Some would say that there is no room for new graphic designers because the market is already oversaturated. While there is some truth in such a sentiment, aspiring graphic designers should not be discouraged from pursuing their goal of making a living from graphic design.
Even if you have little or no experience, there are still multiple ways to make money. Let’s take a look at some of the best methods.
Try Designing Custom Merchandise Products
Custom merchandise works as a method to make money because there is a demand for custom mugs, facemasks, hoodies, sneakers, t-shirts, key chains, stickers, and other products.
This demand comes from different demographics. For example, an average person might be looking for a custom mug as a gift for their friend, while politicians invest money in stickers or caps to promote their campaigns.
It might be difficult to create a custom merchandise store from scratch if you cover multiple different products. Scaling the business by adding new merchandise would make things easier.
T-shirts are usually the go-to option for those who wish to start a custom merchandise business. One can even make money selling t-shirts with Printify instead of developing every aspect of the business themselves.
There is also one other approach to consider. As a graphic designer, you might not be that keen to run an online store and promote it. If so, why not join an already established custom merchandise business and work as a graphic designer for it?
Also Read: 7 Reasons Computer Science Graduates Make More Money than Anyone Else
Work as a Photo Editor
Editing photos is monotonous work. Quite a few photographers are not too keen to take on this task themselves. Instead, they hire an assistant who can edit photos by adding lighting where appropriate, zooming in and out, or removing unnecessary elements.
Working as a photo editor might not sound like the most exciting idea, but if you have graphic design skills and wish to make extra money, this method might not be that bad.
If you have been working as a graphic designer, you should not take too long to figure out how to use photo editing software. In fact, you might already be familiar with commonly used tools—for example, Photoshop.
Share Experience With Others
Sharing your experience with others is another idea to consider. Thanks to online education, there is no need to spend years studying in a university to become a professional graphic designer.
Self-taught graphic designers exist, and they are making as much if not more than those who have formal education.
Even if you still lack exceptional graphic design skills, you can still share some of your knowledge with aspiring graphic designers.
Creating and selling online courses on Skillshare and Udemy would work as a passive source of income, and you get the joy of knowing that you helped people to get closer to their goal of becoming graphic designers.
Uploading tutorials on YouTube instead of selling them directly on online education platforms is also an option.
However, given the recent changes to YouTube’s monetization (most notably the ad algorithm), monetizing a YouTube channel might be quite difficult.
Teaching people one-on-one is also worth a shout. If someone gets in touch with you and asks to help them individually, working with them should not be an issue so long as you can find the time.
Stream Your Work on Twitch TV
Twitch TV is no longer a place just for video game streamers. No, the platform has grown a lot in recent years. Now, you can find various content creators who stream themselves while interacting with their viewers.
Given the nature of graphic design work, it is not too difficult to continue working efficiently while still checking in on the Twitch TV chat and responding to viewer comments.
If you have an entertaining personality in addition to great graphic design skills, streaming on Twitch TV could be just the right idea to make yourself a source of income.
Streaming regularly will help you grow the stream and attract new viewers. Once you have enough viewers, you can expect to see some donations and subscriptions coming your way. The two are the primary ways to monetize content on Twitch TV.
Also Read: Different Ways To Make Money Through Facebook
Look for Various Freelancing Gigs
Becoming a freelancer and looking for clients yourself is not easy, but if you are lucky, you will get to decide when and with whom you can work.
Freelance graphic designers can join Fiverr, Upwork, relevant social media groups, and other channels where they can seek freelancing gigs.
The work ranges from simple logo designs to book covers for self-published authors. If you can find a few regular clients and build your freelancing business from there, you should not have financial problems.
