Print on Demand Design Trends: What to design for in May 2024

Well Hey there!

As a print-on-demand business owner and instructor, I get asked A LOT of questions. I absolutely love everything about Print on Demand and could honestly talk about anything and everything in this industry for hours (and with enough wine in my system, I could go on for days haha).

However, one of the most common and recurring questions I get asked by individuals who are new to POD or from my students of The Print on Demand Playbook is typically about what to design and what design styles are currently trending. Sometimes choosing what to create every day/month/season or not knowing where to start can be the most difficult part about Print on Demand!

So in this post, I wanted to take the time to break down some current trending designs and styles that I suggest you focus on in May and the upcoming summer season to achieve maximum success!

Personally, Q2 (April, May, and June) is my JAM as a Print on Demand business owner. I do 6 figure sales in these months alone. And May is ALWAYS my best month! Check it out 👇👇👇👇

I can comfortably say I feel like I know a thing or two about what designs and trends are successful around this time of year 😊 So before we dive on in and break down what I suggest you focus on, let me introduce myself!

Hey there! I’m Shay Lynn

I am a top 1% Etsy Seller, am the proud owner of a multi-six figure Print on Demand & Etsy Business, a six-figure Shopify Business, and creator of the Print on Demand Playbook and The Niche Navigator. In 2023, I did $250,000 in sales running my very own Print on Demand and Etsy business. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what I do and want to help others achieve financial freedom and find success with their own Print on Demand Business Ventures!

So now that you know who I am and what I am all about, let’s get into the nitty-gritty and talk about trending niches, designs, and styles for May and the next few months to come!

May 2024 Design, Niche, and Product Trends

1) THE GREAT OUTDOORS: The sun is starting to shine so people are gearing up for their favorite outdoor activities. This is the best time of year to start making gifts/products for outdoor activities. Think about products for the following: Camping, Hiking, Beach, Lake Life, Golfing, Surfing, Summer, Bird Watching, Cruises, RV, Boating, Pickleball, Tennis, Soccer, Raquettball, Marathons, and Running.

And don't forget, it's not just sports that people are starting to gear up for. Summer Bachelorette Parties, Summer Weddings, and Family Vacations are some great group outdoor activities this time of year as well! And the best part about these group activities is that people typically will order more than one product for the group 😉

Products that I have found to be successful in these categories are Towels, Personalized Towels (think for a group outing i.e family cruise or bachelorette), blankets, wine glasses, bags (tote, weekender, makeup), candles, phone cases, hats, mugs, sweaters, tanks, hoodies, garden flags, wall art, sportswear (leggings, shorts, sports bras), and backpacks. Family Group Shirts or other types of attire do very well this time of year too.

The Best Print on Demand Companies (in my personal opinion) for these products are Printify and Printful. If you haven’t signed up for any of these, click the links to sign up for free!

2) FATHER’S DAY: Although Mother's Day is in the month of May, design-wise, this ship has sailed. It's a little late in the game to focus on Mother's Day gifts if you are starting to design in May (you want your products to be made at least a month out before a major holiday). So that means it's Dad's time to shine! Father's Day is just as big as Mother's Day and can bring in some great opportunities for you as a POD owner.

Think outside the box! Don't just think "Father's Day Gifts" get creative with it! Think, Father in Law Gifts, Fishing Gifts for Dad, Golfing Gifts, Hiking Gifts For Him, Dad Joke Gifts, Gag Gifts For Dad, Funny Dad Gifts, RV Camping Gifts, Gifts For Boat Owners, Gifts for Grandpa, Dad with Daughters, First Time Dad, First Father's Day, and Auto Racing Gifts. When doing market research keep in mind there are different variations for the words "Dad" and "Grandpa" (think Pop Pop). Also, I have found that funny gifts work a little better than sentimental ones for this holiday.

This niche is in my wheelhouse and I have found immense success with the following products: Die Cut Metal Signs (for advanced designers), doormats, cutting boards, pint glasses, beer koozies, Hoodies, Sweaters, Hats, Socks, Blankets, Pillows, towels, clipboards, coasters, underwear (think gag gift), thermos, mugs, aprons, posters/wall art, yard signs, and garden signs.

Be sure to conduct market research as a Print on Demand Owner! The absolute BEST tools to conduct this research on what’s trending and your competition are Sales Samurai and Everbee. These are my Desert Island Print on Demand research tools and there is not a single day that I am not using these to make educated decisions on what I need to be doing as a designer! If you haven’t signed up yet click the links to start for free! You can also enter SHAY20 at checkout for Sales Samurai to get 20% off!

Need a little extra help?

Want more Niche, Design, and Product ideas?

I got you! Check out my Niche Navigator! This guide is my baby and took me years as a Print on Demand owner to develop! In this guide, there are 30 EVERGREEN & PASSIONATE niches used by the top 1% of Etsy sellers. This guidebook has 30 niches, subniches, SEO, and OVER 1,000 keywords to help you get started! Level up your Etsy store with the most PROFITABLE niches to go into! Click the link or image to check this out while it’s on sale!

Now that we have covered what you should be focusing on Design Wise, let’s shift gears and talk about what Styles are trending and what sells really well this time of the year!

2024 Trending Design Styles: What's Hot Right Now

The following design styles are suggestions to help you apply certain aesthetics to your products. For example, if you have a Print on Demand shop that focuses on gifts for teachers, you could apply the following trending design aesthetics to your products!

1) GOTHIC WESTERN: This trend (thanks to Queen Bae) is not going anywhere for awhile! Think Vampire Cowboys in the South kind of vibes. Design Wise, you want to incorporate a nice blend of dark colors with Western/Victorian Fonts. Graphics-wise you can incorporate into your designs are horses, lassos, cow skulls, bones, cowboys, cowboy boots, spiderwebs, and wagons. If you are still scratching your head a little bit on what this style is, that's ok! Head over to Canva or Kittl and type "gothic cowboy" into the elements or templates section to get some inspiration.

2) TOMATO GIRL: This design aesthetic is all about pops of color and whimsical styles mixed with farm/food life. Time to add some veggies, food, botanical, or rustic farm elements to your designs! Let your creativity run wild by incorporating veggies, fruits, plants, flowers, farm animals, and sea animals (jellyfish are really in right now)! The key is to have nice pops of vibrant colors with a clean background. Also, fun sun designs do really well too this time of year.

3) RETRO VIBES: This design style screams vintage 70s beach vibes. Right now 70s-inspired weddings and 70s beachy vibes are having a moment on Etsy. Try incorporating retro, vintage, wavy, and groovy fonts into your designs. Graphics-wise you want to focus on geometric shapes, abstract patterns, or graphics that induce nostalgia (ex. old cassettes or records).

4) COQUETTE STYLE: This trending design aesthetic is all about flirty, playfulness, and femininity. Think fancy flirty meets 2024. It's a nice blend of romantic, fun, and sass! Design-wise you should focus on pops of pink, mint, and cursive-based fonts. You can also incorporate lace, bows, and pearl elements into these designs! And again, if you have no idea what I am talking about, head over to Canva and type "Coquette" into the elements section to get a feel for this aesthetic.

5) CLEAN/COOL GIRL AESTHETIC: This trending design is all about minimalism, and elegance, with a soft feminine touch. Less is definitely more for this trending design. You want to incorporate clean lines, shapes, and have this be not cluttered whatsoever. Simple elegant font pairings is what this is all about. Script, Cursive, and San Serif Font combinations scream “cool girl”. Muted and soft palettes are also a must for this aesthetic. These colors could include soft baby blues/pinks, lavender, greens, whites, beige/tan, and black. Self-care, gratitude, and motivation are what this style is all about!

6) COASTAL GRANDMA: This design style is all about coastal charm, vintage accents, and seaside vibes, with a subtle hint of grandmotherly warmth. You want to be sure to include nautical elements such as anchors, boats, lighthouses, seashells, and sea creatures like starfish and jellyfish. Colors that you could use while designing would be costal blues, sandy beiges, and soft creamy whites, and tiny pops of red. Some grandmotherly elements you could include could be gardening tools, vintage teacups, and quilt-like patterns.

Conclusion:

I hope this helps you get your creative juices flowing for May and the months to come! Like I said before, one of the hardest parts about starting or having a POD business is choosing what to design. It can be so daunting and feel super overwhelming at times so I truly hope this helps point you in the right direction. If you are totally new to Print on Demand and would like to know how to start your business step by step, how to create products, conduct market research, and how to list products the right way on Etsy, then check out my course The Print on Demand Playbook! It’s got 8 hours and over 30 videos of POD content to help you start your business from scratch, help you create winning POD products, Content Calendars, Font Guides, and so much more! Click the link or the image below to take a peek!

Print on Demand Trend Alert: Design Inspiration and Etsy Trends for Spring/Summer 2024