T-shirts are the most-worn garments in the world today and the creative designs are unending. Some of the winning t-shirt designs are so simple that they make you wonder why you didn't think of it first. Maybe you haven't considered designing t-shirts yourself, but believe me when I tell you – designing your own t-shirt is fun and it's a creative way to unleash your talent.

Get Creative, Start Designing!

Feeling inspired and ready to wade into creative waters? First thing you need to do is decide what type of design you want to create and what tools you will need to create this work of art. If you are an artist, your design choice is as wide as your imagination, and you can pick any tools you know how to use to create your design. But if you are a graphic designer or aspiring to be one, you should start with tools that you're most comfortable working with. Some people are great with Photoshop for regular graphics work, but when it comes to designing, they prefer Gimp or Fireworks. It's really all about you and what tools you find easy to use.

4 Ways to Create Winning T-shirt Designs

If you are not a graphics guru, not feeling very creative or simply want a different point of view, you can still create winning t-shirt designs for your brand. There are many talented designers out there today that will deliver awesome designs; furthermore, outsourcing your t-shirt designs can help increase your sales and brand value. Have a look at some of the below options:

1. Crowd Source

Crowd sourcing websites have gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. They have been very effective and many organizations use this business model to get work done. In the t-shirt industry, crowd sourcing means that different designers will contribute their designs, giving you the option to choose the best one from a pool of designs. Websites like 99designs.com and Freelancer.com are some examples of crowd sourced website models.

On Freelancer.com, you can hold contests for your design, and the winning designer gets the prize money. This type of competitions can be beneficial because many freelancers go overboard just to win. Sometimes they are motivated by the cash prize, but in a lot of cases, it's just the idea of winning that brings out the best designs.

2. Outsource

If having to choose from a bunch of designs is not your cup of tea, or if you prefer a single established designer to work with, then you can look for one online. There are many websites that offer these services, such as Dribbble, Upwork, TopTal and more. Here designers show off their portfolio, and you can browse through different designers to pick a style that you prefer.

Fiverr.com is another website that you can outsource on. Fiverr gigs are basic and cheap, so if you are looking for a cheaper option, then this might be your best choice. Remember, you may need to pay extra to get your source files as they could be attached to the gig as “extras”.

The upside of outsourcing to a particular designer is that you can work with them on the project from start to finish. So if you already have ideas of your own and want them brought to life, this is a great way to find a professional t-shirt designer to work with you.

3. Outsource to an Offline Designer

You can also choose to outsource to an offline designer. If cost is not a problem for you, then this will be the best way to see your designs come to life. Online transactions are awesome because they bridge geographical barriers, but if you can find a designer around your location, then you are better off getting this done offline. Face-to-face meetings are more productive and ensure that nothing gets lost in translation.

4. Buy a Finished Design

Getting your winning t-shirt design is not hard at all once you make up your mind to get started. If all of the above options don't work for you, then buy a finished design online. Many success stories are gathering dust on the internet shelves. If you see a design you like, contact the owner and offer collaboration – you have nothing to lose!