4th January 2024, Design
Passive income offers a unique opportunity to let your work generate income even while you sleep. As a creative, you don't have to be tied to your desk every day to earn from your artistic endeavors. The beauty of being a designer lies in the various avenues available to supplement your primary income.
Graphic designers can explore diverse ways to earn extra money, and achieving a goal like making $1000 per month is within reach. Passive income, earned without constant active involvement, can manifest through royalties, affiliate marketing, or investment income. Leverage your design skills to create assets that generate continuous income.
In this article, we delve into actionable strategies for graphic designers to achieve a passive income of $1000 per month in 2024. Explore opportunities like creating and selling design templates, establishing a membership website, or offering a design course for sale. Discover the tools and strategies to maximize your passive income potential, whether you're a freelancer or a full-time designer. This guide equips you with the knowledge to kickstart your journey toward earning passive income as a graphic designer
Creating and selling design resources is a great way for a graphic designer to earn money. These resources can include pre-designed templates, graphics, illustrations, and fonts.
These items can be sold on online marketplaces such as Creative Market, Envato, and Graphic River. This can be a great way to earn passive income as a graphic designer, as the resources can be created once and then sold multiple times.
To increase your chances of success when creating and selling design resources, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the design trends and to create resources that are high-quality and unique.
Additionally, it's also beneficial to have an eye for what is popular and useful to other designers and creators. Building a sizable collection of resources or a dedicated online store can also help to increase your visibility and build your reputation in the design community.
While many people still read print books, digital publishing is becoming increasingly popular in the social media world. According to Strategy analytics, user penetration will reach 15.9% by 2024. This indicates that eBooks are here to stay.
Writing eBooks is one way to market your graphic design skills and knowledge. You can create a beautiful guide to product branding or a step-by-step guide to graphic design for beginners. Whatever method you choose, there is no doubt that your eBooks will sell like hotcakes.
Looking at online marketplaces such as Creative Market or Etsy, it's clear that eBook templates are in high demand. Entrepreneurs from all kinds of backgrounds sell at least one as part of their brand, including social media influencers, creators, and makers.
As a result, selling pre-designed templates is an excellent way to generate passive income. Aside from eBooks, you can also look into selling resume templates online. These are also quite popular, as more job seekers these days are concerned with the appearance and feel of their resume.
Graphics and illustrations, like design templates, can be created and sold online. This market is also rapidly expanding, providing an excellent opportunity for you to supplement your income.
Below are a few good example of what you could sell:
Examples: 2D/3D illustrations, Icons, Animated icons, 3D icons, Patterns, Textures, Backgrounds, Brushes & 2D/3D Objects, etc.
You don't have to rely solely on large design marketplaces when selling graphics and illustrations.
You can build your own website or marketplace to sell your resources. Kit8 and DrawKit are two excellent examples of such online markets.
Fonts are an important component of any website. Especially now, when designers and programmers as well as Google place a premium on things like website readability and usability.
Fonts have become an important part of not only UX but also branding, which helps to explain the growing interest. This could be the ideal time for freelance graphic designers to jump on board and sell their unique fonts.
Countless fantastic fonts are available for purchase on marketplaces such as Envato Elements. Try to figure out what kinds of fonts are being sold, and then try to make something comparable or unique.
As a graphic designer, you can earn money by sharing your knowledge and expertise through webinars or workshops. These formats provide an excellent opportunity to educate and inspire others while earning an income. Webinars are online seminars that are typically conducted through video conferencing software and can be live or pre-recorded. Workshops, on the other hand, are in-person events where participants can learn and work hands-on with the material presented.
To create a successful webinar or workshop, it's important to have a clear understanding of your target audience and to create content that is relevant and valuable to them. It's also beneficial to have a solid understanding of the subject matter and be able to effectively communicate your knowledge.
You can promote your webinars or workshops through social media, email marketing or other platforms to reach your target audience and charge for the access. Additionally, for ongoing education, you can also record or document the webinars or workshops and then sell them as a course, package or membership access, providing an ongoing source of income.
Courses are an excellent way to share your knowledge while earning a passive income. There are many designers who do this and make a lot of money.
If you are an experienced designer with something valuable to sell, creating a course is the ideal solution.
You can make any type of course and sell it on any platform.
Listed below are some platforms where your courses can be sold:
Udemy, SkillShare and Lynda.
When looking to sell courses, make sure you're providing actual benefit and not just making money.
Selling physical design work is a great way for a graphic designer to earn money and showcase their skills. This can include items such as prints, posters, t-shirts, mugs, and other items that feature your designs.
There are a variety of platforms and marketplaces available for selling physical design work, such as Society6, Redbubble, and Zazzle. These platforms allow you to upload your designs and sell them on a variety of items, giving you a broad audience and exposure to your work.
To be successful when selling physical design work, it's important to have a very good understanding of design trends and to create designs that are visually appealing and relevant to your target audience.
Additionally, it's also beneficial to have a good understanding of the printing process and the best materials for different types of products. Creating a strong marketing strategy that includes social media promotion and networking with other artists can also help to increase visibility and attract customers. Furthermore, creating limited edition or exclusive designs that can't be found on other platforms can also increase the value and desirability of your physical design work.
A graphic designer can expand their portfolio, make money, and get visibility by taking part in design competitions. Many companies, organizations, and even individual entrepreneurs, hold design contests where designers can submit their work and compete for a prize. 99Designs is a popular platform for finding design contests.
The prizes can vary from cash, gift cards, and vouchers to getting featured on the company's website, social media pages, or even getting the chance of working with the company. Besides, winning a design contest can also be a great way to build your portfolio and showcase your design skills to potential clients and employers.
To increase your chances of winning a design contest, it's important to thoroughly research the contest and the company / organization running it and tailor your designs to their specific needs. It's also advantageous to have a strong knowledge of the latest design trends and to create designs that are visually appealing, unique, and relevant to the contest's theme.
Furthermore, submitting a case study or explaining the design process can add value to your submission. Lastly, is also important to be aware of the terms and conditions of the contest, as some may have limited usage rights for the design after the contest ends.
A excellent option for a graphic designer to gain profit and use their knowledge and experience is to work as a design consultant. As a design consultant, you would work with clients to help them understand and solve design-related problems and improve their visual communication. This can include consulting on branding, marketing, web design, and user experience.
To become a design consultant, it's important to have an understanding of design principles and be able to effectively communicate with clients. Additionally, it's also beneficial to have a wide range of experience working with different clients and industries. Building a strong portfolio and creating a professional website can also help to showcase your skills and attract clients.
A design consultant can charge by the hour or project basis and bill clients for the time you spend working on their projects. It's important to establish clear communication and set expectations early on to ensure a smooth working relationship. It's also important to stay informed about the latest design trends and industry developments, to be able to provide relevant and valuable advice to clients.
Making a tool or product is another amazing passive income source for designers. Obviously, I'm not talking about developing a sizable product or piece of software. I generally refer to producing straightforward utility items or products.
Examples: A Design Challenge Generator, a Blob Generator, or a tool like SocialSizes are a few examples of these tools.
As a graphic designer, you likely have a unique perspective and understanding of design that can lead to the creation of valuable and innovative products. This can include design software or apps, design tutorials, and design-related products.
To create a successful product or tool, it's important to identify a need or problem in the design industry that your product or tool can solve. Creating a website or marketing campaign to promote your product and making it available to purchase online can also help to increase visibility and attract customers. Furthermore, gathering feedback from beta testers can help you to improve and optimize your product before release, which can lead to greater success.
Creating a product or tool can also serve as a way to showcase your design skills, portfolio and creating a brand for yourself. Additionally, it can also be a way to earn passive income, with ongoing sales and updates to the product over time.
A branding package usually includes a logo design, color palette, typography, and visual identity guidelines. These packages can be tailored to specific industries and target audiences and can be an effective solution for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs.
To create successful branding packages, it's essential to have a thorough understanding of branding principles and be able to create cohesive and visually appealing designs. Moreover, it's also beneficial to have experience working with different clients and industries and to be able to effectively communicate with them throughout the design process. Building a strong portfolio and creating a professional website can also help to showcase your skills and attract clients.
It's important to establish clear communication and set expectations early on to ensure a smooth working relationship and to be able to provide the client with a comprehensive and effective branding package that will help them to establish and promote their business. Furthermore, it's also important to stay informed about the latest branding trends and industry developments, to be able to provide relevant and valuable advice to clients.
It is among the most popular and profitable services provided by graphic designers. Companies pay top dollar for high-quality logos, so if you can create excellent logos, this could be a great way to make money as a graphic designer. Offer your expertise to businesses and start-up’s in need of a logo to represent their brand.
Printables are digital files that can be printed by the customer and can include items such as posters, invitations, cards, planner pages, and more. These can be sold through online marketplaces such as Etsy, or through your own website or social media platforms.
Example: Create eye-catching posters, cards, and other printable items like stationery, wall art, calendars, and more. You can accept customers’ orders or sell these items online as digital downloads.
Besides this, it's also beneficial to have a good understanding of the printing process and the best materials for different types of products. Creating a variety of printables that can appeal to different market segments such as stationary for home, kids or office, can also increase your customer base.
When selling printables, it's important to showcase the high-quality and usability of the designs, providing clear and well-lit photos, as well as providing detailed product descriptions and customer reviews can also increase the visibility and reputation of your printables. Promoting them through social media, email marketing, or other platforms to reach your target audience can increase sales.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are a digital asset, which are unique and cannot be replicated or exchanged for an identical item. As a graphic designer, you can create and sell digital art, animations, videos, 3D models, and other digital assets as NFTs. These can be sold on platforms such as OpenSea, Rarible, and SuperRare.
It's crucial to have a thorough understanding of both the medium you are creating in and the digital art world in order to create great NFTs. It's also helpful to be aware of the technical prerequisites for producing NFTs, such as file types and metadata.
When selling your work as NFTs, it's important to showcase the uniqueness and exclusivity of the digital asset, which can increase its value to the buyers. Moreover, promoting your NFTs through social media, email marketing, or other platforms to reach your target audience can also increase visibility and sales. Also, it's important to be aware of the terms and conditions of the platform and the legal and regulatory requirements of the jurisdiction you are selling the NFTs.
Collaborating as a freelancer with clients can be a perfect place for a graphic designer to earn money while gaining experience in a variety of projects and industries. Freelancing allows you to work on a project-by-project basis, giving you the freedom and flexibility to choose the projects that align with your interests and goals.
To work effectively as a freelancer with clients, you must have a good profile and a professional website to highlight your skills and attract customers.
Fiverr and Upwork are the best platforms for working as a freelancer with clients.
A complete awareness of the legal and financial facets of freelancing, including how to draught a contract, how to pay clients, and how to handle taxes, is also advantageous. Furthermore, having a process in place, such as client on-boarding, outlining the milestones and deliverables, can also help to manage the project effectively and efficiently. These were the top 10 creative ways to sell & earn extra income online.
Earning $1000 per month as a graphic designer in 2024 is certainly achievable with the right skills, a strong portfolio, and a good understanding of the industry. There are various ways a graphic designer can earn an income, such as freelancing, finding a part-time or full-time job, starting a business, and many others.
As a graphic designer, you can leverage your skills and knowledge to create assets that can generate income for you on an ongoing basis. This could include creating and selling design templates, starting a membership website, and creating and selling a design course.
Also, utilizing different platforms and marketplaces, such as online marketplaces, your own website or social media, can increase your visibility and reach.
Consequently, building a strong personal brand and a professional website to showcase your work and services can also attract potential clients.
Networking with other designers and entrepreneurs, can open up new opportunities and collaborations that can help you to earn $1000 per month as a graphic designer in 2024.
