Question 1: When Designers Touch Workflows… Do They Turn to Dust?
Let’s say I hire a designer to make my Bubble app look sleeker than a spaceship dashboard. They come in, make things pretty, adjust some buttons, sprinkle some shadows, maybe even rename a group or two.
BUT – what if that button isn’t just there for decoration? What if it’s connected to a whole workflow labyrinth behind the scenes?
Should the designer be expected to understand the logic behind a button before they move or restyle it?
Or is that on me (or a separate dev)?
What if that same button appears on 3 different pages and behaves slightly differently in each?
I’m just trying to avoid a situation where things look amazing… but absolutely nothing works anymore
Question 2: The Case of the Vanishing Receipt
So I recently worked with someone (yes, international) who did some work for me. I paid. All good there.
But when I asked for a receipt, I got a response that basically boiled down to:
“Make it yourself.”
Then later:
“I can’t give you a receipt — it costs too much.”
Wait… what?! I wasn’t asking for a personalized golden plaque or hand-calligraphed invoice from the Royal Treasury. Just, like… a PDF.
Has anyone else had an experience where:
You paid a freelancer.
They flat-out refused to provide a receipt.
You were told that issuing a receipt was somehow an expensive luxury service.
If so, I’d love to hear your stories. I thought receipts were standard practice, but maybe I missed a memo?
Thanks in advance, and if nothing else, I hope this post gave you a laugh. Everything here is 100% true. I only wish I were joking
Redesigning or moving a button shouldn’t change its functionality so technically the designer doesn’t need to understand its logic. That said, it’s helpful for a designer to know what it does…
I’m definitely in the developer camp vs the design camp.
I’ve worked with a lot of designers who have no clue about development or bubble. Their designs look pretty but often don’t implement well in bubble and even more often - don’t line up with what the client actually needs.
About 80% of apps that go from design to development end up being fully rebuilt differently to the figma within weeks of a client actually using the app. Which is why I prefer dev to design route.
Create a clunky interface first, iterate it often with real feedback (something a design can never do since it’s just a mockup), then get a designer to put a skin on it once the functions are stable. And more often these days - get AI to do the final design from a screenshot.
Having said that - I do focus on complex business process apps and those are very hard for anyone not intimate with the business to understand.
Would I get the designer or the dev to make the design changes? I’d 100% get the dev to do it.
the designer doesn’t know all the dependencies and logic
designers are most comfortable in figma and usually very inexperienced in the actual dev environment
the bubble editor styles are quite unique so unless the designer is familiar it will be hard for them to get the designs right
having said that, there are some designers who are great at dev - but those are very rare.
If the dev has built your app with reuseables and styles then the overall design should be fairly easy and efficient to update. I find the best way to design it is to screenshot or explain reuseables/pages and get a custom gpt/claude project (with the apps style etc preloaded) to mockup the design. I do this throughout dev and it’s markedly improved the quality of what I build. All of my clients now use this method and no longer use designers because it is faster and better quality output in many cases. (although the downside is that now I have an avalanche of work from all the AIs suggested changes every time the client doesn’t like something on a page!)
The old design to dev route made sense in the past when dev was slow and costly but with nocode it’s the other way around that works best. AI mockup, build it, use it, iterate until stable, final polish with design. At least that’s been my experience.
I’m genuinely surprised by some of these responses.
When I mentioned receipts, I wasn’t referring to anything mysterious like a “golden receipt.” I was talking about what should be standard operating procedure: a professional receipt or invoice clearly stating the work done, the amount paid, and any relevant terms. That’s Business 101.
As a service provider, issuing a receipt shouldn’t be a reactive “when they ask” thing—it should be automatic. It’s a matter of professionalism, accountability, and protecting both you and your client. It also shows pride in your work and reinforces that you’re running a legitimate operation.
Now, DeeJay, with all due respect—when you say “when they do, I make one for them,” that raises serious questions. Are you primarily working outside the U.S.? Because in the U.S., clients expect a receipt every single time. It’s not an optional thing—it’s baked into how Americans do business. Whether it’s for tax purposes, internal expense reports, or simply for peace of mind, the receipt is part of the transaction. No one wants to explain a $500 charge to their company without one.
So yeah—I’m genuinely curious. Are your clients not American? Or are you saying even American customers don’t regularly ask for receipts? Because if so, that’s not just surprising—that’s unheard of.
I read your comment and wanted to respond directly, because I believe brushing off the importance of receipts—especially in the context of solopreneurs and freelancers—is not only misleading, it’s potentially damaging advice.
Let’s get something straight: receipts matter. Whether someone is “just playing around with an idea” or building the early foundation of a business, documentation is critical. If that idea gains traction and becomes a full-fledged company, all of those early out-of-pocket expenses—domain names, design work, development time—need to be accounted for. Receipts support:
Initial investment documentation
Proof of legitimate use of funds
Establishing ownership and value of IP
This is not theoretical—it’s standard business practice.
And as for freelancers not needing to give receipts? That completely flips the relationship. Freelancers bill clients; they don’t receive receipts from them. An invoice or receipt is a basic part of that exchange. It shows what was delivered, how much was charged, and when payment was made. It’s how professionals operate. Clients often do want to know what they’re paying for, especially if the work has stretched over time or the results aren’t immediately visible.
Honestly, downplaying the importance of something so fundamental makes me question who you typically work with—and what kind of expectations they’re setting. If we want to encourage solid, sustainable freelance practices in this community, this isn’t the kind of thing to gloss over.
Happy to continue the conversation if I’ve misunderstood your point.
Let me clarify something, since you seem more focused on personalities than the point.
I didn’t ask for experiences just to collect anecdotes—I asked to spark a discussion about standards and professionalism. There’s a difference between saying “this is what I do” and presenting it as acceptable business practice for others to follow.
Nobody’s “dictating” how developers must behave. But if someone posts in a public forum saying receipts aren’t needed for solopreneurs or that freelancers don’t always need to issue receipts, they’re giving advice that can mislead newer professionals—and I’m going to call that out.
Because the reality is: if your project takes off, or if you’re audited, or if you’re trying to attract investors, those early receipts and invoices are what prove your work had substance. That’s not opinion—that’s legal and financial fact.
You’re free to run your business however you want. Just don’t be surprised when others who take this seriously push back on advice that leads people down a risky road.
If you think that’s a debate with ChatGPT, you’re missing the point entirely.
I have to be honest — this part of your statement stopped me cold:
“As for receipts, I have never ever in my freelance career been asked for a receipt.”
I find that extremely hard to believe.
Any professional who’s worked with serious clients — whether startups, agencies, or corporations — knows that documentation is expected. Not occasionally. Consistently. Receipts and invoices are how businesses track payments, file taxes, process reimbursements, and, frankly, demonstrate that they’re operating above board.
Even the most basic platforms — PayPal, Stripe, QuickBooks — exist around the premise that these documents are standard. They auto-generate receipts because they’re not optional in a functioning, transparent system.
If you’ve never once been asked for one, either:
You’re working exclusively with clients who don’t need proper documentation (which is rare and raises other questions), or
Clients expected them but didn’t want to chase you for it.
This is not an attack on you personally — it’s a reality check for everyone reading. Because when someone posts a statement like that in a community forum, it risks misleading others into thinking it’s normal to skip this step. It’s not.
So let’s not normalize operating without documentation. Receipts aren’t red tape — they’re a reflection of respect for your client, your work, and your own business.
At no point did I attack you personally. I challenged your statements — publicly made — about receipts and invoices. That’s called discourse. When someone makes a claim in a public forum, others have the right to question it, especially when it conflicts with widely accepted professional standards.
You’ve now accused me of belittling you, of not understanding English, and of ruining your day. That’s not a defense — that’s an emotional reaction aimed at deflecting from the topic at hand. I won’t engage with personal insults or attempts to derail a professional discussion.
The conversation was focused on best practices that matter to freelancers and clients alike. You chose to shift it into something else. That says more about your comfort with being challenged than it does about anything I said.
99% of the time a receipt is needed in the US (even for solos; I am only speaking for US, no clue about outside the US). Any time you issue a 1099, it’s only relevant when accompanied by receipt. Sure in the digital age it’s ridiculous but its still how life works (for now).
Maybe you’re focussing on document names and not function but an invoice functions as a receipt when its marked as paid. So you may have not been asked for a receipt but providing a paid invoice as paid is a receipt as is a merchant processor receipt which it seems you are providing as well.
I personally have found an automated plaid integration that’s been on auto for many years and captures all non-payment gateway payments to be very helpful as it texts me if it doesn’t recognize a charge.
really?!? ruined your day? Nearly as ironic as someone from Pakistan telling an American he doesn’t understand English…
Just explaining that your experience of not being asked to provide receipts may be because you are already providing receipts via merchant gateway / invoices.
Can’t respond to other parts since you’ve deleted it.
I believe issuing an invoice is an essential thing as this shows what work has been done and how much does it cost. it’s a financial evidence, it’s mandatory in EU and I believe in some other areas of the world.
In my opinion, even if it wasn’t mandatory, I think it’s better to issue one to the customer.
Question 1: When Designers Touch Workflows… Do They Turn to Dust?
Question 2: The Case of the Vanishing Receipt
All good there.
Do you believe receipts/invoices are necessary in professional transactions?
= I always issue or request receipts/invoices — it’s just good business
= I provide them on request only, not by default
= I’ve never issued or received one, and no one’s asked
Want to explain your choice? Drop a comment below!