Table of Contents
- Why are side projects a good idea for UX designers?
- What does “success” even mean for a side project?
- What to consider before starting your side project
- Start with fun (it's non-negotiable)
- Keep the idea simple
- Think about execution
- Independence vs. collaboration
- Allow the project to evolve
- Balancing your 9-5, life, and side projects
- How to stay motivated when no one is watching
- How to make progress with a busy schedule
- The cost question: How much should you invest in side projects?
- One final thought
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Why are side projects a good idea for UX designers?
A side project is something you build outside your 9–5, often for fun, curiosity, learning, or expressive freedom. It can be digital (an icon pack, a micro-SaaS, a portfolio experiment) or physical (3D-printed objects, crafts). It doesn’t have to make money. It exists so you can try stuff you wouldn’t at work.
Why this even matters for UX designers:
- Portfolio and credibility. Finished side projects are proof you can ship, not just wireframe.
- Burnout resistance. Doing work that’s yours, not someone else’s KPIs, recharges your design muscle.
- Low-risk experimentation. Try new interactions, business models, or visual systems without the politics. If it flops, you learned fast and cheap.
- Skill compounding. Build something end-to-end and you learn product thinking, tooling, growth basics, things you rarely own in a feature sprint.
- Creative freedom. At your day job you ship for constraints (roadmaps, analytics, headcount). Side projects let you design by desire. That’s where weird, useful ideas come from.
Most importantly: side projects feel like play. That subtle shift in attitude changes everything about how you design.
👉 The insight in this blog traces back to a thoughtful conversation with Filip — here’s the full discussion:
What does “success” even mean for a side project?
Most UX designers get this wrong, they treat side projects like startup launches. They obsess over metrics, growth, and revenue before they've even shipped anything.
I love how Filip said it:
“When you have a 9–5, you have the luxury of not needing your side project to make money.”
Success looks different for every project. And it evolves over time. Most side projects start as something fun, but can grow into something profitable later. You don't need pressure to “make money” when you already have a job.
Every project has different goals:
- Small revenue
- Personal growth
- Learning new tools
- Community impact
- Creative satisfaction
Your side project might succeed by:
- Inspiring one person
- Getting 50 downloads
- Teaching you a new tool
- Making $100 in passive income
- Simply existing as something you're proud of
- Becoming a portfolio piece that lands you a better job
The biggest constant? You learn no matter what happens. You might not have just one side project. Each one can have its own definition of success. And that's perfectly fine.
What to consider before starting your side project
Start with fun (it's non-negotiable)
Filip's golden rule:
”The initial spark has to be fun. If it's not fun, you won't finish it.”
Don't start a side project because you “should” or because it might make money. Start because the idea excites you so much you can't stop thinking about it.
If you're not genuinely interested, you'll abandon it the moment it gets hard. And it will get hard.
Keep the idea simple
The best side projects are ones you can build yourself. No dependencies. No waiting for others.
Filip's philosophy:
“I don't depend on anyone else to execute my side projects, that's how I keep full creative freedom.”
Choose ideas that match your current skill level. If you're a designer with no coding skills, don't make your first side project a complex web app.
Start with:
- Icon sets (like Gritty Icons)
- Educational content or guides
- Notion databases or productivity tools
- Physical products you can actually make
Filip puts it simply:
“With today's tools, the only limitation is your imagination.”
Think about execution
Before you start, ask yourself: “Can I actually build this?” Don't pick ideas that require:
- Regulatory approval
- A full team to execute
- Massive infrastructure
- Large upfront investment
- Advanced programming (unless you code)
The simpler the execution, the more likely you'll finish.
Filip learned this through experience. He aims for simple ideas he can execute himself. That way, he doesn't depend on anyone else and can maintain complete creative freedom.
Independence vs. collaboration
Solo projects move faster. You make decisions instantly. You ship when you're ready. Collaborative projects can be powerful, but they come with overhead.
Filip's collaboration rule:
“Only collaborate with people who have the same passion and commitment. Otherwise, they'll slow you down.”
If you're considering a partner, ask yourself:
- Will they actually pull their weight?
- Are they as excited as I am about this?
- Can we work together without destroying our friendship?
If the answer to any of these is “maybe,” go solo.
Filip is currently working on a new side project called the gist of (a micro site builder for creatives) with his fiancée and a backend developer. But he only brought them in because they share the same level of passion and commitment.
Allow the project to evolve
Most side projects don't end up where they started.
Gritty Icons began as Filip creating custom icons for a completely different side project that never launched. He couldn't find the icon style he wanted, most sets were either very rounded (appearing soft) or sharp with hard edges. Nothing in between.
So he created his own. Then he realized: “Hey, there's probably a gap in the market for this style.”
Filip's advice:
“You don't need to invent something new, it's much easier to innovate on what already exists.”
Don't over-plan. Build something small, see where it goes, and let it evolve naturally. That's how the best side projects grow.
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Balancing your 9-5, life, and side projects
How to stay motivated when no one is watching
The hardest part of side projects? Nobody cares if you quit. Your boss isn't checking your progress. There's no deadline. No performance review. No consequences for stopping.
Here's how to keep going:
- Treat it as a hobby, not an obligation. The moment it feels like a chore, you've lost. This is crucial. The second your side project starts feeling like mandatory work, it loses its power.
- Build something you want to see exist. Filip's approach:
“I couldn't find the icon style I wanted, so I created my own. Sometimes your uniqueness comes from simply filling a gap.”
- Set small habits. Filip's routine for Gritty Icons: create ten icons a day. Some took a minute. Some took longer. But the routine created momentum. His insight:
“I set a simple routine: ten icons a day. Some take a minute, but that routine helped me build momentum.”
- Share early versions. Posting work-in-progress creates accountability. People will ask: “How's that project going?” That gentle pressure helps.
How to make progress with a busy schedule
You're already working 40+ hours. You have a life. How do you find time?
- Start with the core. Don't think about branding, websites, pricing, or packaging yet.
Filip's example:
“For Gritty Icons, I didn't think about the website or payments until I had 500 icons.”
He focused purely on drawing icons. He didn't worry about setting up Lemon Squeezy, creating the package, registering a company, or building a storefront. Without the first 500 icons, he didn't have a product. So why think about all those other steps?
Build the thing first. Worry about everything else later.
- Avoid thinking about all the steps at once. Just tackle the next one. One icon. One screen. One feature. Progress is progress.
- Use your commute, lunch breaks, or weekends. Side projects don't need dedicated “work sessions.” They thrive in the margins of your life.
The cost question: How much should you invest in side projects?
Here's the beautiful thing about having a 9-5: you're not desperate. You don't need your side project to pay rent. That removes so much pressure.
Filip said:
“I never consider my time a cost. Time spent creating something you love is never wasted.”
For Filip, time invested in a side project isn't a cost at all. Sure, if he took on client work during those hours, he'd make money. But that would be work. A side project is something you do in your free time, something you enjoy. So the time doesn't feel like a sacrifice.
But financially? Start small:
- Domain name ($10-20/year)
- Essential tools you already use
- Simple hosting (often free with Netlify, Vercel, or similar)
Filip's advice:
“A small investment, like buying a domain, makes the project feel real. But don't spend crazy money at the start.”
That small financial commitment creates psychological investment. Everyone jokes about designers buying domains they never use. But purchasing that domain makes the project feel real. It's no longer just an idea on paper.
Avoid expensive tools, paid ads, or fancy services early on. Be scrappy. Only spend more once you have validation: interest, users, or revenue.
You have the luxury of a stable income. Use it to experiment without financial pressure.
One final thought
Filip shared something that really stuck with me. When his new side project idea came to him, he literally dreamed about it. He woke up early in the morning and couldn't fall back asleep because his mind was racing with improvements and possibilities.
The first thing he did when his fiancée woke up? He told her the idea. She thought about it for a few seconds and said: “Let's do it.” Having a person you can talk to and get instant, raw feedback from might be exactly what you need to decide if an idea is worth pursuing.
But the key is: they didn't overthink validation. They didn't spend weeks researching the market. They saw similar products, identified what sucked about them, and decided they could do it better.
That's the mindset.
Don't wait for perfect conditions. Don't wait for permission. Don't wait until you have “more time.”
Start. Build. Ship. Learn.
Enjoy your side projects 😉
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