INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: if you're struggling right now, you're not alone

153,000 jobs lost last month. Highest October losses in over 20 years. Design gets hit hardest and fastest because we're seen as nice-to-have instead of essential. When budgets tighten, we're the first cut.

This week I talked with designers in Europe, Asia, and Australia. They're all saying the same thing. This isn't a US only problem, it's everywhere, and it's bad. People with decades of experience are being let go, and getting rejected from roles they're overqualified for because companies aren't hiring designers at all.

If you have work, please find a way to help. Contract out a project. Make an introduction. Offer a portfolio review. Show up and listen. I'm doing what I can, but I can't field every call. The design community is small enough that we should all be taking care of each other, especially now.

If you're without work, know this. You are not damaged goods. This is not your fault. You're caught in a system that doesn't value what we do until it's too late. Keep your head up. We’ll get through this together.

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