Why I, as a designer, started learning development

I wasn’t planning to start an “empire.” I just wanted a clean, fast, and flexible site for a side project - and Framer felt like the perfect canvas. I loved its speed, the live editing experience, and the way it merged code and creativity. So I built something small and launched it on a whim.

That first template? It sold five copies in the first 48 hours. Nothing wild, but enough to make me pay attention.

Step 1: Obsess over Design, Not Just Sales

I knew if I wanted to stand out in a growing market of templates, mine had to feel different. I focused on clean layouts, smooth animations, and genuinely useful UX patterns—not just pretty shells. I treated each one like a real product, not a throwaway asset.

Every template had a story: who it was for, what problem it solved, and how it could be adapted. I didn’t just sell pages—I sold possibilities.

Step 2: Build in Public

I started sharing my process online. Early sketches, prototypes, feedback polls, and breakdowns of how I was structuring animations or accessibility. This built trust and pulled in a curious audience—other designers, indie hackers, even startups looking for no-code speed.

People don’t just want products. They want to follow builders.

Step 3: Create a Buying Experience

Templates are digital goods - but I treated the experience like premium software. I built custom demo pages, clean documentation, setup walkthroughs, and even “use cases” showing how to adapt the same template for different industries. I wanted people to feel confident, supported, and creatively inspired the moment they downloaded.

I also offered license flexibility - single, team, and unlimited options—which brought in agencies and freelancers working with multiple clients.

Step 4: Stack Value, Not Just Templates

Instead of pushing volume, I built depth. Every time I released something new, I updated existing templates too—improving performance, adding dark mode, refining interactions. This gave buyers a sense that the templates were alive, not static.

Eventually, I bundled them into curated collections: portfolios, landing pages, startup kits, blog-first sites. That’s when sales really took off.

Step 5: Automate, But Stay Human

Now that there’s consistent MRR, I’ve automated a lot—delivery emails, license handling, updates. But I still reply to support questions myself, and send personal thank-you notes when someone tags me in their finished build. People remember that.

Where It’s At Now:

• 15+ live templates

• 2,500+ users

• $8K+ MRR and growing

• Featured multiple times by Framer

• A waiting list for custom template commissions

I didn’t build this overnight. And I didn’t go viral. What I did do was show up daily, keep iterating, and obsess over quality. If you're thinking of launching your own Framer templates - or any kind of digital product - just remember: consistency outlasts hype.

What starts as a side hustle can turn into a system. And that system? It can scale.