The difference between a graphic design business and a digital products business the two can overlap, but they are not the same type of business. Think of them as two different ways to use your creative skills.
Graphic Design Business
You provide a service.
Clients pay you to create custom designs for their specific needs.
Digital Products Business
You sell products, not services.
You create something once and sell it over and over.
What you sell
- Templates (Canva, Notion, GnuCash, planners)
- Printables (journals, worksheets, devotionals)
- Clipart, illustrations, icons
- SVGs for cutting machines
- Digital patterns
- Curriculum or lesson plans
- Stock photos or mockups
How you make money
- Passive or semi-passive income
- Sell on Etsy, Shopify, Gumroad, your website
- Bundles, memberships, or digital libraries
Pros
- Scalable (one product = unlimited sales)
- No client revisions
- Works while you sleep
Challenges
- Requires strong product ideas
- Competition on marketplaces
- You must drive traffic to your shop
How They Overlap
Many entrepreneurs blend both:
- Use your graphic design skills to create digital products
- Offer design services while building a product library
- Turn client work into templates you can resell
This hybrid model is powerful because it gives you:
- Immediate income (services)
- Long-term passive income (products)