Beyond newsletters: How designers are using Substack to grow their business

Substack has emerged as more than just another newsletter platform—it’s becoming a powerful tool for creative people to build their brands, share their expertise, and create new revenue streams.

The platform combines hassle-free publishing with monetization options, letting creatives focus on what they do best: content. So, let’s look at four designers who use Substack in distinctive ways. We’ll see what works and help spark your own thinking about how you can use Substack as a designer.

At its core, Substack offers a straightforward proposition: write emails, grow your audience, and get paid for your work.

But for designers, its value extends beyond basic newsletter functionality. The platform’s clean, minimalist interface puts your content center stage. Plus, the community features can help you grow and connect your following.

On traditional social media, algorithms largely control the content feed. In contrast, Substack delivers your content directly to subscribers’ inboxes. If they subscribe (and check their email), you dramatically improve your chances of being seen. This direct line of communication helps you build a passionate audience that you can continually reach.

Let’s check out four leading design professionals using Substack to grow their audience and design following.

For veteran designer David Airey, the journey to Substack was driven by practicality. After years of jumping between costly email platforms, Airey searched for a better solution. “With more price increases coming from other providers, I heard good things about Substack and decided to switch. Now I send my newsletter completely free,” he explains.

But moving to Substack was about far more than the cost savings. Airey’s approach is an excellent example of how designers can build trust and showcase their industry engagement. He maintains a consistent publishing rhythm, sending newsletters every month or two. Each edition is packed with carefully curated articles and resources.

Airey’s approach to email marketing on Substack uses these principles:

“Just start,” Airey advises designers considering the platform. “Especially if you’re not already sending a newsletter, because it’s another way to show potential clients you’re actively interested in your profession and you can be trusted to deliver.”

Busy designers often worry about time management. Isn’t a Substack just one more thing to do? Airey’s approach shows that you don’t have to constantly send a newsletter to succeed. By sending just one newsletter each month, Airey manages to share insights while keeping his focus on client projects.

Ali LaBelle’s Substack is more than just a newsletter platform. It’s a space to explore the overlap of creativity, design, and personal style.

Her newsletter À La Carte now reaches 19,000 readers. Think of it like getting a fresh magazine in your inbox each month. Her “Sample Platters” show readers what catches her eye and shapes her work. Anyone can read these updates and interviews for free. If you want more, paid members get access to things like her handmade mood boards and guides to her favorite shops and products.

LaBelle keeps things simple and organized in both her work and her newsletter. “I work at my dining table with my laptop and a mushroom lamp,” she told the Spacies Substack, showing how she values a clean, focused approach. She carefully plans each month’s content, ensuring readers get fresh ideas about all kinds of creative topics.

What sets À La Carte apart is its strong community focus. A referral program rewards readers who share the newsletter. Plus, a portion of paid subscriptions goes to rotating charitable causes each quarter. “À La Carte is a place to explore how we can live a life of creative abundance,” LaBelle explains on her About page.

Graphic designer Jesse Nyberg brings a rebellious spirit to his Substack newsletter. It mixes Swiss design principles with post-modern flair. Glue’s Letter shares an eclectic mix of content that somehow sticks together perfectly.

In a recent post, Nyberg advised, “Stop worrying about what you think the algorithm wants. Focus instead on creating what you’re passionate about and what you actually enjoy.” This philosophy shapes his approach to both client work and content creation.

When you read Glue’s Letter, you feel as if you’re peeking into Nyberg’s sources of inspiration. Instead of chasing trends, his newsletter puts you in the shoes of a working designer. The publication spans studio updates, creative insights, music recommendations, and more. This personal approach has helped him build an engaged community.

While keeping his newsletter free, Nyberg encourages readers to “pay it forward.” He stays grassroots with his growth by asking his readers to refer his newsletter to their network. For those who want to dig deeper, he maintains an active YouTube channel focused on design and freelancing tips.

With a background in cognitive science and human-computer interaction, Anthony Tseng has transformed his UX expertise into a specialized Substack. The UX Movement newsletter is a paid publication that dives deep into the psychology of design. It takes a rigorous, research-backed approach to interface design challenges.

UX Movement eschews short-form content for design deep dives. The posts offer comprehensive analysis backed by visual examples. Take his recent exploration of product image displays: it’s a mix of reviewing challenges and proposing solutions. He shares innovative solutions like scrolling image streams that ignite ideas for his audience.

The newsletter operates on a premium model, reflecting its usefulness to professionals. Each article offers a healthy balance between theory and practical steps. UX Movement helps its audience make better choices in their day-to-day design work.

“You’ll learn how human perception and cognition affect user behavior so you can make your interfaces easier to use,” Tseng explains. Drawing upon his industry experience, he offers design advice beyond the standard, well-known UX principles.

Success on Substack comes in many forms for designers. David Airey shows how a simple monthly newsletter can build trust with clients. Ali LaBelle turned her creative interests into a thriving magazine-style community. Jesse Nyberg keeps things real with his raw, personal take on design life. And Anthony Tseng proves there’s room for deep, technical design content that readers will pay for.

What links them all? A clear focus, regular posts, and content that truly reflects who they are. And there’s room for your unique perspective on Substack, too. Keep showing up in your readers’ inboxes for a year, and watch where it takes you.

If you need more creative inspiration that you can use, make sure to check out Envato. With one creative subscription, you get access to unlimited assets that you can use to grow your creative following. Learn more about email marketing with our post on how to grow your email list, and be sure to check out the digital marketing trends to expect in 2025 (hint: one of them is the growth of Substack partnerships!).