The design industry continues to change, and reflects the broader economic climate. It has been a tough few years! People are burned out and designers are wondering if we have passed the peak of design.

Have designers lost the influence they once had? A strong understanding of design thinking once set candidates apart from the crowd, but with improvements to the tools we use the basic design knowledge necessary to create a project that solves problems has been diluted.

Through layoffs we’re seeing that designers are close to the bottom in terms of the tech industry pecking order. In order to have a strong team that will be well resourced to overcome future challenges, design and engineering should have an equal balance. Laying off designers in such large numbers shows a lack of strategic long term thinking.

It’s not all doom and gloom! Challenges like the ones the design industry is facing now create opportunities for inventive solutions. How can you use or share your skills in a new way to help to re-energise the industry?

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01.15 – Check in

05.40 – Design industry overview

10.10 – Has design become a commodity?

18.10 – The future of design

20.45 – Freelancing

24.32 – The positives of the industry right now

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