Can you become a billionaire from design?
A few weeks ago, this question started making rounds on X.
A lot of people said no - that itās not possible to become a billionaire from ājust design.ā
However, I had a very interesting conversation with The X Effect on this very topic.
As we know, X is one of those unconventional designers who sees possibilities in things most people donāt even look twice at.
So I asked him - what do you think?
He replied affirmatively - You can become a billionaire through design because when you see design as a lifestyle, you can design anything for anyone at any amount. The problem is, most people donāt even understand what design truly is.
And that made me think.
Because when you still see design as something you just do to make ends meet, thatās all itāll ever be for you.
But when you start to see it as culture, as communication, as something that shapes how people think and even behave - then the possibilities become endless.
Itās not even about doing 1000 projects.
Itās about creating one design project thatās worth a billion - because of the value margin.
I learnt in our conversation that a certain designer was once contracted to brand a whole country.
Just few months ago, someone was appointed as the official designer for The White House.
Another team charged over half a million dollars for a rebrand that most people thought was ājust a color change and a dot.ā
But thatās the difference between those set of designers and others who think design cannot make you a billionaire.
These understand exactly what their work is worth - and they have the boldness to price it that way.
This is the kind of mindset that separates people who design to survive from people who design to shape the world.
I havenāt hit that mark yet, but I believe itās possible.
Because design is powerful. It literally shapes how people think - and once you can influence how people think, what canāt you build?