How Entrepreneurs and Creators are Shaping Their Own Brands Without Design Degrees

With design tools more accessible than ever, a new breed of entrepreneurs are skipping the formalities of learning graphic design and teaching themselves. From content creators to solopreneurs, self-taught designers are building their businesses and brands from scratch, one social post at a time.

A new report from Adobe Express illustrates how this DIY design revolution is changing the face of small businesses. Based on a survey of 454 U.S. entrepreneurs and creators, the report tells how those with no formal design training are handling their branding tasks, often learning on the fly, with the assistance of AI tools and putting in hours of extra work to have professional looking content.

Getting the Job Done Without the Financial Blanket

Nearly 6 out of 10 (58%) said they do all their own designing. This includes their logos, graphics for their sites, and social posts. They handle all aspects of their branding work by themselves, often with little budget and no design knowledge.

Their two main means of learning? Trial and error (64%) and YouTube (54%). Only 16% indicated they had any formal design education. Don't slight TikTok, though. 1 in 4 turn to this platform for design tips.

Completing all of their own work, this group is highly dedicated, both time-wise and financially. Entrepreneurs are spending an average of $249 per year on design tools, while over 1 in 5 spend more than $1,000. Also, nearly 10 hours per week are spent on designing, with half stating that this time involved is the biggest obstacle of the whole process.

The amount of success that comes from these creators is especially impressive due to the amount of time, money, and lack of formal training that's involved. They often work outside regular working hours to get their branding efforts where they want them to be. Most often, they’re juggling day jobs, client work and personal obligations. For many, it’s not about the money, it’s about holding on to the creative vision and for them breaking those boundaries to establish something that feels authentic. This means each design choice, from font changes to color palette selections, is done from a personal perspective, based on what they think is good.

Design Burnout, Meet Imposter Syndrome!

The greatest barriers to success aren’t always technical; some are psychological. Many non-designers say they have problems with confidence in their images. Almost 1 in 5 (19%) confirm that their confidence is shaky regarding the quality of their brand assets. Over 50% have put off launches and posts because they did not appear polished enough to them.

What would help? A greater grasp of design (41%), more time (37%), and better quality templates (33%). The lack of confidence is compounded even with the growing popularity of AI tools. 71% say they use AI tools to help them create. 48% of them confirm they are feeling confident with their designs compared to the 42% who are not using AI.

Self-doubt is more than just a botheration; it has serious business consequences. 20% of respondents confirm they have received negative comments pertaining to their visuals. About a quarter admit they have copied or made substantial use of other brands styles.

It's very easy to think you should just do what others are doing when they seem successful, especially with so many design ideas going around. Doing this will generally cause what we call brand dilution. It's much better for entrepreneurs and creators to take their own personalized road, separating themselves from everyone else to show authenticity. Even when things aren't produced perfectly, it's better than copying everything you see. It almost always brings in more attention than a basic cliche template.

Time Dedication and Pressure to Keep Up

Creating visual content is not a one-time task, it’s a big weekly responsibility. Respondents report they spend the most time designing for TikTok (an average of 9 hours a week). Instagram is next with 8 hours, followed by business web pages and Etsy shops with 6 hours.

Spending this amount of time on content sometimes leads to endless revision. More than half of the respondents revise their graphics once or twice before posting. 15% report making three to five revisions, while 11% revise widely enough to lose track of the number.

For many, the solution is recycling. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents report using earlier content for new visual products. Others dream of outsourcing, with web design, video editing, and brand identity at the top of the list if budget weren’t a factor.

Even so, creators are working out their own shortcuts and routines for handling the pressure. Some batch content, some use templates and drag-and-drop tools to maintain consistency. The emergence of apps that help to resize, animate, and publish across channels has alleviated some of the pain. The pressure to remain visible and relevant is nevertheless high on fast-moving platforms such as TikTok.

Making DIY Design Work

Although they often face challenges, many creators feel good about their finished products. 79% say their branding work has enhanced the way in which their business is perceived for credibility. 16% even report that people have confused their brands with businesses that are larger or more established.

Instagram remains the best-performing platform for visuals, followed by Facebook, business websites and TikTok. 40% confess to being afflicted with a feeling of perfectionism, 35% say they suffered from stress, and 30% have confessed that they are subject to indecision. Imposter syndrome still hangs on for 19%. It is not all just stress and burnout, though. Almost half (49%) of creators have reported that designing is satisfying and a creative outlet for them.

Nevertheless, the ability to create visuals that register, without relying on others to help to get them, is a proud point. Many of these creators refer to this as a milestone in their growth. Each iteration and revision, or simply a design incident, inspires the creator to greater fluency in visual storytelling. Even though we live in a digital world that’s saturated with content, a brand’s biggest asset can be authenticity.

The New Approach to Branding

DIY branding offers something different and bigger. It constitutes a movement. While non-designers find it difficult still to become masters of instruments in the process of design, many have proved that creativity in combination with persistence and resourcefulness, does go a long way.

For the small businessman, the side hustler, or the creator who is starting from scratch, branding has become another skill in the toolbox. It is less a matter of polish and more about progress. As AI tools, platforms and learning resources continue to expand, so will the confidence and capabilities of these creators.