A lifelong passion for art and minimalistic style can be a match made in heaven for those who want to apply their interest in creating simple design art to a range of industries. The main benefit of having a simple art style is that it’s easy to make it commercially appealing in different fields. While some folks who have specific design styles or rigid preferences may struggle to get clients in the graphic design field, those who know how to keep it simple and timeless will have less of a hard time creating a client base if they play their cards right.
Some folks may feel like they need to make their designs complicated to stand out from the crowd. On the contrary, simplistic designs can allow for applying a design to multiple types of products and projects. For example, if a company has a simple logo, it may be easier for them to print that logo on business cards, tumblers, pens, and more instead of having to figure out how to make a complex logo look good on surfaces large and small. When you have a simple design style in art, you can use that to your advantage in the industries listed below.
Examples of Simple Art Designs
When you hear the term “simple design,” you might mistake it for designs that don’t have a lot of thought or skill behind them. Sometimes, designing something that looks effortless and basic can be more challenging than adding everything but the kitchen sink to a design. When a design is composed of basic lines and shapes, it takes a careful eye to combine these elements into something that’s never been seen before.
Simple art designs can look like your favorite logos such as a swoosh from a popular sneaker and clothing brand or a basic letter like an X. Some designs are simple because of their color or art style. Cartoons that have minimal features or details could seem simple, but they’re difficult to draw when they require more consistency. They can’t hide behind extravagant details or backgrounds to make up for inconsistencies.
Artistic Skills Are Not Always Required
If you don’t have a background in graphic design, you might think that you’re incapable of designing a solid logo for a company. As long as you have access to essential design software or the free online equivalent of it, you can start making simple designs. When you’re making simple art, you should ensure that your design has some unique element that makes it interesting. Even though you don’t need to be a master artist to play with shapes, colors, and fonts, you should still have a foundational understanding of graphic design basics.
If you’re using digital tools, you won’t need to know how to draw to create simple designs. All you have to have is a working internet connection, the right software, and a willingness to learn. Free online resources may be able to teach you almost everything you need to know about this design style as long as you can figure out where to look for that information.
Applying Simple Design Skills
Using simple design skills for practice projects is one thing. Starting to apply them to professional projects is a whole other ballgame. If you’re worried that you aren’t good enough to start charging money for your designs, you can give them away for free or offer to do cheap work in exchange for experience and exposure.
While your first few projects might not be your best work, they’ll help you start to build a portfolio that you can use to get more work in your desired industries. When you’re taking on jobs, you should think about how close or far away they are to your dream job. If you intend to create designs for metal working companies, for example, working with soap companies might not translate for them. Still, getting a range of experience can come in handy if you need to pivot who you want to attract to your client base at some point.
Starting a Small Business
As a design professional, you should know how to run your small business well. Some designers might want to keep their work as a very part-time endeavor while others might want to scale it to take the place of their day job. When you’re opening a small business, you should look into your local laws and regulations. You should also get familiar with bookkeeping, taxes, and documenting expenses.
For your small business to thrive, you’ll also need to know how to send an invoice and receive an invoice. Since the financial side of operating a small business can get confusing, you shouldn’t be afraid to hire an accountant or financial advisor to help you navigate this part of the industry. If you’re not ready to dive into managing a business, you can also do work for free to build your portfolio of simple designs and have fun while doing it.
1. Auto Manufacturers
From bumper stickers to auto repair shop logos, the auto industry has plenty of uses for simple design art. If you love art and cars, this can be a great way to combine your two passions seamlessly. If you’re interested in motorcycles, you can create designs with specific models like a cruiser motorcycle in mind. The dimensions of these bikes may be different than other bikes, so you should factor that into the size of the design.
Outside of stickers, auto manufacturing companies may also need simple designs to make their marketing materials more attractive. Additionally, they might be interested in having business cards designed to appeal to folks in their industry. When you’re working with an auto manufacturer as a designer, you can either work as a contractor or as an in-house designer, depending on their hiring needs and company structure.
2. Metal Fabricators
To ensure dimensional accuracy, metal fabrication companies need to master simple design principles. As a result, folks in this industry may appreciate what your simple design art can do to elevate their company in marketing materials and other things. Some metal fabrication companies may need designs to put on marketing materials while others might have you design something for their workshop.
Since metal fabricators may need simple designs to engrave in their metal workings, you’ll have to ask folks in this industry about the logistics of applying designs to metal. This will help you avoid revising designs if you work in this industry and allow you to tailor your designs to fit the needs of your clients. They’ll appreciate it if you ask questions related to their industry and be glad to offer their expertise to help you avoid making common mistakes that novice designers may make when they create designs for metal fabrication professionals.
3. Roofing Companies
From logos to marketing materials to merchandise, roofers could find plenty of uses for simple design art in their industry. When you’re working with roofing professionals on designs that appeal to their customers, you should ask about what color palettes they tend to use on their roofing materials. It can also be helpful to ask if the merchandise for their contractors to wear needs to be waterproof so you know what materials to use when printing the designs on things like t-shirts or tumblers.
4. Towing Companies
While roadside assistance services might not always invest in a ton of advertising since they’re a necessary service, they can still benefit from simple designs. If you enjoy making simple design art that has a functional purpose, you’ll appreciate that your logo will be seen everywhere if it ends up on a towing truck. Before you create a design for a towing company, you should look at the logos of the competition to make sure it stands out from the crowd in a positive way.
5. Jewelers
If you love to make and sell jewelry, you can benefit from enhancing your business with simple designs. When you make simple design art, you can level up your business game by designing wearable artwork in the form of pendants, bracelets, rings, and more. A simple design is easy to cast in metal, resin, clay, and other common jewelry materials. If you want to replicate a design, it’ll be easier if it’s an uncomplicated one that is comprised of simple shapes and lines.
6. Insurance Companies
While insurance providers might seem like cold, clinical spaces, they could use simple design art like any other company. For a church insurance provider, having simple religious symbols related to the religious institutions they serve could make it easier for them to advertise to folks who are interested in their services. If you work with an insurance company as a designer, you may want to ask them to refer other clients who need design services to you since they might have commercial insurance recipients who could use your design skills.
If you decide to partner with an insurance company to get design clients, you can ask them to refer clients and promise a percentage of the sale as long as it’s legal. Depending on their business practices, they may be open to this idea or they might not. You’ll never know until you ask them if they would be open to partnering with you as a designer who could help their clients.
7. Banks
While banks deal with things that are less creative like finances, designers can still have a place in the banking industry. From designing materials that advertise the benefits of business loans to designing pens for them to hand out to their customers, you won’t have a shortage of work if you design simple art for a bank. With banking, many of their services speak for themselves so they’ll appreciate having simple design art to complement their benefits.
8. Tattoo Shops
One obvious place that needs simple design art is a tattoo shop. Whether you decide to work your way up the ranks to become a tattoo artist or you help tattoo artists figure out designs that their clients might like, your artistic skills will be appreciated in this industry. If a tattoo parlor isn’t your scene, you could try your hand at designing temporary tattoos.
For those who are transitioning from being a graphic designer to a tattoo artist, knowing how to make a simple, effective design can make it easier for you to decide what tattoos to practice. If you can make a few small shapes look as good as a complex piece, your clients will be impressed. Some clients may not have the time or money to sit still at the tattoo shop for hours while waiting for a complicated tattoo to get done, so they’ll appreciate it if you know how to make a good tattoo that isn’t too fancy.
9. Home Remodelers
From interior decorating to designing exterior spaces, home remodeling companies need to employ folks who know how to work with simple design art. As trends shift from maximalism to minimalism, simple designs are hotter than ever in the design space. Everyone from a bathroom remodel contractor to a roofing contractor could benefit from understanding simple design principles.
If you’re a designer who loves interior decorating, you can reproduce and sell your best designs for folks to hang in their homes. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your artwork in the house of a friend or stranger. Additionally, you can make extra money by designing custom artwork in a simplistic style for homeowners who want their walls to be less busy.
10. Event Venues
The last industry that is great for transferring simple design art skills is event planning. Whether you work in an event space or for a company that sets up events, having simple design skills can make you an asset to your team. When they need someone to design a beautiful table space for catering or set up an interesting centerpiece, your skills will come in handy.
Of course, these industries are just a few that would appreciate simple design skills. Any industry that needs designers needs folks who know how to make something simple and elegant. Simple designs don’t have to be boring if you know what you’re doing.
