Phone cases are one of our favorite and most popular products, so we asked graphic illustrator Sagepizza to give you some tips on how to design artwork specifically for alllll those case-loving customers.
What’s potentially cooler than framing your art? Putting it on a phone case to take with you everywhere you go! Your fans love your work; give them cool phone case designs they can’t live without. More cool phone cases in your shop = more money in your pocket.
1. Identify Your Audience
Who does your art appeal to most? This is essential to know so you can keep creating artwork that sells. Instagram is a great tool to see which artwork of yours gets the best response. For example, I have noticed I gain more attention on designs that incorporate both illustration and type, versus just one or the other. Additionally, paying attention to which artwork sells the best in your Society6 shop is helpful in figuring out what your fans like. With that being said, keep creating what you enjoy while also considering trends. What is trending this season? Consider using relevant subjects, themes, and color schemes while remaining true to yourself. Never lose your style for the sake of what is trending!
2. Brainstorm
Whether you have a vague idea of what you want to make or you’re in a complete creative rut, I like to pull together a little mood board of images, color schemes, and words that speak to me! If I’m unsure about what I am looking for specifically, I like to turn to Pinterest or the Instagram explore page (AKA black hole, amirite??) just to kickstart the inspiration process. Once you have pulled enough inspo together, you can have a better sense for the sketching process.
3. Sketch It Out!
If you’re like me at all, your sketches are kiiiind of a hot mess. Sometimes an idea is just dying to get out of your head and onto paper, and there is no time to make them perfect! Well that’s okay as long as you can understand your scribbles. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be clear to you! Once you have your final idea on paper, you can use this “road map” to create a cleaner design when you digitize.
4. Digitize
This is my favorite part. I love taking my messy sketch and tightening it up! Depending on your program preference, you can go in with your scanned image and clean up those lines! I like to go over my sketches with the pen tool to create straighter lines and control stroke thickness. From there, it’s up to you to play with the colors and layout of your design.
5. Format For Best Quality Cases
Now that you have finalized your rad artwork, you want to make it available as a sick phone case, right?! It is important to take advantage of the space on the case, as you want your artwork to be SEEN! Legibility is key here! Additionally, make sure you are always exporting your artwork with the highest quality to avoid any blurriness!
6. Market Your New Case!
You just designed your own phone case from start to finish; now you have to let your fans know! Use your social media to market your new ‘gram worthy case. When promoting new artwork or products, I like to show off the design itself and an example of the design on the product itself! This allows your fans to see your design clearly and demonstrate how sick it looks on a case. Cool photo = more response from fans = more sales!
If there is anything you should take away from this, it is that you should keep creating artwork that makes you stand out! Your customers buy your work because it is unique, so keep providing awesome designs for your fans to purchase – whether that be on a phone case or any products in your Society6 shop!
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