Whenever you think of digital design, what typically comes to mind? You might usually conjure up images of graphic designers for general digital and physical marketing purposes, or web designers.
But the good news is that there are more varied and specific options for you to make more money, than simply the ones listed above. There is such a wide variety of fields you can explore to tap into your creative skills and earn some extra cash, while working on projects that you choose on your own terms, which are both exciting and fulfilling.
If you have an eye for design or work within the creative industry, you’re in the perfect position to launch a highly lucrative side hustle to complement your job and supplement your income, by choosing to specialize your design skills on a particular niche or product.
For instance, in one of the examples below, you can apply your creative juices to producing podcast cover art, which is both functional and attractive enough to engage potential listeners.
Here are three examples of side hustle ideas which you can use to generate substantial income and boost your salary:
1. Infographic Designer
An infographic is a visual aid that distills considerable amounts of complex information, in an attractive, easy-to-read, and easy-to-comprehend format. As a freelance infographic designer, your role would be to work closely with subject matter experts such as researchers and statisticians, to recreate key data from their studies and reports and convey them into a highly engaging visual. You would need to be comfortable using digital design software and be able to interweave graphic elements such as charts, diagrams, and maps.
On Upwork, the rates for infographic designers range from $30 to as much as $75 per hour.
2. Podcast Cover Art Designer
As of January 2024, Apple Podcasts—the largest podcast platform—hosts over 2.6 million podcasts from creators around the world, up from over 2.3 million in September 2021—an increase of 12%.
“Podcast cover art is one of the most important pieces of your podcast brand,” notes Buzzsprout. “It’s the first thing potential listeners see in Apple podcasts, it signifies the quality of your podcast, and 62% of new listeners are more likely to listen if they like its cover art.” This makes your role as a freelance podcast cover art designer a highly in-demand and essential one, especially as the podcast industry continues to expand.
3. Customized Home Apparel Printing
The custom t-shirt printing industry is experiencing a boom in demand, and is forecasted to be worth 1.5 billion by the year 2025. You can easily start a side hustle in designing t-shirts and other apparel with custom slogans or logos, through either obtaining your own equipment such as a DTF printing machine, or through creating designs and putting them on platforms such as Printify, Shopify, and Optimalprint.
As you can see, the demand for visually engaging content continues to surge, and this presents the perfect opportunity for you to unlock new streams of income. By leveraging your unique creative skills in niche specialities, you can easily supplement your salary while simultaneously engaging in projects that align with your passions.
