Survival Tips for Designers in Times of Looming Layoffs

Caveat: the following is a list of ideas and tips from my perspective, which I’ve built up over the years as a design professional and leader. In times like these, it’s important for me to acknowledge that I speak from a place of privilege and relative good fortune. This piece draws from my own experience, and as such may not reflect the full range of concerns designers may be feeling right now. For example, I have not had to deal with the stresses of employment-based residence Visas. Nor must I contend with the added anxieties of my income providing for children or extended family. As always, you should seek specific advice from licensed experts familiar with your individual situation

Dear designer, please allow me to begin with a massive understatement: it’s been a wild roller coaster ride these last few years for those of us working in the tech sector! In the early days of the global pandemic we were collectively thrown into a tumult of office shutdowns, logistical nightmares of a suddenly-remote-only working paradigm, widespread layoffs…all on top of a universal health crisis. After months of downturn, for a thrilling moment some corners of the sector started growing rapidly. Companies began hiring like gangbusters—fighting for the attention of skilled employees with climbing salaries and attractive perks.

Then without warning, the bottom dropped out. We’ve found ourselves in what feels like an endless season of cutbacks, contraction, and rolling layoffs. Every day it seems companies are…