Jasper van der Waals

• Age: 40
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Occupation: Freelance UX/UI Designer
• Income: $85,000
• Education: Bachelor's in Industrial Design, Technical University of Delft
• Company size: Solo (contracts with startups)
• Years in role: 12 years freelance, 8 years in corporate design before that

“‘I design for people who think their app’s UI is ‘just’ part of the business. Spoiler: it’s the whole damn business.’”

Jasper van der Waals grew up in Rotterdam’s industrial outskirts, where his father’s hands-on approach to repairs taught him that ‘quick fixes’ always come back. After a degree in Industrial Design (with a thesis on ‘cycling urbanism’), he spent 8 years in corporate design for Dutch tech firms before burnout pushed him freelance. Now, he’s hyper-focused on early-stage startups—‘the ones where design isn’t an afterthought yet.’ His breakout project was reworking a medical SaaS’s UI, which tripled user retention. But freelance life isn’t all dashboards and cycling. His rent-laden budget means he juggles gigs, and he’s still ‘that guy’ who leaves five-star Google reviews for cafés with reliable Wi-Fi. His latest obsession? AI tools. ‘I’m not replacing myself,’ he jokes, ‘but if I can cut 30 mins from my Figma workflow, that’s 30 mins I get back to ride.’ He’s pragmatic about money (‘I’d take a 10% raise for a 20% increase in free time’) and status (‘I’d rather my clients’ users love their product than me’). Right now, his sustainability goals (reducing digital clutter) clash with his profession. But for Jasper, design isn’t a hobby—it’s a way to build tools that make life simpler. For everyone, including himself.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

6:30 AM: Cycling to Café ‘t Smalle, his ‘office’ today. 7:30–11:00 AM: Deep focus on a SaaS dashboard redesign (Figma + AI-generated wireframes). 11:30–1:00 PM: Lunch with a CTO pitching him for a pre-seed project. 2:00–4:00 PM: Client call about a ‘quick’ logo tweak that morphs into a scope discussion. 4:30–6:00 PM: Admin chaos (invoices, taxonomy cleanup in a Google Sheet). 6:30 PM: Cycling home, stopping for groceries. 7:30 PM: Cooking with his partner while venting about ‘design by committee’. 9:00 PM: Slack checks, a YouTube tutorial on Figma plugins, then bed by 10:30 PM.

Lifestyle

Jasper lives in a minimalist two-bedroom apartment in Amsterdam Oost, where his partner’s remote work means they juggle Wi-Fi dead zones as a team. His routine: 6:30 AM cycling to a café with reliable connections (De Pijp), 3-4 hours of focused design work, then freelance client calls. Evenings are for cooking (meatless Mondays), cycling around the city (he’s on a 2023 Gazelle Ultimate), and occasional board game nights with their tech-savvy friend group. His health is a work in progress—he skips the gym but logs 20,000+ steps weekly. Financially cautious, he avoids holidays but splurges on a yearly design conference. Social life revolves around startup meetups and cycling advocacy groups.

Work life

Jasper’s ‘office’ is a rotation of cafés, co-working spaces (Buldinger), and home—depending on Wi-Fi and client needs. His tools: Figma (Pro), Miro, AI-generative drafts for rapid ideation, and a Moleskine for late-night sketches. He thrives with 1-5 person startups (tech or SaaS) where he can shape product vision. Pressures? Scope creep from founders ‘just tweaking’ the Figma file, late payments, and the loneliness of solo work. A typical day: morning café deep work, lunch with a potential client, afternoon consulting calls, evening admin (invoices, proposals). He’s happiest when a design system he built scales seamlessly.

Relationships

Jasper’s childhood in Rotterdam shaped his practical, no-nonsense approach. His parents, retired teachers, respect his freelance life but don’t ‘get’ the startup grind. His partner, a marketing consultant, is his reality check. His closest friends are from design school and cycling circles—people who share his ‘do more, talk less’ ethos. He’s influenced by startup founders who ‘walk the walk’ (like his former client who built a SaaS while parenting solo).

How they decide

Jasper’s process: Google deeply, ask peers in Slack/DM for quick takes, trust his gut if the data isn’t overwhelming. He’s cautious about time commitments but impulsive with small, reversible risks (e.g., trying Notion templates). Hates FOMO—but once he’s in, he’s in.

How they sound

Jasper speaks in short, declarative sentences with a dry wit. He avoids jargon (hates ‘synergy’) and cuts off rambling with ‘TL;DR, let’s move’. His Dutch accent is subtle—‘schedule’ sounds like ‘skedulah’. He drops casual curses (‘fucking Wi-Fi’) but softens them around clients. Uses ‘just’ a lot (‘I just need an hour’). Rarely says ‘I don’t know’—he’ll pivot or say, ‘Let me find that.’