Advertising Design Work and How to Take It On as a Side Job
Published:
Last Updated:
Published:
Last Updated:

Category: Side Jobs, Work Styles
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
Are you wondering, "What exactly does advertising design work involve?" or "I'd like to take on advertising design projects as a side job"? Advertising design is the work of making products and services appealing in a way that reaches the target audience, and it covers a wide range of formats such as banners, posters, and SNS ads. This article organizes what advertising design work involves, and clearly explains how to take it on as a side job, how to proceed, and points to watch. It is put together for those who want to get involved in advertising design from here on.
Advertising design is the work of visualizing the appeal and message of a product or service in a form that reaches the target audience. It is not just about making things look good; the key is to design while keeping in mind "who you are reaching, what you are conveying, and how you want them to act." Being directly linked to results such as sales and customer acquisition is what sets it apart from other kinds of design.
Even though we say advertising design, the deliverables vary by medium. Let's cover the main types of work.
This is producing banner ads displayed on websites, apps, and SNS. Because there are many size variations and they can be made quickly, it is a field with many side-job projects.
This is advertising design for printed materials such as in-store posters, flyers, and leaflets. It requires the ability to organize the priority of information and make an appeal within a limited space.
This is designing long, vertical pages that encourage purchases or sign-ups for a product or service. It requires thinking through the structure and flow, and tends to command higher pay.
This is producing post images for a company's SNS account and thumbnails for video ads. They are sometimes commissioned as a series to match ongoing posting.
Advertising design is not made on instinct alone; it generally proceeds in the following flow. Keeping the same steps in mind when you take it on as a side job makes it easier to meet the client's expectations.
In advertising design, in addition to the ability to create the look, skills focused on results are required.
How to grow your skills and build a portfolio is also explained in detail in our article on changing careers to become a designer.
Advertising design has many projects that can be completed as one-offs, making it a field that is easy to take on as a side job. Let's cover the options for taking it on.
You can find many one-off advertising design projects such as banners and flyers. They suit those who want to build a track record from scratch, or who want to start a side job first.
Posting your work on X and similar can lead to direct requests from companies and individuals. Because they can see your advertising design samples, it is a method that easily connects you with well-matched work.
As your track record grows, you may receive referrals from acquaintances or past clients. Trust-based requests tend to become ongoing projects, making your income more stable.
Note that how to find jobs across design roles, including advertising design, is also explained by place in our related article. Please use it as a reference as well.
Pay varies by medium and difficulty. Use it as a rough guide when choosing projects.
Yes. You can start with small projects such as banners. By learning design basics and tool operation, preparing a portfolio of your own work, and building a track record, you can widen the range of projects you can take on.
Advertising design is a field within graphic design that specializes in "producing results through advertising." What sets it apart is that, beyond the beauty of the look, the appeal that prompts action such as customer acquisition or purchase is emphasized.
It varies by the project content and quantity. From projects of a few thousand yen per banner, you can aim for tens of thousands of yen or more per month through LP work or ongoing contracts. Start with projects you can keep up with, within a manageable range.
Advertising design is work that, through a wide range of production such as banners, posters, and LPs, connects to results for products and services. When taking it on as a side job, it is reassuring to accumulate small projects from crowdsourcing and SNS, proceeding while checking pay and contract terms. First, understand the work and how it proceeds, and take a step from the projects that suit you.

A guide to finding UI designer jobs by place: job sites, recruitment agencies, crowdsourcing, SNS, and direct applicatio...

A step-by-step guide to starting a web design side job, from building skills and a portfolio to landing projects as a be...

How to find graphic designer jobs, explained by place—job sites, career-change agents, crowdsourcing, social media, and ...