5 Design Studio Success Stories [2024]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a design studio:
1. Canny Creative ($600K/year)
Tony Hardy, founder of Canny Creative, started the business out of necessity when he needed to support his growing family. He began by selling business card designs and quickly gained referrals, eventually expanding his services to include brand strategy and website design. Through consistent blogging and content marketing, Canny Creative has grown to generate around $50,000 per month and serves clients globally.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 12
Canny Creative is a creative agency earning around $50k per month by partnering with startups and SMEs to build and grow their brand, website, and content marketing offering.
2. Draft ($216K/year)
Passionate about UX design since the very start, Nick wasn't able to get a job in this industry. He began with writing a book about to how to get started in UI UX and became one of the earliest hit projects of Kickstarter back in 2008, raising over $10k. 5 years later, taking a month off from his UX job, Nick decided to continue with working independently like he did with his book, and formulated Draft, a company that he runs entirely on his own terms even after a decade.
How much they make: $216K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
Learn how Draft, an interaction design consultancy known for their influential books on design & technology, has thrived through word-of-mouth and niche outlets, bringing in an average of $18,000 a month split between consulting and educational work.
So... can you actually make money with a design studio?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Karen Canlas ($36K/year)
Karen Canlas, the founder of luxury branding studio Karen Canlas, came up with the idea for her business while reading the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" during the pandemic. Inspired by the book and her desire to take action and pursue her dreams, she joined Upwork as a virtual assistant and eventually discovered her passion for luxury branding and design. Through strategic branding and web design, Karen has been able to elevate her clients' brands and attract top clients, earning $2,500 per client.
How much they make: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 1
Luxury brand strategist, Karen Canlas, explains how she went from earning $200 to $2,500 per client by niching down and offering bespoke luxury branding experiences to her target market of founders and lifestyle brands.
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
