Good insights here so far. It's true that we don't know how this will play out, but it's a very good bet that we're in for some very rough and turbulent times ahead. We've seen over 22 trillion dollars erased from the world's credit markets this year, and we're seeing up close what that's doing to our markets. About the best thing that can be said at this point is that we've all got some window of time in which to plan and act.
Now is a very good time to begin looking at what each of us can do to maximize our survivability as designers in uncertain times. I like Andrei's advice very much, just in general, as that's going to be beneficial no matter what occurs. I'll add my agreement to the importance of building up broad skills, and directly implementable skills. Being "T-shaped," in your skillset will always be valuable in terms of flexibility. Also, it's important to consider the difference between those in our community who work in corporations and the many of us that are self-employed as consultants and contractors. Or, work in small consulting or design firms. Economic turbulence can affect designers differently depending on their individual work and employment configurations. In my career, most of which was spent as a consultant (either by myself or with three or fewer employees), I found that consultants and contractors can often pick up work from companies that might not be in a position to hire or support full-time designers or design staffs. So in a downturn, consulting and contracting is one option that designers should consider. There are many challenges to going it alone or with a few partners, but there are also rewards. Consider looking into this option, if you're a corporate designer, just as a fall-back option. It's not for everyone, but there are usually increased opportunities when companies are slicing their employee counts. The most successful products and services will still need to be designed, so that design effort will have to come from somewhere. In general terms, look for ways to become self-sufficient. Make certain you can secure your own computer and software and make certain you're as networked as possible. Strong networks, such as we have here within the IxDA community will likely be one of the more valuable assets in surviving and regrouping during any serious or protracted downturn. Connect as much as you can. And connect to as many types of people as possible. In shakeouts that come from economic downturns, it's inevitable that some people will leave the field altogether to pursue or take advantage of other types of work. If this happens to you, remember, you're not simply what you're doing at any given moment. You're the sum total of everything you've ever done and may do in the future. If you leave the design field, you will always benefit from the skills you've gained in this field. If you are forced to leave the design field, try as best you can to stay abreast of skills and larger trends in design and development, so that you'll be in as good a position as possible to return, if that's your goal. I believe that there's much collective wisdom here in our growing community regarding the economic and career aspects of our chosen discipline. Let's all contribute to and take advantage of that great resource, and IxDA will be a valuable networking resource in the period ahead. James Leftwich, IDSA Chief Experience Officer SeeqPod, Inc. Emeryville, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34025 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
