Always following instructions doesn’t help if you want to show your creative side, learn new techniques, and build a portfolio. It doesn’t give you much freedom and room for experimentation. For creative artists, that’s torture!
The good news is that you don’t always have to follow someone else’s vision to make money as a graphic designer for beginners. In fact, there are plenty of passive income opportunities that would allow you to design what you want, the way you want it.
In this article, you’ll find ways to sell online! Here you have them—active, semi-passive, and passive income ideas for graphic designers. Let’s take a look at each of these ideas and why you should try at least one of them to earn money:
Table of Contents
1. GIFs
Animated images have been around for over 25 years, but it’s the last three years when the trend has really taken off. From telling stories to expressing emotions, GIFs today are used by nearly everyone and everywhere in digital communication.
When Instagram introduced GIFs in stories, many savvy brands on Instagram saw them as another way to increase brand awareness. So, they started uploading custom GIFs for everyone to use.
Now, with the trend in full swing, more companies are looking for original GIFs to purchase and use in their communication. So, if creating moving graphics is your hobby, this is a great time to put your work for sale and start making money with it.
2. Premade 3D designs
3D designs give opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to reach in the online environment—they give a face-to-face effect. Experts predict that realistic-looking 3D graphics and animations are something we’ll continue to see more in the following years. And not just in big-budget campaigns, game designs, and Hollywood movies.
Also Read : How to choose the ideal printer for your business
We can expect that in the following years there will be a growing interest in premade 3D models. Small businesses will be willing to use the trend but on a budget. Instead of creating 3D models from scratch, companies that want to save money will be looking for ready-made content that can be customized. So, use this demand to sell assets that you’ve previously created for a different project or for fun.
3. Ebooks and resume templates
While many still read print books, digital publishing has grown ever popular in the social media world. According to Statista, user penetration is expected to hit 15.9% by 2024. That tells you that ebooks are here to stay.
Writing ebooks is one way to sell your skills and knowledge as a graphic designer. You can write a step-by-step guide to graphic design for beginners, or create a beautiful guide to product branding. Whichever way you choose to sell, there’s no doubt that your ebooks will sell like hotcakes.
When you take a look at online marketplaces like Creative Market or Etsy, it’s evident that ebook templates are in high demand. Social media influencers, creators, and makers—entrepreneurs from all walks of life sell at least one as part of their brand.
So, putting pre-designed templates up for sale is a great way of earning passive income. Apart from selling ebooks online, you can also try to sell resume templates. These are quite popular as well, as more job seekers these days care about the look and feel of their resume.
4. Freelance on Upwork
Freelancing could work for you when you have a diverse set of graphic design skills, but you’re not into selling products. If you’d rather experiment with different gigs (like social media post design, illustration, etc.), Upwork could be a potential source of income for you.
With hundreds of jobs for each skill set, Upwork is the world’s largest freelancing website. Once you sign up, you can easily filter graphic design jobs by using their search function. Upwork makes it easy to find suitable jobs faster than you would on your own by matching you to offers that need graphic designers.
While freelancing may not be the most reliable option for earning a steady income, it’s a great way to build a reputation and earn positive feedback. For example, you can try part-time freelancing while working on other side projects, and use the reviews you’ve received on Upwork for future reference.
You can also have a look at our blog post on other websites for finding graphic design jobs online.
5. Business branding
In recent years, business branding has seen a huge spike in popularity. As entrepreneurs and startups don’t always have in-house designers, they need someone with the talent and the vision to help them come up with a strong visual identity.
From logos to business cards, designing the critical components of a new brand is a great way to utilize your talent and earn an income. Not only will you have a stunning portfolio, but it’ll also ensure similar future opportunities.
Business branding can be emotionally rewarding as well, especially when a brand reaches fame on a global scale—thousands of people will be in awe of your design work.
So, why not jump in on this potential source of income and start selling your services with Sellfy? Read our article on how to get started the quickest and easiest way possible.
6. Teach graphic design
Not into selling products or freelancing? Then perhaps online tutoring might be your thing. If you’ve noticed that you enjoy teaching people, why not teach them your passion?
The rise of online tutoring can be attributed to an increasing interest in acquiring new skills from the comfort of one’s home. Previously, people would sign up for courses in their local neighborhood and then try to match their busy lives with the program’s schedule.
Now that e-tutoring is available to all, people no longer need to struggle with time slots—they can learn at their own pace. So, if you’re a highly skilled graphic designer, you could give this a shot by selling courses online via learning platforms like Udemy, Teachable, or Skillshare. Your clients will definitely appreciate the chance to learn from you at their convenience.
