As a web designer and creative, you’re always busy so finding resources that give you a leg up is exactly what you need. In our digital-forward world, sometimes the best techy applications and programs just aren’t your cup of tea — and that’s OK. 

Whether you love your pen and paper or prefer using a combination of great tech and the old-school essentials, printables and cheat sheets should be part of every creative’s toolbox just for their wonderful organization simplicity. 

Now, you’re likely a designer, so you could probably design the perfect template and print it off. But if you’re looking for a faster solution, there are other designers out there who have had the same idea, and who have created some awesome freebies that you can download for your personal organization efforts.

1. Ultimate Blog Planner Kit

This blog planner kit from Designer Blogs truly is the ultimate planning kit. With nine beautifully-designed pages of blog-planning magic, this kit is hard to beat. It has pages that will help you plan content, keep track of affiliate programs, stay on top of finance, and much more. 

2. How to get 10 new freelance clients in 30 days

Set big goals for sourcing new clients with this step-by-step guide on how to do it in 30 days. Break this target into manageable chunks by answering the right questions in this printable PDF! From knowing your numbers to increasing client outreach, you’ll be advised small, tangible steps to achieve these big-picture results.

3. Client-converting portfolio checklist 

Your portfolio is where you can display the work you’re most proud of to potential clients. But your portfolio is really about results — and that means turning visitors into clients! Check out this checklist on how to create the perfect client-converting portfolio! 

4. Web design contract checklist

Every web designer should have a legally-binding contract to cover both you and your clients, and to make sure you’re on the same page about scope of work, payments, and possible consequences. Writing a contract from scratch (or even updating an existing contract) can be tricky and feel like a huge project. The last thing you want to do is forget an important item and face severe consequences later. 

5. Web design invoice 

Invoicing is an important part of the web design process. While it’s essential to create great work for clients, it’s also necessary to get paid fairly for the work you’re doing. Make sure your invoice and other client-facing documents are correct so you can get back to doing what you do best: building beautiful websites!

6. Web Designer’s Workflow Checklist

There are far too many tasks within a website design to leave the to-do list to chance! No matter how many times we go through the process, it’s super duper helpful to have a step-by-step checklist that ensures we’re delivering a consistent and complete experience. Pixel Glow has us covered on this one with a nice streamlined PDF that covers the basics and the often-forgotten but super crucial steps (like creating automatic backups, or ensuring your host does). There are additional blank checkboxes so you can customize your list as well!

7. Plugin Tracking Printable

Whether you print this one off or create the digital version of it, we have to say we couldn’t be more thrilled with the simplicity of Pig and Dac‘s plugin printable! Plugins can most certainly crash your site if you aren’t careful, and while this is a very analog way of keeping tabs on your plugins, we totally see the value – it’ll help you catch those old, abandoned plugins that haven’t had an update in years. It’s easy and breezy: just note the date and plugin that you either installed or updated. That way, if your site goes south for any reason, you can hand over the list to your web host and potentially figure out which plugin is the issue! 

Managing WordPress plugin updates is time-consuming and distracts from other valuable work that can grow your business. With Flywheel’s Managed Plugin Updates Add-on, you can get back to the work that matters and relax knowing your sites are safe and up-to-date! Check it out here.

8. Content Editorial Planner

Editorial plans are amazing for keeping your big-picture content idea at bay and top of mind. It’s also a lot of planning in one hour and they can easily get messy. Using this free editorial planner from Julie Soloman will keep everything beautifully organized so you can easily check which content is going out according to your editorial plan! 

9. 2021 Calendar

Save yourself a click and print off a nice little desk calendar so you can set reminders, schedule meetings, and daydream about the weekend at a quick glance! We like this super minimal one from Cecila and Sebastian Paper Company (and thought you might, as well)!

10. Habit Tracker

They say small habits can say a lot about someone’s productivity. Whether it’s work-related or not, this habit tracker from Ever More Paper Co. will make it extra satisfying (and aesthetically pleasing) to start good habits or break bad ones.

11. Goals worksheets

These are an oldie but a goodie from Life with Me! The “more of this, less of this” one is such a great way to vent after a long day of designing or running into frustrating freelance issues. They’re structured around New Year’s resolutions, but we think it’s a great exercise to walk through all year long.

12. CSS Cheat Sheet

CSS will have you juggling lots of selectors, properties, and values — needless to say, it can be a lot. If you’re new to styling up CSS or could just use a nice reminder every now and then, this CSS cheat sheet from The Blog Market is a great one to just pop on your desk and reference! Having this resource handing will ensure your CSS knowledge is always one easy cheat sheet away!

13. Web design client interview questions

Creating a positive client onboarding experience for every client that comes through the door will ensure that you’re starting every relationship in a great and consistent way. This can lead to a great client relationship, and may even spark future business or referrals to your agency. Onboard each and every client in the best way possible with this free web design client interview PDF.

14. Vacation checklist for designers  

Planning for a trip can be stressful as a designer. The last thing you want is to forget anything if a client has an emergency. That’s why we created this nifty little checklist for you so you can kick back and relax knowing you’re prepped and have everything you need!

15. Gratitude log 

Surprised by this one? You shouldn’t be! Practicing gratitude is so important for your mental health as a busy creative! This gratitude log from Bit of Clarity is here to remind you what you’re thankful for every day in case you need a nudge towards positivity. 

It’s okay to be a creative that doesn’t favor digital organization apps and programs. Sometimes a designer’s best organization tools can simply be pen and paper. Embrace your method of madness with these free printables to keep you organized and on track for success! 

For all of our helpful resources and ebooks, check out the full collection here.

The business of web design

We asked leading freelancers, agencies, and creatives about the best ways to build websites, structure client services, and get paid (in full!) on time. From there we crunched the numbers, dug into the insights, and packaged up a beautiful report so you can stop guessing and start scaling your business! Take your web design business to a whole new level, starting this month. Get insights from other design businesses like yours and start competitively charging for your services! Get started here.