Annika Davis da Cunha
Q What do you do?
“I’m a web designer and creative developer who makes sites with Squarespace and Shopify, or totally custom sites from scratch using my coding skills!”
I'm trained in web development and also have a degree in art, so I love making sites that are unique and fun.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I got my first taste of web development as a 13-year-old customizing the HTML and CSS of my MySpace page, and fell in love with the power of creative coding! Now I have an MA in art and a certificate in front end web development. I've worked in both the art world and the tech world, but left them behind this year to start freelancing!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I'm a queer female developer who has worked in both art and tech. It inspires me to be creative in everything I do, and to encourage my clients' creativity as well.
Q What are you working on right now?
I'm currently working on creating an e-commerce site with Shopify for a lovely client who is launching a fragrance brand.
Q What’s your style?
My personal taste tends to be artistic and eclectic, which is really represented in my wedding website: annikaandjoao.com. I made it together with my partner, who is an architect and graphic designer. But my passion is really in fostering others' creativity and helping them find their style, which is why I made my personal website (annikadavisdacunha.com) with a customizer feature so people can play around with changing the site's appearance.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I'd love to learn more about coding animations!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Client acquisition is an ongoing struggle for all freelancers, especially those of us who feel a lot more comfortable creating than marketing. It's something that I aspire to get better at!
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Is there anyone out there who could do client acquisition for me, and clean my house?
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could go back a couple years to when I was feeling like an outsider in the startup/tech world, and tell myself that I could leave my full time job and successfully work for myself.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I'd love to gain insight on fighting imposter syndrome and confidently speaking about my skills!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm looking for website projects, especially for individuals and small businesses. My passion is creating sites that help people who are just starting to follow a dream, by developing something that will match their style, and get them out there into the internet world!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love my current client, a woman who left her corporate job to launch her dream fragrance brand. Collaboration is important to me, so I value clients who are passionate about what they're doing, who have a vision for their site that I can help them to realize.
Q What is your rate?
Design and development for Squarespace sites typically starts at around $3000 for 5 pages, and Shopify sites start at $5000 and go up depending on the number of pages and products. I can also code completely custom websites, and pricing depends on the client's needs and visions. For everything, I offer several payment options, and discounts for creatives, non-profits, and members of the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
They can visit annikadavisdacunha.com or email hello@annikadavisdacunha.com!
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I'm really inspired by Brit aka @sword.and.stone on Instagram. She combines her skills in tech and design with her passion for magic and divination and makes some really cool stuff!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Weekly dates with my inner artist <3
This member profile was originally published in August 2023