Do you identify as a designer or a non-designer?
Either way, there’s a common thread in how both grapple with troubleshooting visual communication.
Both are concerned with solutions, the non-designer however, prioritises ease-of-use and a low-lift execution.
Now that we’ve discovered who this niche is in and where to find them in Part 1, let’s look at what non-designers need by looking at search intent and actual skills gaps. This will help us understand which way the market is trending.
Market trends & growth
Design has become democratised over the last 5-10 years.
It was brought about largely by the accessibility and ease of use of newer design software and apps.
Along with the current evolution of LLM and generative art, that cultural shift has been monumental and long overdue.
Social media also helped this along with making aesthetics, as we’ve come to know it, available to all – no more gatekeeping.
This I believe has led to a surge in career pivots and self-actualization even outside of monetary gain.
I think it’s because our consciousness and what we’re conscious of, has made us more inclined toward creativity – an ‘untitled’ one.
Naturally, this evolution has also catalyzed the embedding of the non-designer as an official niche. Once insidious, now front-and-centre as a niche needing to be served and to perhaps evolve into while serving (creator).
Yes, it’s possible to have both.
Community and human-design thinking
This is why I’ve loved blogging since 2007. We don’t know blogging as the blogging it was then.
It’s now ‘content development that serves’ – perhaps ourselves as creators evolving our own niche knowledge, but mostly a target audience with the intent to sell to them.
Don’t be alarmed, it’s not all sleazy sales-making.
Blogging was always a community vibe.
I don’t think it’s changed, rather, just evolved.
Yes, you can still make money and be conscious of how you’re doing it.
Content sites are malleable that way. That’s why I encourage niching down. When you do that, you inevitably have to nail your solutions (content and products) down to human truths.
When you get to that point, you’re in the human design arena, even informally.
Developing forms of communication or products to solve a human problem is still the most profitable and an awesome way of connecting. That connection is a great way of building a blogging vibe into a niche strategy.
How is the non-designer niche growing and where is it headed?
Automation is the order of the day for non-designers, despite their keen interest in learning design fundamentals.
Non-designers need to deliver a product or be able to communicate ideas about the area they specialise in which may not be design in and of itself, ie. design is not their primary vocation.
Design is secondary but used as a means of solving how their product is delivered and the way they communicate about it.
Helping them automate and generate with ease is a priority for both pro designers and non-designers alike.
For the latter who does not design from scratch, the two things are problem-solving mechanisms more akin to innovation than design for the sake of visual design.
Aside from those key concepts, non-designers want and need tools that are easy to use – it’s that simple.
It doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate sophisticated software or notions of aesthetics – they simply don’t require all the trimmings to do their job successfully.
Plus, they don’t have the time.
Creating solutions
Take the corporate non-designer, for example, who needs to put together slick presentations that are visually pleasing enough to make that crucial financial information easy to understand and on brand.
That’s the ask. Just one example of a problem that needs a variety of easy-to-implement tools, templates, how-to’s or hacks as a set of solutions.
Can we provide that to this niche? Or add to the conversation – the market can never have too many solutions.
Problems are often unique, nuanced, or contextual.
All you have to do as a niche creator is to spot a problem within a niche or its sub-niche that no one has found a solution for yet, and you’re in business.
If you are a non-designer reading this and looking for solutions, the first half of that principle applies – drill down to the specifics of what you’re grappling with and then you’ll know how to search for it.
AI and machine learning have also made the production of marketing materials a lower lift because they can conduct accessibility checks for you.
Automating quality assurance on visual collateral speeds up workflows. It’s such an essential component of promotion and marketing – to get caught not doing inclusivity checks is outdated.
Design is an all-rounded ‘sport’ because it’s not just about visuals and a headline.
It’s a human-centred endeavour which makes its evolution into non-design all the more exciting.
Who wants to operate in a gatekept vacuum?
Personally, I prefer to be where everyone else is.
Which is why I love the democratization of design – we’re designing for all types of human-interactivity. Yes, even the PowerPoint presentation and it’s about time.
Intuitive design tools, drag-and-drop builders, and cloud-based software solutions all drive the market in a direction that facilitates faster workflows and less ‘making-from-scratch’.
More significantly, non-designers like quick wins and fast self-education.
Who can blame them?
Most non-designers don’t want to become pro designers, they just want to know how to do something.
So, aside from easy-to-use and implement tools and software, self-education is on that trajectory too and will continue to be for a long time. Just not the classic design school kind.
It will be a variation that is more humanized and casual (taught the way we speak), conveyed alongside a machine-learning sensibility.
Ultimately, non-designers want to deliver work that looks professional.
They crave basic design literacy without the critical fluff – just knowledge that teaches them how to deliver a fast, effective solution with a professional edge.
Do non-designers tell stories?
Do they tell stories where aesthetics are prioritised using visuals and literary fluff as the vehicle for it?
Or do they want solutions with built-in aesthetics?
Sources
[1] Design Without Barriers: The Evolution of Accessibility in 2025 https://bjpds.com/design-without-barriers-the-evolution-of-accessibility-in-2025/
[2] The democratization of design: A conversation https://uizard.io/blog/democratizing-design-a-conversation/
[3] Digital Accessibility Platforms Market: Key Market Drivers & … https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-accessibility-platforms-market-key-gwc5c
[4] Towards the democratisation of design https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351978920300500/pdf?md5=350745c2a74ada47d1588fbe57273d3a&pid=1-s2.0-S2351978920300500-main.pdf
[5] Democratization of Design – DRS Digital Library https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=pluriversaldesign
Skills data and the gap analysis
According to case studies and surveys, here are the most common design and related topics non-designers need right now:
| Basic design principles | Understanding color theory, typography, layout, hierarchy, balance, and spacing to create aesthetically pleasing and readable visuals. |
| Visual communication | How to convey clear, compelling messages visually, including the use of icons, images, charts, and infographics. |
| Software proficiency | Learning to use beginner-friendly tools like Canva, PowerPoint, and Google Slides effectively. |
| Branding consistency | Keeping colors, fonts, and styles consistent to strengthen brand identity. |
| Simplification and clarity | Techniques to simplify complex information and avoid clutter to enhance viewer engagement. |
| Creative confidence | Developing the mindset to experiment and feel comfortable creating and sharing visuals. |
| Composition and spacing | Understanding how to use white space (“letting it breathe”) and element alignment for cleaner design. |
| Typography basics | Selecting and pairing typefaces that improve readability and visual appeal. |
Sources
[1] Design For Non Designers: 10 Skills https://uizard.io/blog/design-for-non-designers-ten-essential-skills-you-can-use-every-day-2/
[2] 10 Tips To Improve Your Visual Design Skills For Non-designers https://elearningindustry.com/10-tips-improve-visual-design-skills-non-designers
[3] 28 Graphic Design Essentials for Non-Designers To … https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/graphic-design-essentials-for-non-designers
[4] Demystifying graphic design with 10 tips for non-designers https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/demystifying-graphic-design-with-10-tips-for-non-designers
[5] 25 Graphic Design Tips for Non-Designers and Beginners https://www.canva.com/learn/graphic-design-tips-non-designers/
[6] Designing for Non-Designers — 101, Tips & Tricks for the … https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/designing-non-designers-101-tips-tricks-accidental-creative-gish
[7] What are some must have skills to land a job in graphic … https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1i7klzh/what_are_some_must_have_skills_to_land_a_job_in/
[8] 10 Graphic Design Basics You Need To Know As A Non-designers https://logo.com/blog/graphic-design-basics
[9] 11 Important Graphic Design Skills Employers Want From a … https://www.shillingtoneducation.com/blog/graphic-design-skills
There are multiple niche blogs, content development ideas, e-commerce opportunities you can derive from the above data alone.
Here’s a list of ideas that serves each non-designer, ie. a problem requiring a solution.
- Typography made simple for non-designers
- Easy layout hacks for non-designers – simple layout solutions for non-designers
- Learn design thinking in 5 easy steps – creative confidence for non-designers
- Infographics and data viz- non-designers in corporates
- How to create a brand – for non-designers
- Software hacks for non-designers
- Visual communication for non-designers – learn to communicate with clarity
- Design school hacks for non-designers – learn the basics
Let’s narrow down even further by looking at search intent for design-related topics and tutorials:
| Questions most common searched |
|---|
| How to use Canva, PowerPoint, or Google Slides for presentations or social media posts. |
| Tips for picking color palettes and font combinations. |
| Creating infographics and charts easily. |
| Improving slide design and layout. |
| Basic graphic design tips like “less is more,” “use grids and alignment,” and “importance of white space.” |
Sources
The most searched for non-designer topics
Below are the most highly searched topics as they relate to graphic design specifically – marketing, promotional, digital design, illustration, etc.
| Topic | Estimated Monthly Search Volume (Google) | Notes |
| Graphic Design Basics | 823,000 | Broad foundational concepts |
| Graphic Design Courses | 110,000 | Tutorials and online classes |
| Social Media Post Design | 18,100 | Focus on creating visuals for social platforms |
| Canva Graphic Design | 4,400 | Tool-specific tutorials for non-designers |
| Motion Graphics | 74,000 | Animation and dynamic visual content |
| Logo Design | 33,100 | Brand identity design tutorials |
| Print Design | 18,100 | Traditional design for physical media |
| Freelance Graphic Designer | 22,200 | Career and skill development tutorials |
| Vector Illustration | 22,200 | Digital drawing and illustration tutorials |
Sources
[1] Top Graphic Design Keywords | Free SEO Keyword List https://www.keysearch.co/top-keywords/graphic-design-keywords
[2] How to Do Keyword Research for Directories: A Step-by-Step … https://www.connorfinlayson.com/blog/how-to-do-keyword-research-directory
[3] How to Build A Keyword Research Strategy That Actually … https://www.newbreedrevenue.com/blog/how-to-build-a-keyword-research-strategy
[4] What Defines a Good Keyword Search Volume? (Insights + … https://www.dashclicks.com/blog/keyword-search-volume
[5] SEO Starter Guide: The Basics | Google Search Central https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide
[6] The Complete Guide to Keyword Research https://www.wearetg.com/blog/keyword-research/
[7] How to Find High Search Volume Low Competition Keywords … https://www.digitalmacaw.com/keyword-research/high-search-volume-low-competition-keywords/
[8] The Ultimate Guide to Keyword Research https://anotherconcept.co.uk/guides/the-ultimate-guide-to-keyword-research
[9] Keyword Research For SEO: The Ultimate Guide [2023] https://inboundjunction.com/keyword-research-seo
The basics (design fundamentals) are the most searched for – that says a lot.
As a creator or niche investor you may be tough competing in organic search engine rankings, but it doesn’t mean you can’t harness this audience elsewhere.
The data just indicates TONS of people want and need it. You just need to decide how to reach them.
Don’t be passive about it.
Be innovative. Niche down. Drill down to nuances and specifics within the topic. Then think in systems and scale out.
Another thing to note is the search volume for digital design solutions – that means people need easy tutorials that get them over the learning curve fast. Or templates that offer enough easy customisation to make their work stand out. More importantly, solutions that they can turn around quickly, as fast as the lifespan of a tweet or pin.
Conclusion – follow the path of the non-designer
To be a non-designer is to embody the drive and energy of a generator.
I’m not advocating for hustling or burnout, but it does have a certain vibe.
A democratic, self-initiating, forward-thinking, no-frills mentality that can only be a good thing – for all the purists out there, don’t sweat it, Canva and the like are not ruining design, it’s already revolutionized it.
Automation, efficient generating capabilities, inclusivity, and democratic learning without any gatekeeping are where we need to serve non-designers. Without compromising what we know about traditional design and techniques.
It all has its place.
Right now, for niche creators (and founders) or investors, focusing on design fundamentals (education) and template customization to scale (whether products or education) is profitable.
Highly competitive, yes. But, ignore the search volume and niche down within that.
If you’re a creator, learn to spot patterns of behaviour within a topic. Then home in on it to spot any micro-niches inside of it.
I believe there’s something for everybody, no matter how small or insignificant, there’s always someone to serve and deliver value to – it’s fundamental to niche philosophy.
Did you miss out on Part 1? Read it here.
If you liked this article, you’ll love this one.
Disclosure: While this publication uses AI tools for data collection and analysis support, the research questions, hypotheses, and core insights are the human author’s original work. AI assists with information processing, but all conceptual thinking, interpretation, and conclusions reflect the human editor’s and human writer’s professional expertise.
