To Go Big or Go Home?

A Soon To Be Graduate Questions Her Professional Future in Design

Two years ago I decided against Corporate Finance and the “my school ranking tops yours” path of business school and instead opted for “Managing Creative Teams” and the “how do I deal with ambiguity?” path of design school. The experience has successfully shifted my perspective on topics such as radical innovation, the importance of seeking empathy with end users in research/discovery and the expansive role of technology as a tool for delivering products and services the world. Graduate school has vastly elevated my appreciation for design as a discipline; a discipline that can be a catalyst for innovation.

Some of my classmates have become new friends and some of those new friends have become business partners. Some I have traveled overseas alongside for a dose of healthy design competition and overall, our cohort’s multidisciplinary makeup has allowed us to shape projects in ways that those in silo formed organizations and schools might envy. We are now about 3 weeks away from graduation and a number of us are asking the question: so, what happens next? Do I go into one of the big design firms and learn from the gurus? Should I go back to my previous employer and industry to bring a fresh perspective to the firm? How about that speculative project I did in second semester? Is it start-up worthy? What do I call myself now? A business design strategist?

All worthy questions to consider but I wonder if there is another set of questions that should be on the table… For example: what skills do I have that are unique to me and can’t be replicated by someone else? Which of those skills can a robot replace in 2025? If I had to define my unique proposition, what would it be? The irony of this line of questioning is that we as design management students have become so adept at digging deep into the challenges facing organizations and large systems yet have barely taken time to assign the design process to our own lives. One would never build a product or service without first asking: what is its value and whose need am I solving for? So why step into a new career path without a clear definition of what your personal values and strengths are?

With this in mind, instead of looking solely outward for the answers, I took some advice from all the mindfulness folks and the Simon Sineks to begin looking inward while on the job search. Here are some of the things I’m wrestling with:

Question #1: What is my tolerance for risk and am I a freedom loving, project-seeking hustler that can handle working freelance?

As someone who spent five years zigzagging up the corporate ladder before returning to school, I have been amazed to find out that there are tons of people living a well-paid “gig by gig” lifestyle in New York City. Similar to the current landscape of design firms with their acquisitions, repositioning, and collaborative joint ventures, the state of the worker is being re-imagined and it is now a great time to repackage your skill set as one that can be marketed for your sole purpose. In 2015, 34% of the American workforce was made up of freelancers and the number is only going to continue to grow as traditional jobs continue to dissolve. While the drawbacks are real, the freedom to be your own boss and set your own schedule sound tempting. But then I had to ask myself, “is that lifestyle for me?”

Question #2: Should I go back to my former employer/industry if I know that things would be different than before?

Recently in an article written by Timothy Morey and Roberto Veronese from Frog Design titled Knowledge Workers Need an Industrial Revolution it was stated that information workers spend an unnecessary amount of time orchestrating work as opposed to creating things and actually doing work. They say that by deploying automation to enhance productivity and output, we will experience a social disruption that could have dramatic effects on the future of work and the impact of our efforts on the job. This article made me wonder if I would consider returning back to a past employer and take on a fledgling industry if I knew that technological advances were stepping in to take over some of the manual orchestrating I was once subjected to… those tasks that murdered my creative flows. Does the future of work in all industries promise to embrace data in a way that curates information and aid people like myself who need to tell compelling stories to support our proposed strategies?

Question #3: What’s up with my skill set and am I marketing myself to fit where I want my future to go?

In the documentary, The New Design Landscape, creative directors, graphic designers, design historians and others come together to discuss the role of the designer in today’s world where economic conditions and consumer behavior is changing so rapidly. The 40 minute film focuses on the idea that today’s designer must avoid being “deaf and dumb” but creatively solve problems and assume their crucial position as creators of conditions, not just things. In addition to new positioning for the designer, Dimitri Nieuwenhuizen, design director at LUST goes on to say:

“A designer has become a theorist, researcher, artist, philosopher, scientist, programmer and much more. So many that it’s become harder to connect it all together.”

I fully understand that it takes an interdisciplinary approach to working and learning to achieve more sustainable and beneficial futures for all. Nieuwenhuizen’s comment furthers the importance of getting clear about what one brings to the table and partnering with others who are clear about their skills. And then, most importantly: SHARING YOUR WORK! My interest in working with people and learning across disciplines recently led me to further exploring and advocating for the adoption of S.T.E.A.M. S.T.E.A.M is a framework that encourages the advancement of incorporating the sciences, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics into work. When we explore what it will take to lead industries in the future, it becomes more and more necessary to embody the ethos of S.T.E.A.M and diversity into the decision-making rooms. You can learn more about STEAM here.

Question #4: Why are all of these job descriptions so obscure?

Question #5: Where do people get off calling themselves a “design thinker” after taking an afternoon course in Brooklyn?

Question #6: Sure, I’m graduating. But I still would like unlimited and free access to the MOMA… will Parsons be asking for my ID card back and what does that mean for my future intake of modern art?

All real questions that deserve real answers. This week I will be a part of two events at The New School that will help get myself and my fellow colleagues answers concerning the future of work. The first is a workshop/lecture with Jared Weiner and Erica Green of The Future Hunters where they will be helping us think about “Staying Agile in a Competitive Job Market.” Second, at the annual Design Intelligence conference at Parsons, I will be moderating a panel discussion on The Future of Work where I’ll be probing industry leaders from Frog Design, Little Bits, Thicket Labs, Accenture and Forum for the Future on the topic at hand. Hopefully I’ll see you there!