Turn your design subscription into a money-making machine: Top passive income ideas

So you have an unlimited design subscription with Deer Designer, but sometimes those graphic design requests can be few and far between.

We’ve all been there: staring at that blank canvas, wondering how to make the most of those quiet months. I feel you.

How can you make the most of your design subscription and earn some extra income in the process?

What if we told you that your unlimited access isn’t just for client work?

With a little creativity, you can turn those design skills into a passive income stream that keeps paying you even when projects are slow.

Imagine waking up and checking your earnings from last night’s sales of your custom t-shirt designs or printable planners.

Or getting an alert that someone just purchased your premium icon set or Keynote templates. All while you were sleeping!

It’s not some far-fetched fantasy.

The demand for high-quality design assets has become insatiable.

And you’ve already got a professional design team at your fingertips with your Deer Designer subscription, anyway.

So why not tap into that endless well of creativity and start churning out products that can earn you cash on autopilot?

From Etsy bestsellers to online marketplaces, there’s a universe of possibilities.

We’ve got pages full of rock-solid passive income ideas that anyone can implement using their existing design skills.

Time to turn those spare hours into an extra income stream!

Use your graphic designs for merchandise through print-on-demand services.

Print-on-demand services offer a hassle-free way to monetize designs without the need for inventory management.

You can collaborate with print-on-demand platforms such as Printful, Redbubble, or Teespring to showcase your designs.

They have a variety of products, like clothes, home decor, and accessories.

These platforms handle printing, fulfillment, and shipping, allowing you to make passive income with minimal effort.

All you need is a creative design idea.

Send it to Deer Designer, and we can give you a continuous stream of fresh and diverse designs ideal for printing on a range of products.

However, this is not a sure-fire way to earn money.

Even if you have the artists with the design skills to make your ideas happen, you still need a market that will want to buy the designs you make.

Identify niche markets or trending topics that you want to make designs for.

You’re more likely to make unique and interesting designs if you have a related interest in the market you want to target.

You can then build the theme of your online store from there.

From cute and quirky illustrations in mugs to trendy typography in shirts, the possibilities are endless.

Leverage our team’s design skills to create and sell design templates and assets.

Everybody needs digital design assets online.

That might even be why you subscribed to Deer Designer in the first place!

Selling designs will always be a great way to generate passive income online.

Now that you have access to designers with the creative skills to handle your requests, you can use it as a resource for creating digital assets you can sell to people who have a similar need to yours.

Whether it’s fonts, icons, logos, design templates, or graphics, there will be a web designer or marketing agency that needs those.

Outsourcing design tasks can speed up the creation process and make expanding your portfolio easier.

It helps to research popular, in-demand design templates across various industries and request designs that cater to those needs.

Consider factors such as versatility, aesthetics, and functionality to make sure your assets appeal to a broader target audience.

You can then sell these to digital marketplaces like Envato, Creative Market, or Gumroad, which can showcase your design assets to those who need them.

These platforms provide exposure to a global audience of designers, developers, and businesses seeking high-quality resources for their projects.

Make passive income by selling stock illustrations on stock marketplaces.

Illustrations, like stock photos, are sought after by businesses, creatives, and content creators all year round.

After all, there are various uses for them, such as blog posts, social media posts, video animations, and more.

By outsourcing design tasks for illustrations, you can speedily build a robust portfolio on design marketplaces.

You can request a wide range of illustrations with various themes, styles, and subject matters from our design team.

From abstract patterns to realistic landscapes, cater to different preferences and project requirements.

You can then submit your illustrations to stock marketplaces such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images to reach a wide audience of potential buyers.

Make sure you optimize your metadata and keywords to improve your discoverability and increase sales potential.

Combine your expertise with our design work to create online courses, tutorials, and ebooks.

Other than just using design, you can monetize your expertise by creating and selling digital education products.

You can sell digital products like eBooks, tutorials, design guides, and online courses.

This might seem like a lot of work, as you have to conceptualize what you are teaching and structure it in a way that’s easy to digest for beginners.

However, as you can outsource the design aspect of this task, you can speed up the content creation process and focus on delivering value to your audience.

If you have the expertise and the desire to share your knowledge with others, you might just be losing money if you do not take advantage of your on-demand design service to create an ebook or course.

Identify niche topics or areas of expertise in your industry, and develop digital products that cater to those niches.

Whether it’s a comprehensive design tutorial or a specialized eBook, offer valuable insights and actionable advice.

You can use membership platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, Teachable, or even Patreon to host and sell your digital products.

Offer exclusive content, rewards, and perks to patrons or course participants, fostering a sense of community and recurring revenue streams.

Explore other passive income strategies, such as affiliates and licensing.

These are just some of the popular channels for making money online, and they might be too saturated if you are coming in without a plan.

You can still explore other avenues for generating passive income through design. There are so many opportunities out there.

You’ll just have to find one that you can specialize in.

You might want to consider exploring opportunities such as licensing agreements, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and advertising revenue.

Collaborate with complementary businesses, influencers, or brands to expand your reach and explore new revenue streams.

Whether it’s co-branded merchandise or sponsored content collaborations, strategic partnerships can open doors to passive income opportunities.

The landscape of passive income generation is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to stay informed about emerging trends, technologies, and market shifts.

Remain adaptable and open to exploring new opportunities as they arise, ensuring continued success in monetizing your design assets.

Making extra money with your design subscription

Design outsourcing services like Deer Designer can help you generate passive income through various channels, from print-on-demand products to digital assets.

With a bit of creativity and planning, you can tap into a wealth of design resources and earn some extra cash passively.

Whether you’re selling merchandise, crafting digital products, or licensing your designs, the possibilities for passive income generation are limited only by your imagination and entrepreneurial spirit.

Embrace the power of design outsourcing and journey towards passive income growth in the ever-expanding world of design.

Key highlights

• You can sell custom merchandise designs through print-on-demand services like Printful, TeeSpring, or Redbubble.
• Create and sell design templates and assets (fonts, icons, and graphics) on marketplaces like Envato or Creative Market.
• Make passive income by selling stock illustrations on stock marketplaces like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock.
• Combine your expertise with outsourced designs to create and sell online courses, ebooks, and tutorials.
• Explore other passive income channels like licensing agreements, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content.
• Stay adaptable to new passive income opportunities as the landscape evolves.