigate and understand what's needed to achieve intended results.
  • Responsiveness: Your sites must fully function and remain aesthetically pleasing across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. They should gracefully adapt to various dimensions without disrupting the user experience.
  • Performance and SEO: Run your sites through a tool such as Site-Analyzer to check that your images are compressed and that your site contains meta tags for search engine visibility. While these are not requirements, these are modern web development best practices.

In addition, your work must meet the following guidelines:

  • Work cannot be based off a template. All sites must consist solely of your original design material (except imagery).
  • Any hand-coded sites must be semantic and reflective of modern best practices. For example, a site cannot simply consist of images sliced from a Photoshop PSD.

Get Started

Apply now

premium Upwork Jobs

If your application is approved, you’ll earn exclusive access to high-paying jobs and other special benefits: We’ll recommend you to clients who appreciate great design and are willing to pay more for top talent. Plus we’ll bring you hand-picked jobs with top enterprise clients that suit you.

New Landing Page

#webdesign
#CSS
#HTML5
$5,000

Web Designer

#UX / UI
#CSS
#HTML5
Responsive
$90/hr

Mobile Page Design

#webdesign
#CSS
#HTML5
$3,500

New Landing Page

#webdesign
#CSS
#HTML5
$5,000

New Landing Page

#mobile
#responsive
#mobile-app
$5,000

Our Company Site

#webdesign
#multi-page
#forms
#HTML
$8,400

Part-Time Designer

#webdesign
#CSS
#HTML5
$110/hr

Web App Design

#web-app
#browser
#product-design
$10,000

Corporate Website

#website
#contact-form
#lead-gen
$7,500

webflow video Course

Watching Webflow's video course before applying ensures you are competent with a professional responsive web design tool.

The use of Webflow for designing your portfolio or client sites is optional. However, you will find Webflow helpful for designing agency-quality sites much faster than it takes you to code them by hand. Further, sites built in Webflow tend to look more polished and behave more responsively than sites coded by hand. Webflow is also free to use.

Get Started
1 min
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Apply

The program is completely free. If selected, you’ll gain exclusive access to top-paying jobs and other special benefits. We’ll recommend you to clients who appreciate great design and are willing to pay more for it.

Your application has been received.
Expect a response within two weeks!

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In Partnership

Webflow is the most popular professional drag-and-drop site builder for freelancers needing to design sites to the exact specifications of clients. It doesn't lock designers into the look of a stock template; it offers complete design control.

Using Webflow, professional designers don’t have to rely on developers to deliver fully-developed work to clients. Webflow generates HTML and CSS that is organized, clean, and professional — matching what the top professional designers write by hand.

Companies such as Groupon, Pinterest, and MasterCard rely on Webflow daily.

Upwork is the premier platform for top companies to hire and work with the world’s most talented independent professionals.

Today, more than 4 million clients tap into Upwork to find, hire, and pay the world’s best freelancers — making it easier than ever to build successful global companies and thriving self-employment careers.