Etsy's "Designed By" Category: What's Included? Etsy changes 2024

[@elsiegrdn]

I design cross stitch patterns and sell them as digital downloads; I am a designer; Designed By Seller suits me fine. All my designs are unique and original.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That sounds like it's the right category then.

[@varvaraefpraxiadou9697]

I watched your video "Made By". I am in this category. Thank you again for explaining to us these new policies.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mesewsatx1]

All my items are made by me. They all meet the made by me criteria yet many are listed as designed by me. I have tried to update the info in the listing but noting changes. I left a note in the technical forum so will see what happens.

[@varvaraefpraxiadou9697]

Thank you Kara for this info. I design and made all my jewelry. I didn't see anything specific about that category.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

If you design and make it yourself using components that you bought somewhere, it's assembled with commercially available parts. If you make your own findings and make your own beads etc them it's made from scratch. There's no good combination of those two, so if you do some of each just choose which one is the biggest part of it.

[@varvaraefpraxiadou9697]

@@KaraBuntinTutorials Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate your help. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday.

[@wendys.2012]

I use a graphics software to edit my photos for greeting cards but I only use a few of the AI functions. I added an editing/AI section to my listing stating that I don't use AI to generate images but I do sometimes use tools such as sky replacer or object eraser.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

I think that's fine. You should probably add tje AI part in the details too though, if it's a substantial change that's made by using the AI functions.

[@LittleKikuyu]

Thank you for this Video! To me it’s insane that people will most likely be able to claim copyright on a „design“ that’s created by AI. It just isn’t your intellectual property. 😅 Wild times.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

I thought you couldn't claim copyright on AI images. Has that changed?

[@SelfLoveACommunity13]

You can use mock-ups for POD

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

What the policy says is that you can if it's a design that you made and that's it. If it's customized or personalized it falls under the personalization policy, so no mockups. I have no idea what the difference is but that's what it says.

[@giseletheriault8633]

Another thing I have noticed is that many pod sellers are using the word "vintage". If I were looking for vintage items I would find that annoying. I would find it even more annoying if I sold vintage goods.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That is annoying.

[@juliaredman8379]

I primarily sell plants on Etsy. I'm annoyed that all of my listings have been set to "designed by" or "handpicked" etc., without giving me a choice, especially as many of them have been grown by me FROM SEED and are up to 5 years old.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

Plants are an interesting question, since you don't technically "make" them, but you do cultivate them. On Etsy it's never been correct to classify them as handmade, they should be in the supply category. Gardening supplies, etc. So that's why they were flipped to handpicked, most likely. I think that the right place would be sourced, since you're not handmaking them, you're choosing from the "final" plant, whatever form that is, to sell the ones that you think are best. We'll see what they end up doing, they're still moving things around in the new categories.

[@juliaredman8379]

@@KaraBuntinTutorials well, I tend to disagree because close association with the other kinds of items in those categories - it isn’t representative of the amount of hands on time, effort and skill involved in the practice, particularly for the class of things I grow. At the end of the day though, Etsy is going to do whatever they want. I did try to reach out to discuss but they of course referred me to a poll as the only method of registering an opinion on this matter.

[@TraceyPoland]

Thanks Kara!

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

Thanks for watching!

[@wendys.2012]

A lab prints my photos and then I assemble/attach them to photo insert cards that I purchase. I thought this qualified as handmade, but now I am not so sure.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That would qualify as handmade, you're putting things together using your hands to create the final product.

[@sueb43]

In one of my shops I make slate ornaments and then engrave them with my own designs. So, I make the item, design the artwork and engrave the finished product. Because they are able to be personalized Etsy is listing them as "Designed by". So annoying. I hope they get this fixed.

[@vickyzhangtt]

Thank you for sharing! How about game account? I create by myself, should I choose made or designed by seller?

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

Do you mean that you make games? If you make them yourself then you'd say you made it.

[@vickyzhangtt]

@@KaraBuntinTutorials no I make game account, I create a character and reach a specific level then I sell this account

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

I hve no idea what the even is, so I don't think I can help you!

[@bethhutchinson105]

Ohhh happy days, maybe, just MAYBE they will finally get rid of all those scammers that are scanning and selling patterns from magazines, etc that they did NOT design.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

report them when you see them.

[@helencirignano2622]

Question: If I hand paint a Resin Shelf Sitter or a blank Styrofoam pumpkin into a designed pumpkin is that designed by or hand made? It's just So confusing.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That's made by you, then it's probably in the altered category.

[@FiEngland]

One of my shops sells public domain digital downloads. They now all say "Designed by". I have checked some other shops who are selling similar and they too say Designed by. I am still trying to get used to the new listing format and cannot see where I can change it to handpicked, as it is vintage and you mention in your video about handpicked that public domain vintage images now fall into that category.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

I think that Etsy's going to have to sort this one out. If the image is vintage that's fine but it isn't a vintage item, it's a reproduction of a vintage item. And the digital downloads are all supposed to be "Designed by" but the vintage part of it is supposed to put it into Handkpicked. Things are mixed up right now, so go through each listing and make sure taht you've filled it out correctly in the details section, and that's all you can do. Etsy has to adjust it after that.

[@FiEngland]

@@KaraBuntinTutorials Thanks Kara. I’ve been into one listing and looked at how it needs to be changed. Within the Details it shows me a section for Digital Files and a button to Change anything. Once in that I’d already got it set as being “made by another company or person”, then as a “supply or tool to make things” and then it says 1800s which my clipart is from. Then there is another part which wasn’t completed which says "Created by Me" or "Compiled by Me" or "AI". I have chosen Compiled by Me as underneath that it says it was sourced from elsewhere but compiled by me. It does say underneath that: "This info won’t change what buyers see for now, but will be used to improve the shopping experience in the future." So that is what I've done and it still says Designed by but as it says it wont change what buyers see, then I guess that's all I can do.

[@user-qy9dp9pq7j]

So I designed and drew stickers but have a company print and cut them for me. I would have guessed this was "design by" but its saying "sourced by". I would like it to be "Design by" because I did design/draw it.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That should be designed by you, not sourced. Check to see what you have set up in the listing, there’s probably something that’s wrong.

[@ecouturehandmades5166]

Is there any "must be updated to corrected categories" by ? date yet?

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

No, they're suggesting that we do it but nothing is mandated!

[@giseletheriault8633]

The "original prompt" rule is stupid. The same prompt always results in a different image. There is zero way for someone to tell what prompt was used. I couldn't care less if someone uses my prompts. They won't match my work because the prompt is just the beginning. I will generate 12 to 50 or so images before choosing an image to work from. Then I modify regions of the image. Then I start growing the image (panning, zooming). That will easily generate another 40 images to choose from. I pick one and start working from that image changing areas I don't like. Finally I import to photoshop to repair problem areas or change colors or to combine multiple images. I do way more work than someone assembling clipart from Creative Fabrica but they don't need to mention their use because it isn't AI.

[@KaraBuntinTutorials]

That's right, it isn't so they don't need to. AI has its own problems that are still being sorted out.