4 Most Profitable Niche In Graphic Designing

People thought freelancers were less capable than full-time workers for a long time. But those days are quickly changing as more freelancers are becoming evident.

One of the many popular niches is graphic design, logo design, brand packaging, brochures, flyers, and many more!

Even though the pandemic has caused a lot of emotional and financial stress, freelance graphic designers are hopeful about the future of freelancing as it’s creating more demand than ever!

Based on Forbes’ report, more than three-quarters of designers think their clients are more likely to hire people who work from home. And more than two-fifths of freelance designers said they might move to a smaller town or rural area if their clients were willing to accept remote work arrangements permanently.

So what this means for a freelance designer?

Is Freelancing worth it in Graphic Design?

Freelancing is the industry of skilled workers who want to be self-employed rather than working for a ‘boss’ or higher-ups. These people decide, charge their skillset, and choose to work anywhere – with or without a schedule.

Freelancing, the solo version of entrepreneurship, has all the highs and lows of owning a business. While some people excel at freelancing, others do not or would prefer not to, regardless of whether they have the necessary skills. 

Check out the most in-demand skills of a freelancer.

Reality check: It’s not for everyone! Many designers recognize this fact and would prefer the security of a steady paycheck.

So what is it about the freelancing and graphic design industry?

Freelancing is a great way for personal growth. Whether a part-time or full-time gig, the graphic design industry has been a profitable career.

Check out some side-hustles you can do as a freelancer.

These freelance graphic designers are more concerned with staying technically and professionally competent. 

In 2022, global graphic design is expected to grow by 3.7%, and the graphic design industry is expected to be worth $43.4 billion by 2022.

And the graphic design market is worth $13.3 billion in the United States alone!

Yet, given all its benefits and popularity, the industry became oversaturated over the years. But then again, many of your competitors’ work could be better. If you want to stand out, you know this is your most potent weapon. Instead of being concerned about your competition, ensure that your work differs from your competitors who do not produce excellent work.

So, how do you distinguish yourself from the crowd?

One of every three graphic design freelancers invested in their professional progress by learning new professional skills like pitch desk designers, 3D animation, 2D animator, UI design, and motion graphics. At the same time, the other half worked on personal creative projects.

Check out how to become a graphic designer?

So the key is to niche down. Ask yourself,

“What do I want to focus on?

“What is more applicable to my skill set and needs?” “

What service is my expertise?”

Once you’ve found your niche, you can start targeting your specific market.

What to Look for While Selecting Graphic Design Niche

When choosing a graphic design niche, there are several factors to consider to ensure that you choose the right graphic design niche that aligns with your interests and strengths. Here are some things to consider:

1. Passion: Choose a niche that you are passionate about. This will make it easier for you to stay motivated and produce quality work consistently.
2. Skills: Choose a niche that aligns with your skills and strengths. This will allow you to produce high-quality work that meets your clients’ needs.
3. Market demand: Choose a niche that has a high demand in the market. This will increase your chances of getting more clients and generating more revenue.
4. Competition: Choose a niche that has a reasonable level of competition. A highly competitive niche may be challenging to break into, while a niche with no competition may not have enough demand to sustain your business.
5. Industry trends: Keep up with industry trends and choose a niche that is growing and has the potential for long-term sustainability.
6. Target audience: Consider your target audience and choose a niche that resonates with them. This will increase your chances of attracting the right clients who appreciate your work.
7. Portfolio: Evaluate your existing portfolio and choose a niche that complements your previous work. This will help you showcase your expertise and attract clients who are looking for the specific type of work you produce.

By considering these factors, you can choose a graphic design niche that aligns with your skills, interests, and the market’s needs, which will help you build a successful career in the industry.

Four Types of Graphic Design Niche

A freelance graphic designer may work independently or through an agency or company in the marketing or creative department. But if you want to start your career in freelancing, here are the most common graphic design niche you can choose from:

Brand Identity and Logo Design

Graphic designers who focus on creating a brand identity for a specific brand visualize, propose, and design new and powerful visual identities for existing and new brands, products, or services. 

Logo designs, like icons or emblems, are essential to brand identity. It requires a one-of-a-kind selection and arrangement of colors, shapes, and designs used to represent the brand nearly everywhere, from websites to advertisements to company buildings. 

Designers in this niche may create various graphic design outputs when creating or updating brand identity, like business cards, letterheads, or posters.

Check out the guide to freelance graphic design rates.

Packaging & Label Design

An avid fan of 3D shapes can focus their energy on packaging design. In this field, designers concentrate on making designs that catch consumers’ attention regardless of whether they’re aware of the brand.

Thus, it says a lot about the brand, and it is a crucial responsibility of the designers to create something unique and trendy enough to be attractive.

This type of design entails initial sketches, computing work, and testing strategy on physical mockups to ensure that every angle is covered. In this design career, it’s also crucial to understand the packaging materials and their environmental effect.

Web and Mobile Design

Designers can specialize in either mobile or web design as long as they understand the standards and best practices of the medium (or gadget) they are designing. For instance, what works well in a single web design may not work well in other social media platforms, and so on!

Designers in these roles make the pages, layout, and graphics for apps or websites. They work closely with web developers to make sure that their designs are viable. 

They also help plan a website’s or app’s navigation, framework, and user experience, ensuring that all pages or screens have the same look with an easy-to-use interface. 

Another skill that can be beneficial (but optional) is knowing the fundamentals of coding. This can help you design a more-friendly interface and mobile accessibility and provide the best information architecture in the market.

Print and Layout Graphic Design

This kind of designer strives for the perfect balance of text and graphics. What do we mean by that? Designers create visually pleasing designs that are easy to read for books, newspapers, magazines, and other advertising material. 

Layout and print graphic designers are primarily concerned with the placement of imagery and the choice of font and typeface when working with large amounts of text. To be successful in this field, familiarity with printing processes and production will help.

Check out the top tools for freelance graphic designers.

The Future of Freelance Graphic Designers

So what do we get in all these? Given all the fields in graphic design, it sure becomes more profitable than you can imagine.

Freelancing is on the rise; demand is high. Thus, it appeals to a wide range of professionals and businesses increasingly reliant on the ability to enhance their professional workforce as needed or as project needs demand. 

It, indeed, is not for everyone. But as long as some businesses want to create an identity and market themselves in their industry, graphic designers will always be in demand in the saturated market.