We can’t compensate for the lack of face-to-face interaction with our coworkers by adding more communication channels or scheduling more meetings. Think quality over quantity.
Diversity needs to be at the core of a company’s values, not just a hiring metric. When that’s the case, diversity goes beyond ethnicity and gender, and includes diversity of lived experiences, ability, and generations.
“Workers (now and in the future) will evaluate potential jobs not just according to the duties of the role, but also on the experiences, culture and care that the company provides to those who are a part of it. Now is the time for the real experience design. In an officeless world, the companies and experience designers who use creativity and compassion as they devise avenues for true connection are the ones who will be most likely to succeed, and their workers will experience more joy, wellbeing, and company loyalty as a result.”
— Kat Vellos in our report 100 design lessons for 2021
When a designer shares their career trajectory publicly, it’s been curated. When they speak about “what it’s like to work at Google”, that story has been vetted by Google’s PR team. When they post something on Linkedin, they focus only on what will make them look good. When there’s an audience, there’s a fantasy — and an agenda. While designers are becoming more comfortable talking publicly about their failures, the most honest design conversations are still happening when the camera recording is off.
No bootcamps or formulas can guarantee what companies will be looking for or how the market will behave.
“The role of designers is changing, there is no doubt. It will become more about their ability to define the problem to solve; how should they solve it; consider the broad implications on society, people, and the environment; and to learn how to control the machines with their words.”
— Ruth Kikin-Gil
