Pouring in with design

Right now is a massively unstable moment for designers.

We don’t know what will happen next. The floor is changing out from under us, and we’re each waiting to catch our breath and see what the rest of the year, and the years following, bring.

For some this will be too much. And that’s ok. The purpose here is not to run the rat wheel to exhaustion. I’ve had friends switch careers and find fulfillment in doubling down on craft in other areas. I’m not interested in the next LinkedIn take, or short form video guaranteeing solutions to all the world’s problems with this one neat trick.

Cheap gains are quickly shed.

Still, in some ways there’s an opportunity to poke, prod, and learn in this moment.

Some days I feel it, know it, see the chance to crest the wave and stay with it, to keep on and enjoy designing and being part of this industry. Other days there’s nothing left and I come up empty.

On those days I look for moments where I can reconnect with why I got into design in the first place. Last week two completely separate pieces came together to speak to refilling the empty balance.

First, I was able to explore incredibly complex designs in my work, and came up with a solution that will work. That was rewarding because I expect it to move the metrics we’re looking for, but also because it was a problem I could solve with my colleagues; putting our brains together and leveraging every skill available to us.

Second, I spent hours after work illustrating episode artwork for a new podcast I’m starting. This is such an obscure thing that only a few listeners will notice, but it was a joy to just draw again, playing with pastel colors and abstract art. The time passed quickly, feeling nothing like an obligation and everything like the time I spent as a college student enjoying every moment of art class.

That doesn’t mean every day will be great. On the contrary so much of the time is filled with uncertainty and doubt.

But some days, in some ways, I see a path forward, through pouring into the craft that got me into this industry in the first place.

All that said I see the tectonic shifts happening and am keenly searching for any opportunity to grow and learn through the changes.