Providing you with the best side hustles for designers and architects
Side hustles are different from another because, because unlike another job, a side-hustle is working on monetizing something you enjoy doing. The art of choosing a side-hustle is finding a job that has to do with something you’d usually do in your free time, without feeling the extra pressure and commitment of another part-time or full-time job.
In order to survive the years following your graduation without feeling under the pressure of your student loans, or the fact that your dream job doesn’t pay as much as you’d expected it to, you need to either find a second job or a side-hustle. Side-hustling has become so popular that there is now even a school for it, and because it depends more on monetizing your passions, instead of finding another job that drains you, many are taking up side-hustling as a lifestyle.
Now, you must be wondering what you can do as a side-hustle along with your already-demanding job as a designer or an architect, well, worry not! We are going to provide you with ways to make a little extra cash by using digital platforms and freelancing websites. Gear up and prepare because you’re going to have fun making money, only using the set of skills you already have as a designer or an architect.
The best side-hustles for designers and architects, and where to look for them
1. Artist
As a designer or an architect, you can easily take up painting or doing crafts easily. It is one wonderful field to pour out the content of your heart and express your creativity in your own way, without the boundaries set by a client or your superiors. Many designers and architects take up craftwork as a hobby, but you can use this hobby to get extra money and loosen your budget a bit! If you feel that your designs would be better exhibited on a larger scale, so why not explore the world of murals? You can become a muralist, create your own portfolio, and a wall with your work on it (and this will speak for itself!).
Where to find opportunities: You could market for your small business on Facebook, Instagram, or Bēhance, and Find A Muralist.
2. Apparel Designer
Designing clothes isn’t that far different from what you do in the field of architecture; you create a space that accommodates a client’s needs to feel comfortable while expressing themselves. You could launch your own brand, make your own designs, and put them up for sale. You won’t be the first person to combine their passion for architecture with fashion, too! Virgil Abloh, the chief executive of the streetwear brand Off-White, is one brilliant example of someone who combined the two passions to create his own brand and flavor.
Courtesy of Nike
Where to promote your work: Redbubble, Facebook, Instagram, Zazzle, CafePress, and many other places can be a great start.
3. Calligrapher
Working as a calligrapher in your free time is one of these side-hustles that give more than take; while you’ll be commissioned to handwrite certain material by your customers, this is one craft that will teach you patience and bring some peace into your life. You’ll witness yourself creating something concrete and beautiful with your own hands, which will improve your mood after a long day of work. This isn’t the only good news, since recent research has revealed that writing activated 3 out of the 12 networks that are activated while performing any motor or linguistic skill. So, you’ll be making money, improving your mood, and exercising your brain!
Courtesy of Adobe
You could promote your calligraphy business on Etsy and Instagram, as well as other local calligraphy forums exclusive to your region.
4. Furniture and Product Fabricator
You can take your interior design skills a step further and start designing furniture collections. A good place to start is getting some designs done and then creating your own portfolio. You could document the process of designing and fabrication to give your customers some insight. You can definitely go on marketing websites where you can promote your craft with your furniture collection, but it’s better to start small by promoting your work on social media platforms.
Did you know that Snøhetta recently collaborated with Danish furniture company, Erik Jørgensen, to design a customizable sofa series? This collaboration between architectures and the furniture industry is a great example of architecture and furniture-making working hand-in-hand and absolutely nothing stands in the way between you and pursuing a side job doing just that!
Courtesy of Erik Jørgensen
Where to promote your small business: Etsy is, once again, the best place to promote your small business. You could also go on Facebook, Instagram, or take it a step further and create your own small website for marketing your designs.
5. Leather-Worker
Another craft that architects are taking up is leatherwork. One full-time architect, Peter Baird, runs his own leathermaking business in his free time. You can take up leatherwork and make anything from keychains and accessories to wallets and purses.
Where to promote my work? Well, Etsy is the best place to promote your handmade collection, as well as Facebook and Instagram.
6. Multimedia Designer
Exploiting your creative potential is how you make a living, so going after multimedia designing as a side-hustle isn’t going to be a break from your routine, and it’ll also help you sharpen your designing skills. When it comes to freelancing opportunities, the market is always in demand for digital designers you could make more money than most of the side-hustles mentioned in this list. You’ll find opportunities all over the internet, so let’s start wisely by creating a designer portfolio, include samples of your best projects, reach out to potential clients and customers, and above all, unleash your creativity.
Where to look: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.
7. Tutor/Online Teacher
So you’ve worked in the field for a while now and you’ve garnered enough knowledge that you can pass on to fresh architecture graduates, we’ll tell you where to start. You could take up tutoring or online teaching as a side-hustle by taking your inventory of skills and teaching an online course. If you’re well-acquainted with Microsoft Excel and/or other programs that require courses, you could create your own online class and put it on any education platform for a price that you decide.
Where to look: Udemy, Chegg.
8. Photographer
So you have a good eye for detail and a nice camera lying around? Well, if you can upgrade your camera reliable DSLR piece, you can start working on your online photography portfolio right now. If your budget isn’t enough to get a professional camera, you can use your smartphone for now, and you would be surprised by how many clients who don’t care about what you used to take the pictures as much as your work. Create quality content that people would like to acquire as art piece on its own.
Where to look for opportunities and sell your work: Shutterstock, Alamy, Scoopshot, Fotolia by Adobe.
9.Presentation Design Consultant
Many presentation design consultant companies look for consultation candidates, a job that you already do on an everyday basis as part of your role as an architect or a designer. Ill-made PowerPoint presentations can make or break somebody’s career, or blow their job opportunity, so having the aid of a skilled architect or designer who can make the presentations for them is a great relief.
Where: You can apply as a freelancer at many design consultancy agencies such as SlidePress or Konsus.
10. Writer
Creative Commons
Whether your passion about architecture and design goes beyond your fixed job, or you spend your free time researching the field and writing think pieces about different architecture projects, writing is one of the best side-hustles an architect or designer can take up. You are free to write in your field, or choose a certain niche that your work is centered around. Countless architects set up their personal blogs where they write about whatever you want! You can put up your sponsored articles, write food reviews, or write about your passions (even if they have nothing to do with architecture and design. At all.)
Where to start: WordPress is a brilliant start for a personal blog, but you can expand more in the future and buy your own domain.
What you need to know
Finding a side-hustl is easy, but finding a side-hustle that you enjoy doing is the tough part. Look out for the opportunities that ill allow you to break free from the seriousness of your day job. Making money from a side hustle requires time and patience, so as long as you’re patient and you put your heart into enjoying yourself while making money, then it won’t even feel like a side job.
