Creative Resources For Small Business And Brands Who Are Not Graphic Designers
Even with all the inexpensive or free resources out there for graphic design, not everyone is a graphic designer. And not everyone has access to someone who can help with graphic design within the budget parameters they are working with when they are truly a small business or brand.
That is one of the reasons so many people turn to AI (while it is currently mostly free).
As covered in several earlier blog posts (I won’t link them all here, but you can scroll back through them), using AI can badly hurt your brand, never mind all the damage it does to the world in general.
This article covers the gist of it.
There are lots of resources to help with DIY, but even then, some people just aren’t designers, or genuinely don’t have the time. And that is totally valid.
There are lots of artists out there who are newer and genuinely need experience and exposure (which is not always a dirty word). Being able to work on projects to build a portfolio is important when you’re starting out. And some people are able to help people out with smaller budget projects if it means helping you create actual graphics and not using AI (which again, can hurt your brand anyway).
We put together a list of people who you can reach out to for graphic design work.
Before clicking the below links, please know the following:
We are not agents or brokers and we’re not involved in any agreement made. That is between you and the artist.
Have an agreement in writing as to the terms of what you’re agreeing. We’re not lawyers, and laws can vary place to place, but consider this a friendly suggestion to make sure you have at least the basics of the agreement in writing for reference by everyone involved. It could be an email or a text message. Just put it in writing.
The point of this is to help newer designers grow their portfolios and exposure while helping smaller businesses grow. Help shout-out the artists, tag them, let them use the designs to promote their work for future paid work. As you grow, remember who helped get you there and go back and hire them once you have a better budget.
Please don’t be a jerk. If you genuinely are super small and can’t afford anything, fine, but please do not abuse these lists and be spending $1,000/month on ad spend and then tell a designer you have “no budget”. Balance your expenses responsibly.
Be honest about your budget. Don’t try to scam people or get things for cheap or free so you can get away with more money while taking something from someone else who is doing a kindness and trying to help you.
If you can, give the designer a tip, even if it is just $5, $10, $15 - even if they say they will do it for $0. If you can, send them something. You don’t have to. This is just a comment, but something to keep in mind is if you’re running a business where you don’t even have $5 or $10 or $20 or can’t save that up even just personally over a few weeks to put into your business, you might want to look into your business plan and general life budgeting. If you’re trying to start or run a business, you should be able to put together a few dollars even if it takes you a few weeks. Again, you don’t have to, but it is a nice thing to do if you can (and if you can, you should).
Do not (and this can not be stressed enough) - DO NOT PUT THEIR DESIGNS INTO AI FOR ANY REASON. This is a hard line. Do not do this.
There are lots of people on both these lists. Go through them, check back as more people comment, see different styles and ranges out there. There are so many people willing to help. You don’t have to use AI.
With that, here is one thread to check out, and here is another. You can go to the comments section and reach out to anyone you’d like!
We’re always happy to support as best we can, but we also know that rising tides lift all ships. Newer businesses and brands and newer artists partnering together can help create a better world of content!
Happy connecting!