After years of freelance design work, I've noticed something: it's rarely the big creative decisions that lose you clients. It's the small stuff.

Here are 5 details that separate "good enough" designers from the ones who get referrals:

1. Consistent spacing systems — Pick a base unit (8px works great) and stick to it everywhere. Clients can't name why your designs feel "cleaner" but they always notice.

2. Typography hierarchy with only 2 fonts — Three fonts is almost always one too many. One serif, one sans-serif, done. Use weight and size for hierarchy instead.

3. Color accessibility — Run your palette through a contrast checker. If your body text doesn't hit 4.5:1, you're leaving readability on the table.

4. Micro-interactions on key actions — A subtle hover state or button animation on the primary CTA makes the whole product feel more polished. Takes 20 minutes, earns you repeat business.

5. Exporting at the right resolution — Sounds obvious, but the number of freelancers who deliver assets at the wrong DPI or format is wild. Ask the dev team what they need before you export.

I'm sharing more breakdowns like this every week inside Pixel Press — a free newsletter for freelance designers who want to sharpen their craft. Come through. 🎨