A Path for Tomorrow

This is a brand new keynote talk on a series of things framing the current state of the design industry. It covers some of the issues we face as our industry grows and matures. In specific the talk highlights the challenges those transitioning into the field face and how that is going to impact business going forward.

The career experience gap
Career paths and leveling in design
Gatekeeping in design and how to find advocates
Diversity and inclusion in design
Mentoring and apprenticeships in design

Transcript

1. Presented by Nick Finck
   May 20th, 2021
   A Path for Tomorrow
   

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2. Founder + Principal Consultant
   at Craft & Rigor
   

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3. The Career Experience Gap
   @nickf
   

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4. Years of Experience
   @nickf
   

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5. Expectations of Junior Level Designers
   0%
   20%
   40%
   60%
   80%
   0+ years 2+ years 3+ years 5+ years
   2%
   3%
   15%
   80%
   Expectations by other designers
   

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6. Expectations of Junior Level Designers
   0%
   13%
   25%
   38%
   50%
   0+ years 1+ years 2+ years 3+ years 4+ years 5+ years 13+ years
   2%
   2%
   0%
   12%
   26%
   50%
   8%
   Expectations in job postings
   

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7. No, it doesn’t add up.
   

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8. Expectations of Senior Level Designers
   0%
   10%
   20%
   30%
   40%
   3+ years 4+ years 5+ years 6+ years 7+ years 8+ years
   8%
   12%
   6%
   36%
   18%
   20%
   Expectations in job postings
   

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9. Years of experience is not a
   good qualifier for measuring
   skill + quality of work.
   

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10. It probably needs to die
    a quick + painful death.
    

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11. But there is a bigger problem…
    

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12. The big problem
    • Product Design: For every 1 entry-level job openings
    there are 29 senior job openings
    • UI/UX Design: For every 1 entry-level job openings there
    are 19 senior job openings
    Source: “What 4,000+ Job Posts Say About the Design Industry” Molly Norris Walker
    

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13. Paths and Leveling
    @nickf
    

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14. Factors for retention, employee
    engagement, + satisfaction
    • A formalized career progression ladder
    • Separate paths for individual contributors and managers
    • Career progression models focused on competencies that
    covered a spectrum of people, process, and product knowledge
    • Design leadership at the executive level
    Source: "Design career index" by Todd Zaki Warfel
    

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15. Junior
    Mid
    Senior
    Principal
    Sr. Principal
    Typical IC Career Path
    

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16. Junior
    Mid
    Senior
    Principal
    Sr. Principal
    Manager
    Senior Manager
    Director
    VP
    Senior VP
    IC Path vs Manager Path
    

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17. Mid
    Senior
    Principal
    Sr. Principal
    Manager
    Senior Manager
    Director
    VP
    Senior VP
    Not hiring juniors
    

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18. Senior
    Principal
    Sr. Principal
    Manager
    Senior Manager
    Director
    VP
    Senior VP
    Mids move to senior
    

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19. Structure of the workforce
    • Junior-level individual contributors make up only 13% of
    the workforce in the design field
    • Mid-level individual contributors make up the second
    largest part of the workforce at 25%
    • Senior-level individual contributors make up the largest
    part of the workforce at 28%
    Source: "Design career index" by Todd Zaki Warfel
    

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20. …The current demand for Senior UX
    Designers exceeds the actual available
    pool of candidates.
    — Jill DaSilva
    “
    

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21. Gates + Keys
    @nickf
    

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22. As an industry, we need to look at
    building new routes into the design
    industry. Routes that are accessible
    + desirable to people who have the
    potential to be brilliant designers,
    but look at the people already there
    and just see barriers.
    — Dean Vipond
    “
    

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23. These are who I call gatekeepers.
    We need to overcome the need
    for job assurance overriding the
    collective longevity of our field.
    

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25. Diversity & Inclusion
    @nickf
    

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26. Diversity is an action, inclusivity is cultural,
    and belonging is a feeling. Change doesn’t
    start from top-down leadership; it happens
    at every level.
    — Shelley Zalis, Forbes
    “
    

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27. It’s not just a feel-good move; it’s good for
    business. Study after study has shown that
    diversity leads to more creative teams and
    increases a company’s bottom line.
    — Shelley Zalis, Forbes
    “
    

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28. …the chances are they look like you,
    the chances that they think like you,
    the changes that they are like you are
    very low, and that’s a great great thing.
    — Dan Mall
    “
    

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29. Mentoring + Apprenticeships
    @nickf
    

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30. It costs a business roughly 140% of
    the annual salary of a Sr Designer
    each time a Sr Designer leaves. A key
    reason they leave is the lack of
    opportunity & support for their
    growth. Mentoring & coaching
    provides this support. Want to
    invest in your talent?
    “
    

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31. Differentiating Factors
    • Drive & passion for the craft
    • A growth mindset + learning from failure
    • Patience + persistance
    • Somewhat self-sufficient
    

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32. Create a safe environment where your
    talented designer feels the freedom to
    make mistakes.
    — Tim van Asch
    “
    

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33. Yes, it is true, junior designers
    tend to require a bit more
    support + guidance.
    

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34. Good thing you hired all of
    those senior designers, eh?
    

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35. Mentoring needs to be built into job
    expectations for seniors. If you can’t
    start to teach your craft, you’re not
    “senior.” This also helps seniors
    grow more.
    — Kim Goodwin
    “
    

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36. Here's the kicker; in some
    companies it already is.
    

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37. Thank you!
    @nickf
    

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