How To Choose a Design Niche

So, you want to start your own online shop.

You have a passion for getting creative and playing with prints, but not sure what will actually sell.

Sound familiar? Well, you’re in the right place! As we’re going to discuss the best way to choose a design niche that speaks true to your style.

Here are our four steps to getting started:

1.  Pick something you enjoy

As the saying goes, ‘choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’. Finding something you actually enjoy creating is a really good start to finding your niche. Because without that original love for your craft, it’s hard to keep up the momentum and find inspiration.

You should never start your own business just because everyone else is doing it. Or because you think you can make a lot of money. Sure, there does need to be some sort of financial reward, but if you can combine that with actual enjoyment, you’ll find it much easier to keep going – even when things get tough.

2.  What are you good at?

The next thing to think about is what you’re good at. Are you a maths whizz with a creative flair? Or are you able to somehow perfectly put contrasting colours together in a way that just ~works~?

While finding something you enjoy is a good first step, it’s even better when you’re already good at it. You might enjoy the process of baking but find that the end product is a little dry or burnt…meaning it might not be time to open your own bakery.

It’s worth mentioning too, that you don’t have to pick something you’re the best at. Nobody is expecting you to re-invent the wheel. And there’s space in the market for everyone.

3.  What’s something you’ve always wanted to buy, but haven’t found?

It might not be a great idea to quit your day job to work on the first ever self-driving, flying car. But if you’re always looking for a print of your favourite quote, or a tea towel that matches perfectly with your kitchen colour scheme, why not make one yourself?

Daisy from Oh So Science, for example, has taken on the male dominated science industry with her pretty prints and giftware for women working in STEM. Did you know you needed cute DNA washi tape? Probably not. But do you now kind of want some? Absolutely.

4.  What mediums do you like to work with?

The world of design ranges from resin to digital prints, so there’s always something new to try. And, that great thing about technology is that even if you love hand drawing your designs, you can still turn them into digital formats for producing bulk products.

Those that love the kitschy feel can create stunning embroidery hoops with hilarious quotes hidden through colourful florals.

Or you might love working with felt tips and physical pen and paper. Just like TheTinyArtCo, who creates incredibly detailed designs featuring cult classics like Stranger Things, The Joker and Star Wars which are then transformed into plush fleece blankets, prints and cushions.

The Burley Banksy, Leeds’s very own street artist, started off adding colour to the streets through his painted murals and now his products are stocked in the Leeds United store and is an official part of their merch!

No matter what your medium is, there are plenty of ways to grow your business. And that’s where our print-on-demand services come in. Whether you want to practise out some designs and create a photoshoot, or simply don’t want the hassle of managing deliveries, our drop shipping portal is the perfect option. With no minimum order, you can purchase as few or as many products you’d like at a time – directly to your customer, or to your own place if you fancy adding your own branding.

Our customisable templates allow you to play around with different designs in Photoshop and other editing programmes, and our colour swatch samples give you a better idea as to how different colours print onto our materials.

To get started, sign up here. And if there’s a product you’re looking for that isn’t currently on our site, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll see what we can do!