Just last week, I told fellow creator Vesna Stawa, aka Orchidea3D, that it had been a slow start this year. She looked at me like I'd said something ridiculous. I had shipped three web apps for creators, published three websites, held a webinar, and I was still calling it 'slow.'

This piece is about how that happened and what building specifically the three creator-focused web apps taught me about myself and others.

Vibe coding is a term for using artificial intelligence to write code and build websites, programs, applications, etc.

The term gets used somewhat dismissively, especially on social media, because the idea that you're prompting (communicating with AI to create an output) your way through a build rather than writing every line yourself feels still wrong to many people.

I'm here to tell you I don't care what these people tell you. The tools exist. The output works. Now, normal people without a coding background have the ability to positively influence the world, and that is very real! And that is what matters to me. Do we still need people who write line code and invent new systems and code infrastructure? Absolutely, more than ever before, if you ask me.

I'm a designer and governance operations person by background. I understand systems, I understand user experience, and I understand the problems creators face because I am one. What I don't have is a computer science degree. I learned to code from my dad back in the day, in school, and through some self-motivated Python studies and Processing. I never loved it or found it intuitive enough to stick with. Vibe coding let me close that gap without pretending it didn't exist.

Each tool I built came from a specific frustration I either experienced myself as a creator or heard from fellow creators persistently over the past two years. Finally, vibe coding allowed me to actually build those tools exactly the way I imagined them to feel and look.

I recommend using the Creator Tool Suite in this particular order for the following reasons: Creator Branding Studio will help you bring clarity to you, your services, and essentially your personal brand. With clarity comes a stronger connection with the audience and visual distinction, aka more clients. That leads to the question of how to best price yourself/your work. This is where the Creator Pricing Calculator comes into play. Lastly, to conclude a deal, you will need a contract that protects you. Creator Contract Builder will help you put that in place.

Sound relatable:

'Every time I have to write a bio or a pitch I start from scratch. It's exhausting.'

'I rebrand every six months because nothing ever feels right.'

Personal branding as a creator can be a huge challenge. I know it was for me, which is why I didn't do my own branding and instead worked with a small studio in Düsseldorf that did an amazing job. But the truth is, creators rarely have the resources to hire someone for that purpose. While I can't take off the logo-creation process or final visual outputs, Creator Branding Studio can help put together a conclusive brief. With that in your hands, you can either create your own brand assets, if you have the skills, or ask a fellow creator to help you out on a budget (more clarity on what you want means less work, less back-and-forth, and ultimately a less expensive product).

Try it out → creator-branding.com

Do any of these sound slightly familiar to you?

'I charged less because I really wanted the project.'

'I just pick a number that feels right and something the client might still pay.'

Seeing talented people undercharging themselves into burnout is what made creatorpricing.com the most pressing tool I wanted to build. Pricing is emotional for creators, since it feels like you're pricing yourself, not your work. I wanted a tool that removed the emotion and made the math unavoidable. The pricing tool I created doesn't rely on outdated ideas like location bias; instead, it focuses on an individual's expenses and needs. It also makes slight distinctions among digital creators, physical creators, and content creators, as they use different measures that affect their final rates.

Try it out → creatorpricing.com

I have heard these so many times I lost count:

'I didn't have a contract. I trusted them. But then I never got paid.'

'I did the work. They disappeared and ghosted me.'

'They seemed trustworthy. I didn't want to make it weird with a contract.'

The truth is, the really weird thing is not having a contract in place and doing work for anyone. Since not enough advocacy is happening for creators and freelancers as a whole, companies feel protected enough, but WE ARE NOT. So, having a contract in place and your client not questioning it is a matter of respect, not an optional add-on. A client who will not turn into a red flag in the process will not object to signing a contract with you. A client who might already have exploitative intentions will oppose. And remember, a collaboration with no paper trail can cost you months of work, money, and trust. Meaning not having a contract comes at a price. Something I also learned the hard way at some point.

Try it out → creatorcontractbuilder.com

Now you know about the tools or web applications I built and the reasons behind them, but I am yet to share what was the biggest realization I had through that process, and news flash, it wasn't technical.

It was that the problem should be the product. I didn't start by thinking "I want to build a web app." I started by empathizing with a group of people (creators & freelancers). People I am in contact with daily through Unlock Protocol and The ALANA Project. "Why does this keep happening to people I know?" The tool was just the answer.

It reminded me of the first design history lesson I attended at the University of Applied Arts back in the day. I struggled listening to the Professor in charge, who was so terrible at speaking, but he said one thing that remains true and keeps resonating with me more today than ever before: 'Design was born out of engineering. It became a necessity, not an option.'

Today, I believe the reason for that is that engineers build incredible infrastructure, but their core motivation is often not about the humans that technology is supposed to serve. While designers are taught that problem-solving and ideation are the core of their discipline, in collaboration with their audience.

Another realization I had slightly surprised me: Building things made me a better advocate for creators and in other spaces, too. When I sit in DAO governance calls, work on ALANA, or bring my freshly adopted dog to its physiotherapy, I feel I can truly help solve one or the other problem. I believe that feeling comes from understanding all ends of a product/service/tool: the audience perspective, the designer's wishlist, and the reality of engineered infrastructure.

Vibe coding is not a brainless tool you can use without any clarity, or it will spit exactly that back in your face.

Neither is it a magic wand you can swing at anything that crosses your path. But it can help solve problems one step at a time and with our collective imagination and creativity!

To me, these three tools are just the beginning of what I decided to build through vibe coding. The truth is, we have more important problems to solve than those specific to a particular group of people. That is what I have set my eyes on.

If you're using any of the Creator Tools, I genuinely want to hear what's missing. The best features always come from the people with the problem, and from using a tool to solve it. Please don't be shy, reach out to me on LinkedIn or any other platform, and let me know your honest thoughts.

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