8 Digital Art & Design Business Success Stories [2024]
Digital art and design is often used to create visual content for websites, apps, and other digital platforms.
Digital art and design businesses can be either freelance or full-time.
They can work in-house for larger companies or as independent contractors for other businesses or individuals.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a digital art & design business:
1. The Design Database ($60K/year)
Courtlyn Jones, the CEO and founder of The Design Database, came up with the idea for her business after quitting her job at a design company and realizing she wanted to do more than freelance design. She wanted to create a platform that would support and connect freelancers in the creative industry, allowing them to choose their own projects and keep 100% of their earnings. Through marketing efforts on social media and strategic spending on ads, Jones was able to attract over 800 subscribers in less than 45 days.
How much they make: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 2
The Design Database is an online platform and community for creatives that connects them with clients who are looking to hire now, providing tools and resources for them to successfully build their careers, and has gained over 200 creatives and 25 companies since its launch in late July, as well as receiving grant funding from the HerRise Pitch Competition by HerSuiteSpot and raising over $10,000 on Kickstarter.
2. Blake.Art ($360K/year)
How much they make: $360K/year
Current team size:
Brooklyn-based pop artist Blake Jamieson earned a cool $46,000 in just six weeks by selling NFTs of his reimagined Topps baseball cards, and has used his newfound success to reinvest in his community and support other artists.
So... can you actually make money with a digital art & design business?
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. Imagined with AI ($54K/year)
Sabatino, a full-stack freelance developer and head of development at Craftzing, became interested in the AI revolution happening and trained his first model after playing around with Google Colabs. During a city trip to New York, he and his girlfriend Silke came up with the idea for AI-generated portraits, which led them to launch Imagined with AI. Within 24 hours of launching their MVP, they sold their first AI-generated portraits and have since attracted customers from over 25 countries, generating over 234,000 unique images to date.
How much they make: $54K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
Imagined with AI generates unique, AI-generated portraits in various styles that has helped generate over 234,000 unique images to date, and is used by customers in over 25 countries.
So... can you actually make money with a digital art & design business?
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:
4. Custom Pet Portraits by Tiffany Dnaka ($14.4K/year)
Tiffany started her custom pet portrait business after experiencing loss and wanting to create a specific style of artwork to remember her furry friend. She launched on Etsy but eventually moved to her own website to have more control over her marketing and customer communication. Through trial and error and a strong presence on social media, Tiffany has been able to attract and retain customers, and she plans to focus on scaling her brand in the future by partnering with celebrities and influencers.
How much they make: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $473
Current team size: 0
Custom Pet Portraits by Tiffany Dnaka has seen massive growth since starting in 2021, with yearly revenue doubling year after year and an average of $1,200 a month in sales, and founder Tiffany's 2021 goal is to scale by teaming up with celebrities and influencers.
5. Love & Logic ($96K/year)
Angela had been the co-founder of a large successful agency for over a decade. However, her work-life balance wasn't optimal, and she was struggling to juggle roles between an agency owner and a creative person. Finally, she decided to take the leap and start her own solo creative studio with a clear mind and a focus on freedom.
How much they make: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
Current team size: 0
Love & Logic is a profitable solo creative studio, specializing in brand identity, animation, and motion graphics, averaging around $8k per month, targeting ethical brands, local authorities, and universities with a clear brand strategy, manifest, and reputation for quality and value-based pricing.
- 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
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
