New reality
It is sad and it is a painful transition, but if you are a designer earning the majority of your salary from computer skills, now is the time for change.
Your job is in jeopardy.
It’s not just AI.
The real problem is anyone can now do what previously only you had tools to do.
That said, leaving the industry because the career you once loved no longer exists isn’t the only answer.
It is possible to stay in the creative industry by adapting to the new norm.
You won’t survive doing, ‘business as usual’ … it’s no-longer viable.
All the research (McCrindle, Seek and Jobs and Skills Australia) show mainstream roles are reducing.
So let’s think differently. Here’s some options:
Go deep
If you love creativity and the craft, survive by doubling-down on your skill. Concentrate on your onlyness. Develop a signature, uncopyable skill you can sell. Think hand typography or animation. Bespoke illustration. Or paper-engineering for complex packaging. A signature skill developed to a superior level will attract clients
Focus on business objectives
As markets fragment and spending patterns change, clients will need creative guidance even if they take design inhouse. Move up the value chain to focus on activities needed to guide (and then measure) design. Think customer-focussed HCD tools, behavioural science, research and strategy. Focus on activities to help mitigate potential risk and reduce budget over-spend. Focus on business objectives. They won’t necessarily need MBA-level research skills. The answer could be short, focussed sprints to answer specific issues.
Identify design-mature clients
Actively seek out people focussed on growing craft, authentic, luxury or counter-culture goods and services. Identify companies who are invested in growing brands that are unlike others. They will still exist and they will need designers.
Be a fixer
Make no mistake, AI and DIY will result in a raft of same-same, not fit-for-purpose or un-reproducable designs. Much like tradies are called to fix the work of weekend warriors, there will be a role for technically-proficient, skilled designers to ‘fix’ DIY designs. Could be to make something production-ready, could be after-release when the DIY has not performed as expected. Either way, there will be a post-apocalyptic fix-it role.
Invest in your side hustle
Many designers have transferred their skillset to another business venture with great success. Do what you do for clients for your own product or service.
Transfer your skillset
A designer’s skillset of visualisation; the ability to unpack a problem and look at it differently to others; and our user empathy lens are directly transferable to other careers.
It is clear the industry most of us trained for, and built a career in; has, is, and will continue to fundamentally change.
The skills we have are not as attractive as they once were, but with a bit of tweaking and re-focussing I believe a design career is still viable. It’s just different.
What do you think?
What have I got wrong?
As always, happy to discuss further, just email Carol
Carol Mackay
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About Carol
After 30+ years running a design studio, I accumulated a pretty special network of fellow designers. One thing most have in common: a need for more information about the ‘business’ side of design. Most are impatient with any task competing for time spent doing what they love – designing so they wanted more info about how to work more efficiently and effectively.
Not me. I love that intersection between design and business. I built a career working with Ombudsman schemes, the Emergency Services sector and the Courts. My special power has always been an ability to use design to translate the difficult to understand or the unpalatable message.
I now use exactly the same skills with creative business owners. I translate the indigestible into bite-sized chunks of information. I share insights, introduce tools and embed processes to help others build confidence business decision-making skills. More confidence makes it easier to grasp opportunities. More confidence makes it easier to recognise a good client from the bad.
Outside DBC I have mentored with Womentor, AGDA The Aunties, and most recently Regional Arts NSW.
And I’m a proud volunteer and board member of Never Not Creative.
Always happy to chat, I can be contacted here.
