As a graphic designer, you might feel that your skills should be more than enough to make money. However, the market is quite saturated, and finding a job is not always that easy.
That is why more and more graphic designers are looking for new opportunities to work. For some, the approach is about finding a side hustle and making extra. For others, however, the goal is to start a venture and turn it into full-time work.
If you struggle to come up with ideas on how to utilize your graphic design skills, this article should be quite useful. Check the ideas below, and you are bound to land on one that suits you.
Custom Merchandise
Let’s start with customer merchandise. The demand for custom products continues to increase each year. It seems that more and more people are trying to express themselves by wearing custom t-shirts, hoodies, or caps.
Students like to get custom notebooks, while office workers are happy to have a custom mug on their desks.
Even if you are not too keen to start an ecommerce store selling merchandise yourself, you can join one of the established stores by showing off your graphic design talent. Or, as an alternative, create designs and sell directly on available marketplaces that make the process hassle-free. For example, Amazon.
Comics and Graphic Novels
Comics and graphic novels are one of the most popular forms of entertainment media these days. As a graphic designer, you could make money thanks to this popularity.
Of course, creating a comic or a graphic novel from scratch is tough, but even the very best authors have to start from somewhere.
In case you are no good when it comes to story-telling, find an author who is and turn the idea into a joint venture.
Photo Editing
Professional photographers often hate the editing part of their job. Unfortunately, photo editing is necessary, so it is common to hire an assistant who can do the work for you.
Graphic designers should know the basics of Photoshop, which means that editing photos is not really too much of a hassle. The work is monotonous, but if you are trying to make extra money, you should not be too picky about available gigs, right?
Web Elements
Web elements, such as logos, favicons, and banners, require effort to make a website look professional.
Having said that, it is still common to see so many website owners do not bother and use random web elements that they find online. Or, if they use a specific content management system that comes with a pre-built theme, it is often that some web elements come together with the team.
That is not to say that basic website setups are bad. It is just that if you want to make your site stand out and look more professional, you need to hire a proper graphic designer who can help with the problem.
The opportunities to create web elements might be rare, but if one comes along your way, do not hesitate and take it.
Social Media Content
Quite a few brands do not bother hiring an actual graphic designer for their social media content. Instead, they use simple online tools and publish general content that barely gets any engagement.
It is different when you have graphic designers creating professional infographics, GIFs, or animations.
Given how important social media is as a marketing channel, it is no surprise to see brands change their stance and invest in a reliable graphic designer.
You can find your place in social media marketing by working for someone who requires SM content on a regular basis.
Resume Templates
Some would argue that the most important aspect of the resume is the content itself. However, it is not a stretch to suggest that certain candidates stand out not just because of their experience but also because they present themselves with a resume with a unique template.
You can find sites offering various resume templates, but those are usually too basic. Instead, hire a professional graphic designer who can create a truly unique resume. And so long as there is a demand for such things, it presents another opportunity to make money as a graphic designer.
Online Education
Online education is a bit tricky because you will need some time to set up courses. Graphic design requires visuals to truly grasp the learning material. As such, it is recommended to record videos and talk about the process.
As a side note, you can turn your educational approach into a more entertaining one. Streaming on Twitch TV or YouTube is an opportunity to showcase your skills and interact with an audience at the same time. Monetizing the content should not be too hard if you have an entertaining personality and keep the stream engaging for viewers.