Monetising Unused Assets: Turn Them Into (Repeatable) Profit
Did you know you might be sitting on a potential income source without realising it?
Graphic designers likely have a folder of abandoned, rejected, and incomplete assets.
That could include anything from illustrations to logos, templates, or wireframes. You could use these assets to make money by selling them to another client or pursuing repetitive income through reusable designs. Moreover, they can help you with other personal projects.
- Unused design assets can be monetised through various methods like selling, branding kits, or stock images.
- Passive income opportunities arise from repurposing old designs into reusable formats and minimal customisation for clients.
- Packaging and pricing strategies are vital; opt for volume and usability over prestige to drive sales.
- Consistency in uploading new assets is crucial for building a reliable income stream and gaining market traction.
Giving abandoned projects a second chance
Some assets can be tailored for specific requirements, including companies' logos and other distinctive elements. Yet, you likely have plenty of relatively universal designs that multiple people could reuse.
And even if they include branded components, removing them shouldn't take too long. You could also offer them minimal customisation (if requested) for an additional fee.
Overall, old and unused designs allow you to earn passive income, meaning no (or very little) additional work will be required. You only need to pick the preferred monetisation strategy and see the profits rolling in.
Reuse them for personal projects.
Many graphic design specialists could pursue personal projects, such as creating online courses or running blogs. In both of these cases, you can reuse assets for different purposes.
For example, you used a unique technique and tools to create web illustrations. You could use them as examples for a blog article, discussing the steps necessary to recreate them. If you plan to release an online course, the same image can be one of the learner assignments.
Sell as stock images.
One of the most straightforward options is selling leftover assets as stock images. However, pick platforms that offer the best conditions and protect your work from getting stolen (such as adding watermarks).
Don't forget to check commission rates and other licensing terms. Additionally, some illustrations do better at particular stock image sites. For example, consider Creative Market if you're riding the wave of vector art.
Consider creating branding kits.
With enough unused assets, you could craft branding kits that a potential buyer can immediately use. That might include logo examples, colour palettes, blog or landing page visuals, style guides, etc.
If you plan to reuse these kits, you will likely need to tweak them. For example, you might use one leftover kit to present in your portfolio, showcasing your skills to other potential clients.
Increasing print-on-demand selection
You could already offer print-on-demand services featuring your creations. With unused assets piling up, you could expand your offering of illustrations.
If you are still unaware of this option, it's excellent for graphic designers with fun ideas for visuals on T-shirts or stickers. Additionally, plenty of options deal with the production, delivery, and goods, leaving you to upload the designs.
So, it's another highly convenient option for effortlessly generating money.
Conclusion
Graphic designers might be disappointed when their creations are rejected or left unused. Luckily, you have options for reusing these assets, and they can even start to earn additional income.
Consider combining them to offer branding kits, including them as portfolio examples or as inspiration for tutorials.
Monetising Unused Assets: FAQs
What exactly counts as an “unused asset” for designers?
If you've been designing for more than six months, you've got a goldmine sitting on your hard drive that you're ignoring. Unused assets are anything you've created that isn't currently making you money: rejected logo concepts, extra icons you made but didn't use, colour palettes you spent hours perfecting, typography combinations, illustration elements, mockup templates, and even failed project attempts.
How do I know if my unused assets are worth anything?
Simple test: Would you pay for it if someone else made it? If the answer's yes, someone else will, too. But here's the kicker – don't overthink it. The worst-performing digital products I've seen still make money because someone, somewhere, needs exactly what you've got.
The market will tell you what's valuable faster than sitting there second-guessing yourself. Put it out there, price it reasonably, and let the data decide.
What's the easiest way to monetise these assets without a massive upfront investment?
Start with digital marketplaces – Etsy, Creative Market, Design Cuts, and Gumroad. Zero upfront costs, built-in audiences, and they handle the payment processing. You're just uploading files and writing descriptions.
How do I package my assets to make them sell?
Packaging is everything. Don't just dump a random logo there and hope for the best. Create bundles that solve complete problems. Instead of selling one icon, sell a set of 50 icons for productivity apps. Instead of one colour palette, create a pack of 10 palettes for different moods.
As a customer, think, “What would make me instantly buy this?” Usually, it's quantity, variety, and immediate usability. Give them more than they expected, not less.
What pricing strategy works for digital design assets?
Price for volume, not prestige. Better to sell 100 packs at £15 than struggle to sell 10 at £150. Digital products have zero marginal cost – every sale after the first is pure profit.
Start lower than you think you should. Build momentum, gather reviews, and then gradually increase prices. A £5 impulse buy converts infinitely better than a £50 “I need to think about it” purchase.
How do I turn this into a repeatable business model, not just one-off sales?
Create systems, not just products. Set aside 2 hours every Friday to package the week's unused work. Build templates for your product descriptions, develop a consistent visual style for your marketplace presence, and create a content calendar for releases.
The goal is to turn asset creation into a predictable pipeline. Every client project should generate 2-3 additional products for your marketplace. Work once and get paid multiple times.
What's stopping most designers from doing this successfully?
Perfectionism and fear of judgement. They think everything needs to be “portfolio worthy” before they can sell it. Absolute nonsense. Some of the best-selling design assets look ordinary because ordinary is what most people need.
How much time should I realistically expect to invest in this?
If you're doing it properly, a maximum of 5-10 hours per week. Any more than that, and you're overcomplicating it. Remember, you've already created these assets – you're just repackaging and uploading.
Most of that time should be spent writing compelling descriptions, creating preview images, and not recreating work from scratch. Work smarter, not harder.
What are the most prominent mistakes designers make when monetising assets?
Three massive ones: Underestimating the power of good descriptions, not researching what's already selling in their niche, and giving up after the first month because they didn't become millionaires overnight.
Also, they are trying to create assets specifically for selling instead of monetising what they've already got. You've got a treasure chest – stop digging for more treasure until you've emptied the first one.
How do I handle the legal side – licences, usage rights, etc.?
Please keep it simple. Most marketplaces have standard commercial licences that work for 99% of buyers. Don't overthink licensing terms unless you're dealing with massive corporate clients.
For standard digital assets, stick to basic commercial use licences. The more complicated you make it, the fewer people will buy it. Simple licensing equals more sales.
Can this replace client work income, or is it just extra pocket money?
It depends entirely on how seriously you treat it. I've seen designers build £5k-£10k monthly recurring revenue from asset sales alone. But they treated it like a real business, not a hobby.
The beauty is it's passive income that compounds. Client work stops when you stop working. Asset sales happen while you sleep, on holiday, or work on other projects. Build it right, and it becomes your financial foundation.
What's the one thing I should focus on if I'm just starting?
Volume and consistency beat perfection every single time. Commit to uploading one new asset pack weekly for the next 3 months. Don't worry about being amazing – worry about being consistent.
The algorithm rewards regular uploaders, customers trust sellers with lots of products, and you'll learn faster by doing than by planning. Start today, improve tomorrow.
