When I was a kid, I got interested in art from looking at album covers. Some of my favorite bands seemed to put a lot of effort into choosing covers that were artistic, funny, and irreverent. I liked them just as much as I liked the music.

At some point, I noticed that a lot of these album covers had started to appear on t-shirts. This was a great find for a kid who was already spending his evenings trying to make his own designs. I had a lot of influences, and now I could start wearing them. I was very excited.

Somehow, I never considered pursuing this as a career. I eventually ended up going to art school. Now, I’m a teacher who helps students discover their talents. With the right encouragement, I could have easily become a graphic designer who made cool album covers and clothes. At the time, it just never occurred to me that there were people out there making money from this kind of artwork.

A couple years ago, I discovered Design by Humans, a website that sells some impressive designs made by independent artists. Perhaps I’m a little too old for some of these designs, but I don’t care. I buy them and wear them proudly. If nothing else, at least my students seem to think they’re cool.

About Design by Humans

Design by Humans is an online store with headquarters in Chico, CA. The company provides a platform for independent designers to sell their images on apparel, posters, and other items.

Top Features of Design by Humans

Artist Opportunities

One of the things I like most about Design by Humans is that the company gives emerging and experienced artists opportunities to make money from their designs. This is a cool concept, and I wish more companies had thought to offer it when I was young. I don’t think anyone can make a living by selling shirts on Design by Humans, but I do think that it could give young designers the confidence they need to pursue their careers.

Art Contests

Design by Humans has hosted several art contests. I like the contests for the same reason that I like the artist opportunities offered by Design by Humans. I also like the types of designs that the contests encourage designers to try.

As an artist, I know that it is important to step outside of your comfort zone to see what new types of designs you can create. I find that pursuing new ideas is one of the most effective ways to push your craft and creativity.

With these art contests, you see artists pushing themselves. It’s kind of like authors who use writing prompts. Having a new jumping off point can lead artists into new territories. That’s the kind of stuff that I really like to see on Design by Humans.

Diverse Designs

Opening design opportunities to new artists also means that shoppers can find a wide range of interesting designs. Most of the designs have pop culture references in them. Right now, there’s a whole section devoted to Star Wars, so that gives you some idea of what they offer.

While the designs are diverse, they are all high quality. Some of them are intentionally amateurish, but even they are obviously made by people who were trying to create unique effects. Other designs are extremely artistic. You could hang these shirt on your wall as art.

Several Types of Products

I primarily use Design by Humans to purchase t-shirts, but that isn’t the only thing the site sells. Other items on sale include:

Tank tops

Hoodies

Baseball tees

Sweatshirts

Phone cases

Stickers

Notebooks

Art prints

I have purchased a couple of art prints that I thought were particularly good. They’re hanging in my office right now. Whenever I feel like a project is just weighing on me, I can get a quick pick me up by looking at the impressive work done by young designers. It’s a lot better than those cat posters that say stuff like “hang in there.”

Free Shipping

No matter where you live, you can get Design by Humans coupons that will give you free shipping. It doesn’t matter if you live in New York or Beijing.

Free shipping is awesome.

Design by Humans Prices

Most of the t-shirts cost about $25, which seems pretty typical to me. That’s about what you would pay for a similar item at a brick and mortar retail store.

The prices vary a little from item to item, so make sure you check before you buy. I’ve never seen anything that I thought was seriously overpriced.

Design by Humans also makes frequent use of coupons. The coupons offer various levels of savings. Some might knock a few bucks off of your order. Others might give you a percentage off your order.

I always look for coupons before placing an order with Design by Humans. There’s no reason to spend more money than necessary. The coupons are the easiest way to make sure you only spend what you have to.

Criticisms of Design by Humans

I have had several positive experiences with Design by Humans. In my opinion the designs are cool and the clothes are well made.

When it came time to write a criticism about Design by Humans, I wasn’t sure what I would say. Since I haven’t had any bad experiences, I went online to read existing reviews.

There is a fair number of people who complain about the customer support services at Design by Humans. According to them, the customer service reps are unresponsive and snotty. I have never had to contact customer support, so I can’t really say anything about this.

Some of the reviews that I read also complained about the quality of the shirts. I’m not sure how this is possible. Maybe I have a different set of standards from these people. Everything that I have gotten from Design by Humans was comfortable and made to last. I still have the very first shirt that I bought. The design is starting to fade, but the shirt itself still looks great.

Customer Support for Design by Humans

You can contact customer support via phone, email, and live chat. The customer service center is open from 8 am to 5 pm EST Monday through Friday.

FAQ About Design by Humans

Pros of Using Design by Humans

• Diverse designs
• Opportunities for emerging artists
• Free shipping
• Plenty of products

Cons of Using Design by Humans

• Some people complain of poor customer services

Conclusion

If you are looking for preppy or fashionable clothes, Design by Humans probably is not the right place for you to shop. If, however, you are tired of looking like a walking billboard for clothing companies, Design by Humans is a great option that will give you a diverse range of apparel to choose from.

I admit that I’m partial to Design by Humans because it gives artists opportunities to get their work out into the world. That, however, wouldn’t be enough for me to keep buying prints and clothes from them. Design by Humans has shown me that it has good products that I can count on. The fun designs brought me to Design by Humans. The quality keeps me buying from them.

If you are ready to find some fun clothes that use a lot of humor and interesting designs, then I would recommend checking out Design by Humans. It’s not for everyone, but it may be right for you.