For Freelance Web Developers ·
What you'll accomplish
A client reviewing a mockup full of generic stock photography struggles to picture their actual finished site. Generate placeholder imagery that matches their industry and brand direction instead, and design reviews land differently. The client sees something that already feels like their business, weeks before real photography exists.
What you'll need
Midjourney runs on two interfaces that produce identical image quality: the web app at midjourney.com, and the original Discord server. For a freelancer who just wants images without learning a command syntax, the web app is the simpler starting point. You type a description directly into the prompt bar at the top of the page, no slash commands required. Discord remains an option if you're already comfortable there or want to work inside a shared server with a team.
What you should see: After signing in to the web app, a prompt bar at the top of the screen labeled for image description, with a grid below it where your generated images will appear.
What you should see: A confirmation that your subscription is active, and the prompt bar becomes usable.
Describe the image you need in plain language, including the industry context and style direction the client wants. Midjourney responds better to specific, concrete descriptions than vague ones.
What you should see: A grid of four image variations based on your prompt, usually within a minute.
Troubleshooting: If the results feel generic or off-brand, add more specific visual details to the prompt (lighting, camera angle, color tone, setting) rather than just repeating the same short description.
Once you have a result close to what you want, the web app's editor lets you adjust it further rather than starting a fresh prompt from zero.
What you should see: An adjusted version of the image sized correctly for its slot in your mockup, downloadable directly from the editor.
Rather than generating one image at a time as you need it, batch this step. Generate placeholders for every image slot in the mockup in one sitting: hero banner, team or about section, service icons background, testimonial section backdrop.
What you should see: A folder of downloaded images, each sized and styled for its specific spot in the design.
Import the generated images into your Figma file or page builder as placeholders. Label each one clearly as a placeholder (in a layer name or a visible note in the client-facing review) so nobody mistakes AI-generated imagery for the final licensed or client-supplied photography that will eventually replace it.
What you should see: A mockup that reads as polished and close to final, with a clear internal note on which images are temporary.