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<p><img alt="Image blog Momenteo" class="aligncenter size-full" src="https://www.webself.net/file/app/7/blog/fabien-laborie.png" /></p> <p></p> <h3><strong>1- Tell us about yourself</strong></h3> <p>My name is Fabien Laborie and I am a freelance product designer (also called UI/UX designer). I have specialized in Systems Design, which is an organizational approach to design. Moreover, I train teams like Fizz, the city of Montreal, or even the Cirque du Soleil to improve their processes. I also founded the <a href="https://mtlinteractive.com/" target="_blank">Montreal Interactive</a> community (formerly Sketch MTL) and I make music under the name <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UUoMTBt5MBJkrKdF2DrBQ" target="_blank">Inscience</a>.</p> <h3><strong>2- Where does your immense passion for your profession and design come from?</strong></h3> <p>Since I was a boy, I always have been passionate about drawing and graphic arts. I was trained to be a graphic designer, but accidentally I discovered digital product design. It is the union and tension between aestheticism and engineering that attract me the most.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>3.&nbsp; How did you become a designer? What and where have you studied?</strong></h3> <p>I studied for two years at Efficon (Paris) while working in a small business making flash sales on the web. Although I have learned some techniques at school, I got most of my abilities by having personal projects. It is by self-studying continuously that I can stay competitive.&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>4- How did you become self-employed?</strong></h3> <p>I worked for an agency for 3 years and then in a startup for 2 more years. After a while, I felt limited by the way businesses worked. I wanted to choose my methods, my customers, and projects that matched my values. I gave myself a deadline to start from scratch on January 1st, 2016.</p> <h3><strong>5- What is the most challenging part of self-employment?</strong></h3> <p>Since I am passionate about my work, it is difficult to stop at 5 p.m. like if I was an employee. There is always something to do, invoicing, emails to answer... I then took a coworking office to keep my work life separate from my family life. It helps a lot!&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>6- Which part of being self-employed do you like the most?</strong></h3> <p>I love my freedom. I am continuously outside my comfort zone and I adore that! I never know who my customers will be in 3 months and it helps me give the best of myself! I also like to decide to take a day off when I feel I need one. As a designer, it is as important to feed your brain of contents than to use it.</p> <h3><strong>7. Tell us about your work routine</strong></h3> <p>I do not really have a work routine (to the great dismay of my wife!) In a daily week, I will have days in my pajamas at home as much as meetings at big corporations or work sessions at coffee shops.&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>8- What are the online tools you could not live without</strong></h3> <p>As a designer, Figma and Sketch are two tools I use to make nearly everything. As a self-employed worker, Momenteo helps me stay organized. I love the way it is displayed since it allows me to have a clear overview of my invoicing: how much is pending, who is late, etc. I write my courses in Dropbox Paper and I communicate with my customers with Slack. The rest is secondary to me.</p> <h3><strong>9-&nbsp; How did you learn about Momenteo and how long have you been using it?</strong></h3> <p>I discovered Momenteo in 2016 when I started to be a full-time self-employed worker. I have been using it from the start. I would have difficulties working with something else.</p> <h3><strong>10- How do you find your new customers?</strong></h3> <p>I have the luck of having a big network in Montreal. New customers then come to me. I never had to look for new projects yet, but I have accepted some out of spite. I regret it. I now have enough self-confidence to choose the right projects and build genuine relationships with my customers.</p> <h3><strong>11-&nbsp; What are your tips for someone who would like to get into freelance?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;I would say that both lives have advantages and disadvantages. People have a lot of prejudices on freelance work and don&rsquo;t dare to leap. For example, there is no less job security, but you need to be resourceful and to trust your abilities. You only need to know if we are made for that or not. The best way to know it when you want it is to try it!</p> <h3><strong>12- Which projects are you most proud of?</strong></h3> <p>I am very proud of having helped build <a href="https://zeroheight.com/" target="_blank">zeroheight</a>, which is a product made for designers and that I use. I am also delighted with the new web design system I just created for the city of Montreal, which has been just released. However, the thing I think I am the proudest this year is to have been able to go outside my comfort zone and started to teach design by my own means. It is difficult to choose; I involved myself emotionally in every project!</p> <h3><strong>13- Do you have any big plans for next year?</strong></h3> <p>I hope to teach more and train new businesses to system design.</p> <h3><strong>14- How Can We Contact You?</strong></h3> <p>You can talk to me on <a href="https://join.slack.com/t/mtlinteractive/shared_invite/enQtNjk2MjYzMDg3NTY5LWY3N2NkZDg1YjA1YThjMzEzMjFhMzUwZDM0ZGQ4MDM1OGUwNTY0NzhiMzUzYzJkZDgxYWUxNmQzM2U2NTUzMTU" target="_blank">Montreal Interactive Slack channel</a> with more than 600 other designers from Montreal, as well as everywhere on social media by looking for Fabien Laborie!</p> <p></p> <p></p>