Mugs will always be in demand. Brits drink, on average, 100 million cups of tea each day, which is almost 36 billion per year. So coming up with mug design ideas could be a great way to get creative with the Great British cuppa.

This Adobe Express guide features a range of creative mug design ideas that can help inspire you mug business.

Is it profitable to sell mugs?

It’s said that in 2021, the global mug market was valued at $21.39 billion and is forecasted to reach $44.21 billion by 2029. Big business, clearly. But your own profitability will depend on a few things:

• The mug designs. You will want to design and print mugs that people want. Be sure to carry out market research to find out which mugs sell (quotes, images, names etc.)
• Designing an accessible website. You want a simple ecommerce website that makes the buying process easy for customers.
• Staying on top of social media. Sharing on social media will help broaden your customer pool and reach new people.
• Building effective ad campaigns. Creating campaign adverts and marketing material to help promote your mugs can help build demand.
• Create a workspace. Whether you’re planning to make the mugs yourself or want to use a print-on-demand service, you can still have a workspace where you plan everything for your mug business.

15 mug design ideas to get you started.

Once you’ve decided to create a mug business, it’s time to come up with some mug design ideas. Below, we’ve listed 15 mug ideas we’re sure your customers will love. Take a look at the list below and feel inspired to start designing.

1. Funny meme mugs.

Funny mug design ideas are sure to capture customers’ attention, and a meme is a great way to do just that. You can find meme inspiration on social media or use our handy meme generator to create your own.

2. Inspirational quote mugs.

An inspirational or motivational quote mug could be a great way forward. These can be good as gifts for friends, family and colleagues. This is a simple design choice that is quick and easy to make. See our list of inspirational quotes you could use on a mug to motivate and inspire the user.

3. Personalised photo mugs.

Offering personalised photo mugs can be a good option for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Creating photo collages can be a great way to fit more images on a single mug.

4. Monochromatic mugs.

Monochromatic mugs are a simple idea that can be highly effective. Perfect for those who want a stylish design with a concise colour pallet. Take a look at our guide to find ideas and inspiration for monochromatic designs.

5. Pop culture mugs.

Take a look back through some of the most memorable pop culture moments and add them to a mug. These can be images or quotes from iconic moments in pop culture.

6. Matching mugs.

One cute mug design idea is offering matching mugs. These can be for couples to have their morning coffee, or can be full-sized mugs matched with a mini version for parents to enjoy a hot chocolate in with their children.

7. Punny mugs.

Everyone loves a pun and creating a range of mugs with puns on them offers something unique to customers. The puns don’t need to be long and complicated either, it can be as simple as a capital ‘T’ on it (because the person who uses it drinks tea, get it?).

8. Milestone mugs.

Milestone mugs are perfect for birthdays or anniversaries. They can feature different ages or years and are the perfect mug to be sold all-year round.

9. Hidden message mugs.

Some mugs change when you add hot water. With this type of mug, you can get really creative. These can be good for hidden messages, asking questions, revealing big moments. Imagine a selection of mugs that say, "will you be my bridesmaid?" for example.

10. Title mugs.

Creating a range of titles can be another all-year round collection. Mugs that say Mum, Dad, Nanna and Grandad can be extremely popular gifts.

11. Seasonal-themed mugs.

Whether you’re trying to come up with Christmas mug design ideas or want to plan designs for Halloween, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day – there are plenty of seasonal occasions where mugs can be bought as gifts.

12. Mugs dedicated to pets.

Creating a range of mugs with cats and dogs on them can be good for those people who have to leave their pets behind to work in an office or out of the house. They can see their pet’s face every time they use their mug.

13. Mugs for businesses.

You can also offer custom mugs for businesses. These can display the business name, logo and branding. You can offer mugs for business as a print-on-demand service for business to order as and when they’re needed. But you can share on social media that you offer this service too.

14. TV and movie quotes.

Fans of popular film and TV shows are always on the hunt for merch of their favourite characters. Creating mugs with iconic quotes from TV series and movies and will be a bit hit. Think about classic shows that everyone loves.

15. Nature-theme mugs.

A range of mugs featuring outdoor seasons, wildlife and more can be calming and relaxing and bring some of the outdoors in. This mug idea can be changed to feature designs from the different seasons.

Editable mug design ideas and examples to inspire your designs.

How can Adobe Express help you craft your own mug designs?

With Adobe Express, you have a wealth of tools and design features at your fingertips. Below you can discover some of the way you can use Adobe Express to bring your mug ideas to life.

1. Find inspiration in the free template library.

Adobe Express has a range of templates to create any designs with ease. these the full range of templates and feel inspired to create your next design.

2. Design your mugs using accessible tools.

With accessible tools available from Adobe Express it has never been easier to bring your mug ideas to life.

3. Utilise our Quick Action and AI tools.

With a simple click of button, you can remove backgrounds, add effects and more. This can speed up editing time, meaning you can focus on creating more designs your customers will love.

4. Add a photo collage to your mug design.

Create a photo collage displaying multiple images and effects on your mugs. This is a create way to display multiple designs on a small space.

5. Create posts for social media.

Once your designs are ready, you can create streamlined social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to advertise them.

Use AI text effect tools to make your custom mugs one-of-a-kind.

Adobe Express’ AI text effect generator allows you to create unique fonts and effects in seconds. Add crazy, creative copy to your custom mug designs, powered by your imagination. Simply add in your message, quote or name, along with a short text prompt. Click ‘Generate’ and there you have it – one-of-a-kind text that makes your mugs utterly unique.

Once you’re done, you can continue editing and building your design around your new text centrepiece. Add images and icons, all personalised to whatever you, or your customers, want. With the text generator, you can create custom designs in seconds – perfect if you offer a print-on-demand service.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Good to know.

What mug design ideas are popular?

Popular mug design ideas include personalised mugs for special occasions, such as birthdays, and mugs with titles such as Mum, Dad, Nanna and Grandad. T These can be sold all year round.

How do you put designs on a mug?

There are few ways to print designs onto mugs including, adding waterproof labels, vinyl printing, and heat transfer. Print on demand is an effective way to get mugs created and delivered to customers.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes, our free plan offers many core features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 5 GB of storage. See our pricing page for details and to compare plans.