Samantha Slezak, Author at Creative Circle

You don’t want to open your sock drawer only to find it full of…. jeans? It’s frustrating to find something in the place you’d least expect it — the same holds true in the digital world —and Information Architects are dedicated to making sure you can find your “socks.”

We now live in a robustly populated digital landscape, making finding what you want, when you want, all the more important as things continue to become increasingly dense information.

Information Architecture, or IA, refers to the system of structuring, organizing, and labeling content. As the Information Architecture Institute puts it: “If you’ve ever tried to use something and thought, ‘where am I supposed to go next?’ or ‘this doesn’t make any sense,’ you are encountering an issue with an information architecture.”

IA establishes the foundation for all other UX development processes, including Content Strategy, User Interface (UI) Design, Visual Design, and more. You can also think of it as the skeleton of a project, ensuring everything is connected intuitively, holding the site together.

UX (or user experience) design refers to any interaction a person has with a product or service, which has become the foundational approach to product development in the digital world. With principles of Design Thinking at its core, user experience is centered as the central theme via a deep understanding of the target user and how they will interact with the product.

Effective IA will keep a user from getting exhausted trying to find what they need. Information Architects have to combine so many seemingly unrelated disciplines like psychology and library science — in addition to design and technical skills — to present something that allows a user to accomplish their goal without a second thought. The best IA is invisible.

Vive le Difference: UX Design + Information Architecture

UX design considers each component that shapes a person’s interaction with a product or service, encompassing a wide array of experience: from how it makes a user feel, to how simple it is for a user to accomplish their desired task, to how the product feels in their hands, to how easy it is to complete a transaction (particularly online). Information Architecture is a much more focused discipline, specifically dedicated to ensuring that users can find what they’re looking for seamlessly and intuitively.

Information Architects focus solely on the organization of information — not visual design or the “feel” of the experience. Sometimes the UX Designer is in charge of IA, but companies are starting to recognize the importance of having someone specifically dedicated to this increasingly important role.

What Does an Information Architect Do?

Information Architects works closely with the UX team to structure the information that the user will encounter. They often act as a bridge between the design and technical teams. Information Architects are integral contributors throughout a project’s development.

User Research
Knowing your users is key to understanding how they will interact with content. Information Architects utilize quantitative and qualitative data to figure out the best methods for organizing and labeling content. One popular process for analyzing user data is building personas, which are profiles of theoretical customers based on your target user base that examines their personality, behaviors, and motivations. Understanding who is interacting with your content and why can tell you how they interpret information and informs how to make the system most intuitive for them.

Defining Goals
Before building anything, the Information Architect needs clarity from both a user and business perspective on what the goals are for a given product. What is the result of successful user interaction? The clearer and more specific these named goals are, the more effectively you will map out the on-site tasks, create the most intuitive navigation, and yield the best results for the business.

Content Audits & Inventory
Developing user-friendly IA requires a content-first approach — building the product to purpose — it is integral to know what kind of content you will be organizing, both now and in the future. Once you know all the necessary components of the product, you can across content areas to help the user navigate those content options.

Systems & Navigation
The heart of IA is building systems of organization that include content hierarchies, labeling schemes, and navigational flows. Most folks approach this process by card sorting, which offers the opportunity to try out different categories and labels to find the best option.

Sitemaps & Wireframes
A sitemap is a visual representation of the content areas on the website and how they will relate to each other for a user navigating the site. Developing further, an Information Architect will put together a clickable wireframe that includes labels, navigation menus, and other system components stripped of visual design elements to ensure the rest of the UX team can work from a strong, working foundation.

Testing & Adapting
Testing ensures that the choices made in development stand up to scrutiny. User difficulties can reveal holes in the IA’s flow. Testing occurs during the prototype phase and again once the product or service is available to consumers. The end-product, over time, will be evaluated and re-evaluated using the same criteria to ensure that users can swiftly and and easily find what they need. This continued testing ensures that the IA stays relevant, adjusts to changes in the market and user patterns, and addresses potential shifts in business goals and strategies.

Principles of Effective Information Architecture

Pioneering Information Architect Dan Brown laid out his 8 Principles for Information Architecture:

Principle of Objects — Not all content is created equal, and it is not always static. Treat it as if it is a living thing with unique lifecycles, behaviors, and interactivities.
Principle of Choices — Offer the user choices that are meaningful and focused. You do not want to present them with so much information that the most straightforward option would be to leave your site!
Principle of Disclosure — Give your user the information they need at that moment that will guide them to the next step. Be comprehensive, but don’t just dump it all at once. Again, the goal is not to overwhelm.
Principle of Exemplars — Describe content categories by giving examples of what they will find in that category, providing a good sense of what they will encounter, even if someone does not know precisely what they may be looking for themselves.
Principle of Front Doors — About half of users will hop onto a website directly to some page other than the home page. They may be heading to your site from a browser search or a social media link. Ensure these people can navigate the site from any page they drop in on, not just from the homepage.
Principle of Multiple Classifications — Provide users various classification schemes with which to browse a site’s content.
Principle of Focused Navigation — Navigational menus should be sorted by content — and it is easier for users if you break things down into multiple menus rather than one extensive, complex navigational system.
Principle of Growth — Never assume that what you’re working on is the end product. It will almost certainly grow and change, and an IA built with that in mind will be much less of a headache to try and fix later on.

You Need These Attributes and Characteristics to Succeed at Being an Information Architect

Successful Information Architects have a knack for systems-oriented thinking. Equally important is a user-centered approach to the development process. Understanding how people think and process information is necessary to turn content and other data into comprehensive IA.

Inquisitive minds that readily apply what they learn are ideal in this kind of position.

As the field of content strategy is expanding to cover more specializations and responsibilities, companies are looking for folks with:

Empathy
Creative problem-solving skills
Critical thinking skills
Curiosity

Additionally, strong collaborative and communication skills make you a valuable contributor to any digital design team.

Qualifications

Data drives IA, so the ability to conduct testing and research and analyze and apply the information is necessary to succeed in this role. An Information Architect also needs a diverse understanding of industry standards for creating, storing, accessing, and presenting digital information.

There are many resources and courses available for folks interested in diving into the field of IA. If you think it might be for you, check this out to learn more.

Salary

The average salary for an Information Architect varies by experience, sector, and location. Information Architects typically make between $84,940 and $112,588. As of April 2021, the average salary in the United States was $98,320.

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

Recession, inflation, stagflation — these are terms that fill the pages of textbooks and messages from the media. But there’s a new one. This indicator comes to us by way of the pandemic. It impacts employees and employers. And it doesn’t stop there. It touches families and our whole social fabric. Above all, this sad turn of events is adversely affecting one gender. And this lopsided pummeling, which has reached crisis proportions, needs to be reckoned with now.

Take a deep breath. We’re in a “she-cession.”

No, this is not a typo and don’t rush to Google — it’s not an entry in Merriam-Webster, at least not yet. But it may qualify as word of the year and certainly as major problem of the last two.

‘She-cession’ – What Exactly Is That?

The word “she-cession” — alternately “shecession” — appeared in the New York Times in May 2020 for the first time in its almost 170 years of publishing history. It emanates from a quote: “We should go ahead and call this a ‘shecession.’” This comment comes from C. Nicole Mason, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). According to a post in The Guardian, she coined this term. Its definition and very existence mark another first. That is, it’s the first time that women are bearing the brunt of an economic downturn in this country. For that reason, it’s a “she-cession.”

As proof points, let’s look at the employment numbers. They tell the story, most markedly in 2020 as COVID-19 started to wend a perilous path through the country. IWPR estimates that 11.5 million women incurred a job loss from February to May of that year. On top of that, others vacated the workforce. How many women left on their own volition? Between August and September 2020 alone, 865,000 women quit their jobs.

Men also have suffered on the employment front. But it has not been to the same extent as women during the COVID-19 siege. IWPR describes the difference as “disproportionate,” as in “women have experienced a disproportionate number of job losses since the start of the pandemic.” Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the University of Michigan, expresses the disparity graphically: “Covid took a crowbar into gender gaps and pried them open.”

Why More Women Have Exited the Job Market

What accounts for this discrepancy? Much has to do with the roles of women in the workforce. A Quick Figure bulletin from IWPR explains. “Women’s jobs on payroll have declined more than men’s because women are more likely than men to work in the sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Job losses have been severe in Leisure and Hospitality, Education and Health Services.” Women are clustered in other pandemic-pounded industries too. They include Retail Trade and the broad category of Other Services.

But there’s more to it. In addition to legions of women who were pushed out, others dropped out of the labor force on their own accord. They had to quit to manage the myriad responsibilities that befall them. They needed to step in to take care of children furloughed from attending school, receiving education via remote learning, or unable to attend daycare or receive childcare. The list of circumstances and reasons goes on and on.

There’s yet another segment. If women didn’t leave one way or the other, many have been contemplating it. A story in Forbes addresses this issue. It offers the finding from a 2020 McKinsey Women in the Workplace Report that: “1 in 4 women was considering stepping out of the workforce or downshifting their careers.” What would happen if they took those actions? The consultants did the math: a stunning 2 million women would either relinquish their jobs or scale back on their work.

Reversing Progress in Diversity

First here’s some heartening news. Programs to advance diversity and inclusion goals have gained ground. Be mindful though, there’s still a long way to go. Now for a COVID-caused update. The “she-cession” is wiping out many of those advances. The Forbes article noted above reported: “A ‘she-cession’ would not only undo the strides made toward gender diversity in recent years but would jeopardize future progress as well.” It adds that the loss of senior female leaders in the workforce has major repercussions. “A paucity of strong female role models coupled with a loss of female support from senior-level women mentors and allies risks the loss of retaining female talent, particularly among minority women.”

Let’s focus on that last phrase: “particularly among minority women.” The New York Times story referenced earlier — “Why Some Women Call This Recession a ‘Shecession,’” pinpoints the problem. The “Some Women” are minorities. “The scale of the crisis is unlike anything since the Great Depression. And for the first time in decades, this crisis has a predominantly nonwhite, female face.” This correlates largely with the type of jobs many women hold; rather, make that “held.” Many in the industries most heavily impacted by the pandemic are staffed by nonwhite female workers.

IWPR frames this racial and ethnic aspect in its Quick Figure snapshot. “Losses have been particularly severe in high customer contact services sector jobs.” Who dominated the payrolls for these spots? The answer: Black and Latina women. What’s more, these positions rely on in-person customer-facing interactions, where “remote work is much less likely to be an option than in many professional service jobs, which employ a higher share of White women.”

How quickly will these jobs return as the nation moves into recovery mode? The April 2021 employment statistics show a paltry 266,000 jobs added to payrolls overall. “Disappointing” is the word used in The Washington Post report on the numbers. Gains made by women during this period were minimal. This brings us to the intent of the federal government to help get us out of the “she-cession.”

Part of the Solution: Government — Build Back Better for Women

On none other than Mother’s Day 2021, Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, addressed the “she-cession” on “Face the Nation.” First she commented on the severe effect the pandemic exerted on jobs populated by women. She mentioned related recovery realities. “The number one reason they’re not going back to work is – is fear due to the virus.” There are others. They include lack of childcare and “the fact that schools were closed and many still remain closed hits women harder.”

Then she shifted to the role of government. She referred to President Biden’s directive to his Administration to make “bold moves” to assist Americans in finding jobs. In doing so, she summarized more difficulties women face. They include the demand to “break down some of the barriers necessary to find a job, to have access to the skills they need to get a good job.” She opined that the President’s pending package would address these issues.

A CNN opinion piece seconds this view. Titled “Biden’s plan will help reverse the ‘she-cession.’” It puts forth how the proposed legislation would invest in education, child care, and paid family leave. These actions would pave the way for all people to join/rejoin the workforce. “But even more importantly, it is aimed at helping women, who have fallen even further behind during the pandemic.”

“When American Families Do Well, Our Nation Thrives.” That’s the tagline atop information on the “American Families Plan” site from the White House. The package comprises $1 trillion in investments as well as $800 billion in tax cuts. Recommendations include subsidizing paid caregiving and offering universal benefits to all families with children. In short, it strives to:

Make education more affordable and expand opportunity
Provide economic security for families
Expand tax credits to help workers and families

What Employers Can Do about the ‘She-cession’

It’s all hands onboard to conquer the “she-cession” and strengthen the foundation to avoid future shocks. Companies can pitch in by taking a telescopic view of the requirements of employees, especially those of women in the workforce. Women are among the pandemic’s sorry victims. As such, they are a prime linchpin for the recovery.

The title of a post by BSR states the case: “Companies Can’t Ignore the ‘She-cession’ Created by the COVID.” It starts with a quote from the EU Commissioner for International Partnership. “Stronger engagement on gender equality is key to a sustainable global recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and building fairer, more inclusive, more prosperous societies.”

To “ensure a gender-responsive approach,” what does BRS prescribe? Firms should:

Accent flexibility and adopt it as the norm
Employees have a lot of juggling to do at times to balance their professional and personal agenda. So help them. Install policies to enable them to achieve these goals. Examples: telecommuting, part-time schedules, reduced working hours, role sharing, compressed work weeks.
Help women get back into the fold
It’s a long haul from being out of the workforce to returning or joining for the first time. Pave the way via re-entry programs, mentoring and training geared to women. Skills development provides a path to move into higher levels or more technical roles.
Foster men to step up and into care
Boost parity of unpaid care work. Make it easy for men to do their share. Sponsor campaigns informing male employees about this concept and encouraging them to participate. Offer paid paternity and care leave. To learn more, access the Parental Leave Taskforce.
Assist survivors of domestic violence
Victims of domestic violence need aid. Provide services to those at the firm who experience this trauma. Offer paid leave for victims, relocation programs, and information about services in the community.
Design policies for at-risk women
Support women who are the most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. They include women of color, women with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQ community. Strengthen Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through an “intersectional approach.”
Reach out and across to drive a gender-responsive recovery
Advocate at your company and band together with other firms for this purpose. Invest in care initiatives, lend your voice to conveying equality messages and work with trade and civic organizations to apply a gender-based lens to rise up from the “she-cession.”

More ideas come from “Women Are Quitting: How We Can Curb The ‘She-Cession’ And Support Working Women,” the article noted above from Forbes:

Enhance mental health and well-being programming
Extra burdens on women caused by the pandemic are putting them at risk for “mental and physical burnout.” Acknowledge this state of affairs. Provide empathy and offerings to address the “whole health of employees.”
Profile struggles of successful role models
Women in leadership have not escaped the scourge of COVID. How are they contending with this crisis? What do they advise? Share the experiences and insights from these respected sources to inform and connect with others across the company.
Empower men at the company as inclusion champions
Involve men in this issue. Enlist them to create “a more inclusive and gender-equitable workplace.” A study by Catalyst on “Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives” found that having men sponsor women and act as career-allies “is a vital strategy for addressing entrenched gender bias.”

Finally, What We the People — Employees, Displaced Workers, Job Candidates — Can Do

The “she-cession” has long tentacles. They are strangling the ranks of women far and wide and at all levels. On account of it, many employees may be stretched and stymied to advance their career. Multitudes who lost their jobs or left voluntarily have to gear up. So do those vying to enter the workforce for the first time or re-enter after a lengthy absence. What can this massive segment of talent do to enhance their career odds?

Gilda Carle, Ph.D. knows. An organizational and relationship expert, performance coach, and author, she has been sharing her wisdom with firms, students, and individuals — notably women — through the years. Her latest book Amplify Your Media Presence, Amplify Your Brand provides a roadmap on how to, as she says, “become your most successful megaphone.”

Vital strategies she proposes to use and ingrain at this time and going forward include:

Be your own best friend
Like yourself. Believe in your talents. Be comfortable and content, appreciative of who you are and what you contribute. Project that image to others, such as colleagues and potential employers during interviews. Radiate that quality and, the chances are, others will like you. What you project, others reflect.
Think of yourself as a brand
A maxim to adopt in your business and personal life is to “sell yourself and everything attached to you.” How? Accent the positive about who you are and what you represent. “Star in your own commercial.”
Enumerate the benefits you bring to the table
Do an in-depth personal assessment. Think about your wide-ranging abilities — don’t take anything for granted. Then formulate a running inventory and keep it ready to go. In this way, you “underscore your uniqueness.”
Sharpen your communications and body language skills
It’s not enough to master these initial steps. You have to deliver them artfully to get your essence and points across. Use the S-O-F-A approach. S is for smile, O for open posture, F for forward lean toward your listener, and A for acknowledge your listener by, for example, nodding at times to show engagement.
Deflect your nervousness by focusing on your power
Quit thinking about your problems. Substitute this limiting mindset with a constructive one about your capabilities. This lesson requires practice. Stop fretting and instead continuously review your easily forgotten power sources and how you can best apply them.
Refresh your hair and makeup
Clothing designers update their product line at least annually. Do the same. Mix and match. Cut and style. Stay current and chic. Have fun with this process so that you are poised to walk the red carpet when called for an interview. “Sharpen your attractor factor.”
Formulate content for two crucial questions
Prepare responses in advance and vary or add information on an ongoing basis. They are: I want to be known for expertise in (what area or areas)? I want to be known for solving this problem (which one or ones)? Back these up with brief cases and compelling illustrations.
Weigh your options
Another angle to consider is freelancing, applying for freelance-to-permanent positions or working as a “permalancer.” A good route for exploring these and other options is through Creative Circle. This nationwide recruiting firm specializes in placing creative talent and digital marketing professionals with clients of all kinds.

Looking Ahead

At the time of this writing, COVID vaccinations are mounting and quieting the pandemic. It’s not an all or nothing scenario as the disease and variants still are rampant. However, reopening and recovery is afoot. It’s not a quick fix, but rather a gradual inching up with tenuous footing. The “she-cession” will take time to “she-cease.” It’s of value to understand the fallout and ways out of it. Efforts of many should help bring us back to growth.

About the author.
You name it, she covers it. That’s the can-do attitude Sherry M. Adler brings to the craft of writing. A polished marketing and communications professional, she has a passion for learning and the world at large. She uses it plus the power of words to inform and energize stakeholders of all kinds. And to show how all of this can make a difference, she calls her business WriteResults NY, LLC

UX (or user experience) design refers to any interaction a person has with a product or service and has become the foundational approach to product development in the digital world. With Design Thinking principles at its core, user experience is positioned as the central theme via a deep understanding of the target user.

Among the many roles on a UX digital design team is the Content Strategist. Since content is at the core of any UX, it is essential to clearly and intentionally plan out how users will interact with it. The most commonly used definition of content strategy comes from Kristina Halvorson’s book, Content Strategy for the Web. She defines content strategy as “planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of useful, usable content.” This simple definition sums up an extremely wide-reaching, interdisciplinary skill set that combines market and user insights with brand style and design.

Brain Traffic has developed the “Content Strategy Quad,” which breaks down the main content strategy components. The two main buckets are content design and systems design.

Content design includes:

Editorial strategy — Brand story, tone, and point of view
Experience design — How a user navigates the content

Systems design encompasses:

Structure or content engineering — Making content findable for the target audience
Process design — How this strategy will be maintained and future decisions made

Content Strategy & UX Writing: Work in Concert

UX writers create content that leads the user on their journey through the product to achieve their goal. They want to make you think as little as possible — using straightforward, conversational language to craft an intuitive experience. To inform those choices and create effective microcopy, UX writers turn to content strategy.

Content strategists supply insights into the user base, define tone and style for a brand or product, and clarify audience interactions with the content. These are critical pieces of information for UX writers to craft the language for a seamless experience.

Asking the Right Questions

The core of a content strategist’s role is to ask questions and then make content-related decisions based on that information.

+ Why Create Content?
There are two main intentions behind any given piece of content: fulfilling user needs and achieving business goals.

How does this content enhance your customer’s relationship with the brand or product?
How are you helping your user accomplish their goals?

Clearly defining the content vision is the starting point for developing content that serves the business and audience.

+ What Kind of Content?
There are so many different content types: blog posts, newsletters, long-form articles, videos, images. It’s important to ask what kind of content package is most usable and intuitive to accomplish the goals laid out. Do you need some form of visual content to best showcase a product? If you’re sharing information, what format makes it most clear and digestible? Is this content that needs to stay up permanently or only for a short period of time? The format a content strategist chooses creates the frame through which the user engages, and different structures work better to serve differing end goals.

+ Who is Being Targeted?
Time to get to know your user base deeply. How have your audiences engaged with your product in the past? How do they engage with competitors? What do you need to give them so that they will actively engage? User research is an integral part of a content strategist’s arsenal to speak to their audience in a way that resonates with them.

+ Where Should the Content be Pulished?
With so many available platforms, where will the content be most easily found by the target audience? The most effective content strategy takes on an omnichannel publication approach, optimizing content across all possible access channels. Users interact with content differently on desktop webpages, mobile, and social media — so content strategists need to adapt to these differences and beyond.

+ When Should it be Shared?
Timing is everything. From long-term content and marketing strategy to gleaning fine-detailed insights from a single-user interaction — timing can determine whether a piece of content is valuable and welcome or intrusive and turns the user off. In addition to creating editorial calendars that stipulate the release of content over time, content strategists track the user flow through a product or experience and determine at what point to include specific information or calls to action. You don’t want to ask too much at once; this can be intimidating, causing users to abandon their engagement.

+ How Should it be Crafted?
Content strategists are critical contributors to defining a brand’s tone and style. Even if not creating the content themselves, content strategists work to ensure a product’s voice is consistent across platforms and media. They need to fully understand the voice and style to effectively share it with the content creators in the organization, typically by compiling a style guide informed by research and content assessments.

Content Strategy in Practice

These are all big questions — so how do you find the answers? To get the right content to the right people in the right place at the right time, content strategists rely on research, data, and planning.

User Research & User Testing
Knowing your users is key to understanding how they will interact with content. Content strategists utilize quantitative and qualitative data to figure out the best processes for creating and distributing content. One popular method of analyzing user data is building personas or theoretical customers’ profiles based on your target user base that explores their personality, behaviors, and motivations—and lends understanding to who is interacting with your content and why.

Content Audits & Evaluations
Once content is published, and users interact with it, content strategists will look at how effectively any given piece of the inventory (a catalog of active content) is accomplishing its defined goals. These content evaluations will inform ongoing strategy and whether specific approaches need to be changed or if replicated. Good content strategy is adaptive and data-driven, using analytics and statistics on their defined KPIs (key performance indicators) to determine their outputs’ success.

Content Mapping & Style Guides
With information from user research and content evaluations, content strategists can determine what elements engage their audience and build their plans from there. Working closely with other UX team members, content strategists create a narrative voice, visual language, and an editorial calendar for a brand that allows for consistent content creation, even among different creators. Content strategists can also be responsible for putting into place a process for developing and building content to align with the named goals.

These are the attributions and characteristics you need to succeed at being a content strategist

Successful content strategists will have an eye for detail balanced with long-term vision. Equally important is a user-centered approach to the design process.

Understanding how people think and process information is necessary to turn data into a comprehensive content strategy. Inquisitive minds that readily apply what they learn are ideal in this kind of position.

As the field of content strategy is expanding to cover more specializations and responsibilities, companies are looking for folks with:

Empathy
Creative problem-solving skills
Critical thinking skills
Curiosity

Additionally, strong communication and collaborative skills will make you a valuable contributor to any digital design team.

Qualifications

Data drives content strategists — so the ability to conduct testing and research and analyze and apply the information — is necessary to succeed in this role.

Knowledge of — and experience with — the many elements of the digital design and implementation processes makes a strong candidate. Content strategy is a highly collaborative role that works with so many different departments, from programming to marketing to product design.

There are many resources and courses available for folks interested in diving into the field of content strategy. If you think it might be for you, check this out to learn more.

Salary

The average salary for a UX Content Strategist varies across the United States; in NYC, according to data gathered by Creative Circle, it ranges from $51,214 on the low end to $136,572 on the high end, whereas in San Francisco, the range is from $58,890 to $157,040.

About the author.

Bicycles. Sofas. Lawnmowers. Smartphones. Electric cars. Trampolines. What Do All of These Have in Common?

All were designed by industrial designers. Emerging as a professional vocation in 1919 (or perhaps as early as 1909), industrial design is directly linked to the industrial revolution and transition from smaller-scale craft to mass production.

Straddling the line between art and engineering, industrial design was originally more focused on pure aesthetics and form, but today’s field has shifted. Instead of focusing solely on how a product looks or functions, today’s industrial designer considers a more dynamic range of inputs from ergonomics, end-user benefit, materiality, and corporate branding. From developing concepts for manufactured products and creating physical prototypes, industrial designers also examine materials and production requirements to determine manufacturing costs while presenting the designs and prototype to clients for approval.

Today, industrial designers design products for people of all ages, ethnicities, races, abilities, gender identities, economic statuses—and pets. While they don’t usually design motors, electrical or microchip circuits, or components that make machines move, their work may impact these more technical aspects. Typically, they work with engineers who focus on the functional, mechanical elements of a product and marketers who specialize in identifying customer needs and expectations—but how do they go about doing that?

What Does an Industrial Designer Do?

In a nutshell: industrial designers develop concepts for manufactured products at the intersection of art, business, and engineering. And these manufactured products are born from a design process that can take many forms. It can be led by an individual or by a team, including professionals with varied expertise—from industrial designers, engineers, graphic designers, marketing, sales, branding, and more.

Factors like materials, production processes, cost, business strategy influence the industrial design process—and take into account prevailing social, aesthetic, and commercial attitudes. As an applied art, industrial design focuses on combining aesthetics with more user-centered considerations and often aims to provide solutions for problems of form, function, ergonomics, sustainability, brand development, marketing, and sales.

While most designers may work primarily in offices (home or otherwise), they may also travel to design centers, testing facilities, users’ homes, exhibit sites, and production facilities. Industrial design is part of many different worlds—here are some of the top practice areas:

Consumer electronics
Furniture
Housewares and appliances
Automotive and transportation
Medical and healthcare
Toys
Commercial and industrial
Sports and recreation
Lifestyle

Vive le Difference: What is the Difference Between an Industrial and Product Designer?

Both industrial and product designers are part of the commercial design process. Product design is about designing solutions—industrial design is about the mass manufacturing of those solutions.

Product design is the complete end-to-end design of a product, from initial concept to market research to sketches, prototypes, and final design. On the other hand, industrial design relates explicitly to the design of products intended to be manufactured at an industrial scale, using industrial processes.

A successful multi-functional team will have both product and industrial designers, who together have an awareness of the whole product lifecycle and the same goal: to create or refine a given product.

As technology changes design thinking and processes, however, product and industrial design have increasingly overlapped in the digital realms of UX and UI design, information design, and interactive design.

What’s the Process of Industrial Design?

Companies are rapidly adopting the Design Thinking approach to developing products, centering the user experience by creating a deep understanding of the target user. The Design Thinking process opens up the opportunity for creativity and innovative approaches to users’ problems.

The initial step in the industrial design process is to define the problem that needs solving—and coming up with a solution. Perhaps inspiration comes from your own experience or that of those around you. Maybe a product you use doesn’t function the way you think it should. After identifying and defining the problem, industrial designers assess these fundamental questions:

Are there similar products currently on the market?
Who is the target market for the product?
Is this a single-use, multi-use, or legacy product?
What kind of use trends will impact sales?

The answers to these questions will inform how your idea takes shape. Here is a map of the industrial design journey.

Diagram by Angus Donald Campbell

You Need These Attributes and Characteristics to Succeed at Being an Industrial Designer

So, what makes for an excellent industrial designer? One of the hallmarks of a successful industrial designer is their ability to be empathetic and “walk in someone else’s shoes” to understand how to create a design solution that solves a problem in the most beneficial manner.

A diverse set of skills is needed to build a career as an Industrial Designer. You want to be comfortable navigating research, conceptual design, visualizing user journeys, creating prototypes, and assessing business implications of design choices and other processes and technical skills. However, the role includes making many high-level strategic decisions—interpersonal, communication, and people management skills are also vital.

Here are some of the most critical skills that go into industrial design:

Analytical skills—Logic and reasoning skills are foundational for industrial designers as they study consumers and recognize the need for new products.

Artistic ability—Industrial designers sketch their initial design concepts and express their ideas through illustration, which are then used to create prototypes.

Computer skills—Computer-aided design software is central to industrial design to develop ideas and create prototypes.

Creativity—Ideas and innovation are the heart of industrial design.

Interpersonal skills—Industrial designers interface with cross-functional teams; therefore, developing good working relationships with clients and colleagues who specialize in related disciplines is essential.

Mechanical skills—Understanding how products are engineered and how systems work is integral to industrial design.

Problem-solving skills—Identifying and solving complex design problems like the materiality, size, and cost of a product, anticipate production issues, develop alternatives, evaluate options, and implement solutions is core to the practice of industrial design.

Industrial designers take big-picture concepts and abstract ideas and turn them into actionable direction for the development team. A strong understanding of how businesses work and an interest in tracking market trends are vital — but the most essential trait for an Industrial Designer is an avid interest in finding problems and working (alone or with a team) to solve them.

Qualifications + Education

Industrial designers mostly hold a bachelor’s degree in industrial design, product design, graphic design, or other related fields.

Ideas take shape (literally) — with a blend of 2D drawing, 3D digital modeling, and prototyping. Standard digital modeling tools include AutoDesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systèmes, SolidWorks. As such, employers prefer to hire candidates with solid illustration, graphic design skills, sketching, CADD (computer-aided design and drafting), and 3D modeling and rendering, and an understanding of materiality, finishes, and fabrication processes.

Along with having a well-rounded design background with experience solving challenging and complex problems, companies want industrial designers who can lead a team, are business-minded, and be a good culture fit.

Job Opportunities

In 2019, 42,200 industrial designers were working in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. California and Michigan have the highest concentration of employed industrial designers per capita.

Salary

The average salary for an Industrial Designer varies by experience, sector, and location. Industrial Designers make an average of $66,000 per year in the United States. Location can impact salary—Idaho, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington provide the highest industrial designer salaries.

About the author.
An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

I have spent the last roughly 15 years convinced that not only can I multitask, but I’m actually quite good at it. When I was in high school, I would listen to music while doing homework, much to my parents’ chagrin, and even though I insisted that music helped me concentrate, I often found myself getting carried away with singing along to what I was listening to. While studies have shown that listening to certain kinds of music can help if you’re doing certain tasks, I can confidently say from personal experience that listening to Jimmy Eat World does not help you focus on algebra homework (although I’m sure if “lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to” was around in my day, I’m sure I would have been all over that).

But earlier this year, I sat down to watch TV and work on an assignment all while the group chat was popping off, and it occurred to me that I was getting nothing done. And that while I was trying to make the assignment a bit easier by doing other things, I was actually making things harder, juggling three screens and endless apps.

There’s an increasingly endless amount of distractions, and now that many of us have the option of working from home, it’s easier than ever to multitask. Whether it’s doing work while you have a TV show on in the back, switching between multiple gigs you’re juggling as a freelancer, or scrolling through Twitter while you’re a Zoom call, it feels like multitasking has become second nature to us in our screen-abundant world. Doing multiple things at once feels productive — in fact, it sometimes feels like if you’re not doing at least two things simultaneously, it’s something of a waste.

Here’s the thing: multitasking is not what it’s cracked up to be! The fact that we have these amazing computers that can run several programs at the same time does not mean that we can — or that we should. So here are some scientifically backed tips on why multitasking can actually be detrimental to our work-life balance.

Doing multiple things at once doesn’t make you more productive

Folks tend to think that multitasking is the foundation of productivity. You are technically doing more work, so doesn’t that mean you’re being more productive? Actually, no! According to the American Psychological Association, our human brains were not meant for intense multitasking like rubbing our belly and tapping our head or trying to do anything while talking to our mothers (the APA did not use these examples).

Multiple task-switching experiments found that switching between tasks ends up costing more time. Multitasking is part of the “executive control” processes, and according to research, can be broken down into two stages: “goal shifting” (or the decision to pursue a different task or goal) and “rule activation” (or the process of taking yourself out of the task and its procedure and adjusting to the procedure of your new test).

Multitasking can reduce your memory

Switching between multiple media can be really distracting, but a Stanford paper that looked at several studies indicated that it’s a little deeper than that. It found heavy duty multitasking “is associated with poor performance on cognitive memory tasks.” Multitasking can really impact your memory, which is probably why I can’t remember the plot of the shows I watch while I’m trying to do something else (sorry, Emily in Paris).

Chronic multitasking can impair your ability do one task

A 2009 study found that too much multitasking can actually be harmful to your ability to focus in general. The researcher, Clifford Nass, the Thomas M. Storke Professor at Stanford University told NPR:

We studied people who were chronic multitaskers, and even when we did not ask them to do anything close to the level of multitasking they were doing, their cognitive processes were impaired. So basically, they are worse at most of the kinds of thinking not only required for multitasking but what we generally think of as involving deep thought.

The idea that multitasking too much can impact your ability to really think critically for a sustained period of time is pretty scary, but it does make sense. Switching back and forth between tasks doesn’t really allow us to fully focus on anything, and focus is like exercise. You have to work on it. Nass also explained that chronic multitaskers are also attracted to irrelevant information because they’re “suckers for distraction,” which, wow drag me.

(I’d also like to take a second to point out that having to socially distance during the pandemic, and constantly being on our screens to do everything from work to socializing to buying groceries has forced us to be chronic multitaskers for over a year now. So some things are out of our hands, but it also underscores the need to get away from our screens!)

It’s not fair to you

So we’ve learned that multitasking doesn’t actually improve your productivity — and in fact can make things worse. But more than that, it’s not really fair to you, your time, or your energy. Even if multitasking worked the way we’d like it to, it’s important to let yourself be present in the things you do so you can regain your focus and actually be in the moment.

If you’re the type who feels the need to work while watching junk TV so you’re not just watching junk TV, maybe the question is less about feeling productive and more about why you feel the need to qualify your TV viewing habits. Either way, you’re watching it, so why not just enjoy it? Being fully present in the moment forces us to be accountable, but it also forces us to let an indulgence or guilty pleasure simply be that.

Still, there are some benefits to multitasking. According to Quartz, “Listening to music while you exercise makes you exercise more. Doodling during a boring lecture, or listening to instrumental music while you program computers or study helps you focus.” Even some task switching can help — putting yourself in a different headspace for a bit can help you work through the problem you return to.

How to cut down on chronic multitasking

The thing about multitasking is that it’s really hard to catch yourself doing it. Since sitting down to write this very blog, I’ve probably opened Twitter, Spotify, and lord knows what else countless times, only to remind myself that I’m in the middle of doing something. Setting small goals and doing a bit of planning can help you stay focused and on point.

Give yourself a break

When you’re tired, your brain is more likely to look for distractions, so let’s get preventative and make sure you’re in a good enough headspace to focus to begin with. Getting a good night’s sleep is a great start, and so is taking breaks.

Set a timer

Yes, like you’re in time-out. It’s called The 20 Minute Rule, and it’s pretty self-explanatory. Set a timer for 20 minutes, and completely focus on one task. No texts, no emails, no TV shows, just the task at hand. When the timer is up, take another 20 to do something else, whether it’s another task or watching an episode of the show you didn’t watch. When that 20 minutes is up, return to the original task at hand with no other distractions.

Declutter

Part of focusing is removing distractions whether it’s the pile of papers you have to get around to taking care of or the crushing weight of all those unread emails. If it’s possible, clear your work area as much as possible. To me, decluttering can also mean clearing your inbox or even turning off notifications so you can have a completely unfettered time and headspace to work in.

Plan Ahead

Multitasking typically happens when you have to get a lot done in a short amount of time, so like getting a good rest, try to prevent the need to multitask by staying ahead and managing your project effectively and according to your timeline.

Multitasking may make us feel like we’re working smarter and not harder, but according to science, the opposite may more so be the case. The world is full of distractions, making it that much harder to stay focused on one task. But not only will avoiding multitasking allow us to save time and energy, it will help to hold ourselves accountable and let us simply be present in the moment.

About the author.
Sam Mani writes about work, creativity, wellness, and equity — when she’s not cooking, binging television, or annoying her cat.

Finding cool, talented people in your workplace or broader industry that share your values and work ethic and, better yet, might be connected to other opportunities you’re interested in is a really rewarding part of working.

And yet, networking can feel like such a drag — especially if you’re more on the introverted side.

Networking can conjure up rather cynical images of folks talking over each other just to be the center of the conversation or competing to collect the most business cards. In other words, an introvert’s nightmare. Connecting with people in general can be hard; connecting with folks for the express purpose of advancing your career can feel downright icky. But it’s just as important to understand what networking actually means as it is to network as it is both necessary (one survey found 85% of jobs are obtained through networking) and actually pretty natural if you take the right approach.

Let’s Talk Introverts!

But before we get into that, let’s talk introverts because there are a few misconceptions about what makes someone introverted. First of all, introverts are not just shy! Sure, there are plenty of introverts who are also shy, but not only are there plenty of introverts who are outgoing and social, but even extroverts can be shy.

It’s not that introverts are nervous or afraid of being around lots of other people, it’s that being around lots of people is draining for introverts. While extroverts find their energy through social interaction, introverts are the opposite — they use up their energy in social interactions, finding themselves in need of a break or retreat to spend time alone. However, introverts do prefer hanging out in more intimate settings with close friends as opposed to large groups of new folks. In fact, bustling social situations or busy situations in general can stress out and overwhelm introverts.

Other introvert characteristics include:

Preferring to work alone
Being introspective and self-aware
Learning by observing before jumping in
Preferring written communication rather than speaking
Having a small, close group of friends
Preferring to interact with others one-on-one

Needless to say, meeting new people in general is not exactly at the top of introverts’ to-do lists, which can make networking a rather daunting challenge. But much like introverts, there are myths and misconceptions when it comes to networking.

Demystifying networking

The first big myth is that it’s about quantity over quality, that is, the more contacts, the better. While having connections in diverse industries is nice, simply being connected to a bunch of people isn’t as valuable as being connected to fewer people who actually know you; given that introverts are all about having a smaller circle, this actually works to their advantage a bit.

Another big myth about networking is that it’s all schmoozing and trying to impress people. Here’s the thing: chances are, you’re most likely already pretty impressive, so it’s less about inflating yourself and more about being your authentic self. Networking is about building real relationships with people, not overinflated resumes.

Networking isn’t about making one big impression on folks. It’s about building genuine connections, and it takes time and work to build that. In fact, plenty of experts will tell you that networking is not actually about getting what you want. Whether or not you realize it, it’s just as much about helping others get what they need. You don’t always have to be on the lookout for jobs for others, but challenge yourself to take the first step to support other people — even if it’s literally asking “How can I support you?”

One method is keeping in “loose touch,” which, as Karen Wickre explains, is essentially checking in on folks without “obligation to follow up or see each other in person.” You can send people a DM from time to time, share a tweet or story relevant to what they do, or a video that made you think of them — without putting pressure to start an actual conversation. Just a small nudge or tap or something that’s a step above a Facebook poke, if anyone even remembers those which, you know what, sorry for even bringing that up.

Wicker writes:

“The effect of loose touch is to put you into someone’s consciousness for a few minutes, and vice versa. These moments serve as connective tissue (‘we have this in common’) and a marker of your ongoing relationship. In cultivating loose-touch connections, know that your network won’t appear all at once; it takes steady, continuous work.”

This kind of goes against the introvert’s preference for cultivating deeper connections (we’ll get to that), but it’s still an important part of the process, and better yet, it doesn’t take a lot of social energy.

On the other end of the spectrum, networking is a great opportunity to deepen your connection to people and really get to know them beyond their profile. After all, introverts are really good at fostering deeper interactions when they do decide to let people in, so it’s all about striking the balance of friendship and a work relationship.

Net-work it!

Networking is all about being yourself. I know, I know, it’s cliché, and seeing as introverts are the self-aware type, that probably makes it even more painfully cliché. But sometimes, part of the difficulty with networking is trying to figure out who or what people are looking for — which can translate to figuring out who people want you to be. So before you have a crisis about what you’re not, just know that it’s so much easier for everyone to come as you are.

Do you need to be comfortable talking about the cool things you’ve done? Absolutely. If something you’ve accomplished is a big deal, should you be ready to treat it as such? Yes! Prepping yourself to have these conversations and practicing is important, especially if talking about yourself isn’t your strong suit. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to knowing and being yourself.

Introverts, Networking, and COVID

In a post-COVID world, networking events are no longer the overwhelming in-person events that some of us have grown to dread. While Zoom and other platforms come with some awkwardness built in, and plenty of us have hit Zoom fatigue after a year of doing it, there are parts that introverts can use to their advantage.

Seeing as many introverts prefer writing over talking, use the chat feature to your advantage and add to the conversation that way if the event if you’re not into speaking! Do your best to stay focused and engaged. Message folks individually, and don’t be afraid of setting up one-on-ones — it can be a bit of a relief to have a chat with someone without ever leaving the comfort of your home.

Networking is an essential part of working. Especially in light of the pandemic, in which so many people have unfortunately lost work, it’s more important than ever before to connect with others, offer support, and put yourself out there together, regardless of if you’re more introverted or extroverted. After all, if anything, networking is a great reminder that we really are all in this together.

About the author.
Sam Mani writes about work, creativity, wellness, and equity — when she’s not cooking, binging television, or annoying her cat.

Valued at over $4 trillion in 2018, the wellness industry has brought a monetary and mainstream focus to health, fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. The industry has recently been critiqued for straying away from actual health in favor of trends, like adding yoga and meditation to everyone’s repertoire even if those practices might not be the right fit for all individuals.

While plenty of folks have turned to alternative medicine and “holistic” practitioners when western medicine lacked answers, or more likely affordability, many people still lack the very baseline of health: financial stability, access to affordable healthcare, and work life balance. I spoke with Sarah-Valin Bloom, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, last month to discuss the ways companies can create better environments and support structure for their employees and contractors beyond throwing in a yoga class here and there.

When I brought up the above meme, she added “meditation is awesome but it’s a program,” as opposed to an actual tenant of wellness.

The TL;DR when it comes to incorporating wellness in the workplace lies with a few core practices:

fair financial compensation
comprehensive benefits
cultivating a “culture of wellness” — explained in more detail belo

Benefits provide the infrastructure to support the culture. Financial stability cultivates the peace of mind. That gives you a solid foundation for wellness before you even step onto a yoga mat. She also emphasized that diversity, equity, and inclusion are an integral part of wellness, asking, “how is there psychological safety in a place where you don’t belong?” And the best way to implement these practices according to Valin-Bloom? “You have to lead by example.”

To dive deeper, here’s an edited (for length) transcript of our conversation. All emphases mine.

ALESSANDRA CALDERIN: In your experience, what is, first and foremost, the most important thing for a company to implement in order to be able to say they care about wellness? (In contrast to “just do yoga,” for example.)

SARAH-VALIN BLOOM: I think first and foremost, it’s important to recognize that wellness programming isn’t yoga. Things like yoga and meditation are great, but that’s not wellness. Wellness is something that is all encompassing. [It’s really important] to create a culture of wellness, but you can’t have that if you don’t have the basic, fundamental building blocks to build that culture upon.

Benefits are the number one thing, in my mind. You want to make sure that if you are saying, “we care about your well-being,” that you are offering the people you employ benefits that cover healthcare, that cover mental healthcare, that support things like childcare, and other necessities. Benefits don’t have to end at medical and dental coverage.

There are a lot of things that you can put in place to support employees. EAPs are a great example of it. Employee Assistance Programs can offer access to free therapy services, for example. Usually, a company will contract to provide a certain number of sessions, but EAPs can also do so much more. There are EAPs that can help your employees connect with somebody to provide childcare, or a handyperson to come in and fix things, or somebody to help clean their house. These services make the stresses and burdens that everybody has to deal with at various levels, easier.

AC: Let’s say a company wants to do that, but they have budgetary restrictions. What is the hierarchy of what must come first?

SVB: Obviously, there are benefits that companies are more obligated to provide like health insurance coverage. If budgetary restrictions are a barrier to additional benefits, employers should consider developing programs internally to support, bolster, and supplement the benefits they do offer. It’s complicated. Obviously, finances for a business are always what things come down to. Unfortunately, the bottom line is the bottom line, and if you can’t afford to do certain things, it can be limiting. But if you’re going to think about the way you’re allocating funds, and you really do want to encourage wellness, you have to thoughtfully invest in resources for your employees and get creative when developing programming internally.

AC: And if you’re explaining to a company why this is beneficial to their bottom line, how do you do that?

SVB: There are two issues. There are people, and then there are functions. The bottom line at the end of the day: Businesses need to meet the expectations of their customers. If they’ve promised customers a specific ROI, they want to know they are delivering on that ROI. They want to see productivity. That return is the result or the function; the work being done. But the reality is that those functions are being completed by humans. By people. And if people are not taken care of, if people are unwell in some way, be it mental or physical, it’s going to impact their ability to perform in their role and deliver what is being asked of them.

It is the reality for all of us, as human beings. If we are not okay, or if we are functioning at less than 100%, then the output is not going to be what it would be otherwise. We are less able to take care of other people. We are less able to take care of ourselves. It’s something that we all have to learn at some point. As a therapist, I think it’s learned more explicitly — you must learn how to take care of yourself if you are expected to hold space and help others.

But the same rules apply in any job. If you are not well, then you’re just not going to do the same kind of work, and it’s not going to be sustainable. Pushing through without addressing your mental health leads to burnout or compassion fatigue (if you’re working in a helping profession). People need to be taken care of. Part of that is the responsibility of the individual — to know when they need something or what they might need. But there’s also a big responsibility on the employer, not only to offer benefits, but to encourage employees to use them. For example, there are many companies who offer unlimited paid time off, which is incredible. What a wonderful benefit to offer your employees. But not everybody knows when to take time off, and they will work themselves into the ground until they hit a wall.

So, when companies offer benefits like unlimited paid time off, having leaders and managers who encourage employees to take advantage of it is invaluable and key to preventing things like burnout. This ensures that people are taking adequate time off regularly, whether it be mental health days when needed or a week off in a particular quarter. There should be a minimum of expectation for time off, and those things should be made very explicit by managers. Oftentimes companies that offer unlimited paid time off also have very high performing, very driven employees, and they’re much less likely to take advantage of that.

AC: It seems like the culture at a lot of companies that offer unlimited PTO is that no one take it. It’s like a competition.

SVB: I think competition can be part of it, but I think it’s more about the culture that we live in. In the US, there’s this concept where you put your head down, you get your work done, and you work, work, work. Whereas if you live in other parts of the world, people are not living to work, they are working to live.

I was recently talking to a colleague of mine who was saying that he worked at the same company in two different countries. The benefits were the same, but the way you were encouraged, or sometimes discouraged, to use those benefits was felt deeply. It made it feel like a different company even though everything was technically the same.

This highlights something I talk about all the time, which is a “culture of wellness.” Although our work culture is not necessarily oriented in that way, as an employer, you have an opportunity and responsibility to cultivate a culture of wellness. It’s the responsibility of leadership, management, and the responsibility of everybody to uphold that. If you’re going to offer benefits and programming and espouse certain things, you must stand behind them and encourage utilization.

AC: Which countries were the best?

SVB: Specifically, we were talking about the UK and Europe. The idea of working part-time or a four-day work week, is not unheard of. Taking an entire month off may even be acceptable. We are just not oriented in that way. That’s not the way we built “work” in the US.

I believe now, more than ever, there’s this opportunity in that world to make changes. COVID has forced us to reimagine and reevaluate how we do things. Even larger companies are starting to reevaluate things COVID has completely changed the game and the conversation.

AC: So even with things like benefits and paid time off, we have these devices [gestures to smart phone] that are attached to us 24/7. Our employers have constant access to us, and a lot of the time people feel pressure to respond to everything that comes in — and respond immediately. What have you been working on with people to figure out how to set boundaries and manage expectations?

SVB: I think you said it perfectly. Setting boundaries is so important. And that can look very different for different people. When people started to work from home full-time because of the pandemic, there was this feeling of working 24/7. On and connected all the time because you never technically left the office; the office was now at home.

AC: What are some solutions to that?

SVB: Become aware and begin to make an effort and take the steps to set the boundaries that you need. The things that work for you. For example, set a time of day to turn your computer off.

If you have a separate workspace, use that exclusively as your workspace and then leave it at the end of the day.

For other people who don’t have the luxury of a separate workspace, turn your computer off, turn off notifications on your phone at a certain time so that you are really not available.

Let your team know if there is something urgent that they need, obviously they can text message you or call you, but outside of that, you won’t be checking emails or taking meetings after a certain time.

Blocking off time throughout the workday for self-care is also incredibly important. Part of that is understanding what self-care looks like for an individual. What self-care is for them, how that fits into their day, committing to it, and then scheduling it.

So, in the same way you turn your computer off at a certain time, you also have a time block set to go outside for a walk or run. To do something that is replenishing. And to really honor that as protected time.

Going back to the culture piece, you have to live and lead by example. All of these changes come from leadership. For example, if your manager is blocking time on their calendar for self-care, and they call it out as that, they are setting an example. Whether that’s therapy, going for a run, stretching, taking their dog for a long walk, whatever that looks like for them. If it’s public knowledge, it makes it okay for the people who report to them to do the same. It sets a tone, it sets an example, and it opens the conversation without even having to have the conversation.

So, when that manager sees somebody struggling or sees somebody having a tough time, it makes the conversation easier. Asking someone about how they are taking care of themselves is not asking anyone to do something you yourself have not committed to.

You can say:

Hey, how are you doing?
Are you taking care of yourself?
Are you taking time out for yourself throughout the day?
I want to make sure that you’re doing those things.
I block time on my calendar, I want to make sure you feel comfortable blocking time on your calendar if that’s what works.

Obviously, everybody’s work circumstance is different. For example, some people work on a shift and don’t have the luxury of blocking out time, but there are other things that may be able to be implemented around that.

AC: What about when it comes to freelancers and those in the gig economy? Have you worked with anyone who works under those circumstances? What are solutions to that? What are things employers can offer them?

SVB: When employers are thinking about benefits for employees, coming up with things that are accessible to contracted employees is really important.

For example, programs that are developed internally can often be easily offered to or accessed by contracted employees. Depending on the nature of the contract, the work, and the expectations, contracted employees may also be able to block some time out. Setting reasonable deadlines as a project manager is important. Don’t be your own worst enemy in scheduling your time, you have control over it.

Again, I think it ties back to the way we approach work culturally. The idea that “I have 8 hours in my day but I’m going to get 16 hours of work done” is something that is far too common. That’s not sustainable for anybody. It’s like running a machine 24/7 with no break. Eventually that machine is just going to break down. And we are not machines. But I think it’s a fair metaphor. Because nothing, even a machine, can operate sustainably for extended periods of time without care.

About the author.
Alessandra is the mentor, educator, and writer behind Boneseed, a private practice devoted to deep self-inquiry through a range of physical, energetic, and mental modalities. She has over 500 hours of yoga, mentorship, and facilitation training and can be found slinging knowledge on her website, newsletter, and @bone.seed.

It’s an ultimatum and memorable phrase in cinematic history – “Show Me the Money!” A hot-shot football rookie pleads with his sports agent Jerry Maguire in the movie of the same name to “Show Me the Money!” “Show Me the Money!” It’s powerful, yet comical in this instance.

But it’s real and nasty in another. It describes a real-life predicament that many people face in trying to collect fees for the services they rendered. Freelancers, in particular, are subject to this irksome issue of nonpayment. And in today’s gig economy, “Show Me the Money!” is indeed highly prevalent and perilous.

How common is this threat to financial well-being? Ask freelancers to identify their biggest challenges. Expect to hear not getting paid repeatedly and prominently. This grievance comes in at number six in “25 solutions to problems only freelancers face.” This post acknowledges that not getting paid is “going to happen eventually. A client is going to cut bait and run after you’ve delivered the work.” This concern clocks in even higher, at number four, in “The unglamorous side of freelancing.” This writer notes: “Doing your work on time and sending an invoice on time doesn’t guarantee being paid on time. Most freelancers have experienced clients who are late at paying – or worse, clients who won’t pay at all.”

In the bigger picture, it’s not only freelancers who contend with this frustrating matter. The clients that engage them may wrestle with it too. You would think, since these businesses that use freelancers depend on collecting fees for their own products and services, they would understand the importance of paying and not taking advantage of the freelancers who serve them. Sadly, that is not the case… not for all, but some.

Down with Deadbeat Clients!

Life being what it is, an oversight in payment may occur. OK, that may (but shouldn’t) happen. Nonetheless, with a simple past due or second invoice, the situation can and may be rectified. Late payment also may arise because of cash flow problems. Again, a reminder and phone chat may pave the way for settling the matter equitably. But then there’s the BIG one – the client that fails to respond, dodges all calls and contacts, ghosts the freelancer. Multiple attempts to confront the issue aren’t working. The client is incommunicado. The money is not coming. Getting stiffed is infuriating and violating.

What can freelancers do to guard against not getting paid? If – and when it occurs – what options are available to deal with deadbeat clients?

Search before securing new business

Reeling in a client is exciting. It’s a new block to build a business. In planning and conducting exploratory meetings, place your objective judgment front and center. Don’t wear blinders. Working with a new entity – and even an existing one – has its risks. It’s not enough to come away with a merging on the minds on goals, workflow, and approaches. You need to determine: Is this client trustworthy? Clients assess freelancers’ work and character. Do the same. Ask questions. Gather supplementary information. Review the client’s website. Research the business and the person. Run a credit check. Don’t get carried away with dreams of a potential infusion of cash. If you’re not cautious and conscientious, you may never collect it. If something seems suspicious, walk away.

Stay close and familiar, if possible

How do you land clients? Going the route of local or connected sourcing may remove some uncertainty and unknowns. Personal referrals fall into this category. Getting clients through word of mouth is another potentially lower risk avenue. Let friends and family know you seek new, reliable clients. Similarly, go prospecting at community and religious groups, civic and social clubs, where there may be some ties that bind. The same goes for professional organizations and alumni associations. Common threads may cut down on the chances of acquiring a rogue client. But it’s not fail safe and may not be productive enough to grow a business. Thus, even when pursuing this path of presumably least resistance, it’s critical to vet clients carefully.

Put everything in writing – no exceptions

A verbal agreement, nod, and handshake are nice. But they are signals and only a start. Freelancers are in business and must conduct negotiations that way. Hash out billing rates, payment terms, contingencies, and out-of-pocket expenses. Then set it all out in a formal letter of agreement or contract – signed, sealed, and delivered. Retain copies and refer to them, as necessary. If you don’t have these boilerplate forms at the ready, research and retrieve them. Ask other freelancers and business owners for samples of theirs. Search the internet for templates. Discuss upfront with an accountant, mentor, lawyer, or legal service. For each new project, write detailed descriptions with timelines and cost estimates. Have the client review all provisions and sign.

Arrange remuneration in increments

Welcome to the concept of divide and conquer applied to the payment space. Set up incremental schedules to cut down on getting stiffed. For example, collect a down payment for work to commence. Then bill for the balance upon successful completion of the project. Getting paid in thirds with specific milestones and dates is another way to go. Here again, a down payment initiates the work. An interim payment occurs when a meeting takes place to review progress to date. The final payment signifies acceptance of the project. Regardless of the payment scheme – one or multiple – include detailed information about terms. Is it on receipt of deliverables, NET 30 or other? And address delinquency by spelling out late fees with set dates and penalties.

Be your own H&R Block

Keep detailed financial records and track your receipts or lack thereof diligently. The premise here is to act swiftly to try to rout out a problem and stop the hemorrhaging with a client as early as possible. By being on top of the situation and taking timely action, the outcome may be more propitious. In other words, take a cue from the expression “the sooner the better,” which tends to work in your favor. Bring up the issue of late or nonpayment shortly after a client misses a targeted payment date. Discuss the situation upfront to determine the cause, extent, and when you can expect to receive funds. Contact Accounting or the Accounts Payable group, if the client has one. Don’t be apologetic. Don’t stop pursuing. Your livelihood is at stake.

Fight the fight freelance freestyle

Battle up! Sometimes, repeated invoices, emails, and communications don’t bear fruit. It’s time to escalate. Consider Freelancers Union as resource in this instance. Bonus: it’s free to join. As the group states: “Freelancers Union has been advocating on independent workers’ behalf since 1995, giving our members access to education, resources, community, benefits, and a political voice.” On its website’s Resources tab, click “Client Issues.” What’s the first to pop up? It’s none other than “How to Deal with Nonpayment.” Several suggestions there mirror those of this blog post. However, the one to delve into is the Collection Letter Template. Download it, fill in the blanks, and take action. Other resources? If you obtain a deadbeat client through an online marketplace, such as Fiverr or Upwork, contact its resolution or support services for help.

Escalate and engage outside collections or legal help

The Collection Letter Template referred to above lays out various options. The no-cost ones include filing a report with a state Attorney General’s office. Similarly, register the incident with the Better Business Bureau. Both of these avenues are not direct routes for receiving remuneration. They may work fully, partially, or not at all, but at least make life uncomfortable for your client. What to do when all else fails and you’re determined to get the funds owed you? Hire a collections agency, lawyer, or legal service. At this point, you will be spending money to get your money or, more realistically, a portion of it. Similarly, go to small claims court if the case meets the parameters, pay the required fees to file a complaint, and then prepare to wait weeks or months for a court date. Note: small claims court only renders a judgment; it has no enforcement powers to help collect funds. What does that mean? You can win the case and still not get paid.

Use the tax code as remediation

Give up trying to extract the funds from a client that evades you or otherwise refuses to pay? As noted, this could and does happen. What to do next – or at any step along the way – depends on the amount of money at risk, your work commitments and schedule, and your tolerance for letting go as well as for continuing to hassle. In other words, cost-benefit analysis here you come. If it turns out you are at the end of your “Show Me the Money!” journey, acknowledge the impossibility of receiving payment. At that point, take a loss. But do it on your income tax. You may be able to write it off the nonpayment as a bad debt when you file, deduct the cost of goods sold, or follow any other course your accountant suggests.

Freelance through a professional talent agency

Finding clients on your own is one avenue available to a freelancer. There are others. Instead of, or in conjunction with your own efforts, you can work with a professional placement firm. For example, Creative Circle bridges both ends of the spectrum. An established and reputable company, it serves clients that need to find freelancers and full-time employees. It fills those requisitions through posting job alerts to its other audience, which are the freelance providers themselves. Once vetted and approved by the agency, candidates may vie for opportunities. The agency shows a short list of the most suitable choices to its clients and then, for the person selected, the firm tracks timecards and administers pay. Yes, those freelancers in the system hired for assignments receive pay and do so weekly – no chasing after it required!

Freelancing has its advantages. Being your own boss, scheduling your time (or at least trying to), running a business, and working directly with clients are among them. Receiving payment for assignments occurs most of the time. And at others, it doesn’t. Follow the advice offered here to try not to get caught.

It’s weird, painful, and simply surreal to think that it has been a whole year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While it had been ravaging the globe for months, for Americans, March 13, 2020, marked a truly significant moment. It was the day the White House officially declared a state of emergency. For many, it was the day they started working remotely if their job allowed them to. At the time, 40 people had died, and around 1700 cases were confirmed, an eerie number to reflect on in light of the 29 million cases and 529,000 deaths we have suffered since.

It has been a year of devastation and loss and suffering, and it’s also been a year that has shown us just how strong and united we can really be, even 6 feet or thousands of miles apart. The pandemic has completely changed how we shop, how we eat, how we travel (or don’t travel), how we entertain ourselves, and most of all, how we work.

Losses and Gains

There has been a seismic shift in labor and how we work over the last year, that has revealed to us just how secure certain industries are, and just how precarious others are. The leisure and hospitality industries, particularly food service lost 7.7 million jobs in the first couple months alone. Education services, health services, and retail industries were also among the hardest hit, as their work primarily relies on close, in person duties. These huge losses have prompted important conversations about sustainability and valuing work, with some in the restaurant industry giving more thought to relaunching businesses as worker-owned cooperatives to empower workers and ensure more stability in the industry.

While there were losses across all industries, many industries were able to continue through the industries, and we’re seeing a shift in the fastest growing jobs, that speak volumes about our shifting world. As we’ve pointed out before, demand for e-commerce specialists, branding and marketing strategists, and UX researchers has exploded. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, jobs in the medical industry such as registered nurses, medical managers, and nurse practitioners are in increasingly high demand—which seems like a direct response to the pandemic. On the other hand general and operations managers, financial managers, and analysts are also on the rise, as people are reconfiguring how business will work going forward.

Marketing research analysts, and content creators are a fast growing occupation as we’ve had to reconfigure how to market and communicate with each other remotely. And fun fact, career coaches and therapists are on the rise—for what seem like pretty obvious reasons after the year that we’ve had.

Home is the New Office

Of course one of the biggest shifts in work has been working from home. This change in workplace setting has forced folks to find creative ways to make room for an office in their own homes (in my case, working from home meant working in the kitchen). Our bookshelves became our backgrounds, our pets and family members became mini celebrities who made cameos, and we all became fluent in, “Oh! No, sorry! No, you go first.”

42% of the US labor force is now working from home with twice as many working from home as they are working on premises, and remote job searches on LinkedIn shot up 60%. For so many, WFH has been a blessing, a way to stay safe and keep a job. And despite some stigma associated with working from home, we didn’t see a loss of productivity. In fact productivity went up 13%. Technologies like Zoom, Slack, and others allowed us to stay connected and stay on top of work despite the distance. They also allowed for makeshift happy hours to retain a sense of normalcy.

A study (conducted by Slack) found that only 12% of respondents wanted to return to full-time work, though that’s not to say that people want to stay at home forever. 72% would like the option of a hybrid model that allows for both working from home and the ability to come into an office to work and of course socialize with their coworkers.

Despite the flexibility that working from home has offered, we’ve learned that WFH is not for everyone. And there has been a huge downside, which is really the downside of the pandemic as a whole: social isolation. And of course, it’s important to point out that as more people work from home, those working in sectors that support office work and the commute (transportation, food service, maintenance, etc), are also vulnerable.

Who Gets to Work From Home?

But working from home has also revealed huge inequalities in how we work—and who gets to work.

According to Pew, 62% of folks who can work from home have at least a bachelor’s degree, whereas only 23% of those without one can do so. Lower-income workers face the double whammy of not being able to work as home as much and having to face a higher risk of being exposed to COVID. On top of that, access to internet and tech has played a big role in this divide, and while 82% of white people have access to a desktop or laptop computer, only 58% of Black people and 57% of Latinx people do.

The pandemic has also taken a huge toll on women in the workplace, particularly women with children. Women suffered 1.8 times the amount of job losses as men. And as Melinda Gates pointed out, that doesn’t even take into account the unpaid and/or domestic labor women typically take on, writing, “Of course, the paid and unpaid economies are intimately connected. (One is a lot more visible, but it’s built on top of the other!) The unpaid work women do is one of the biggest barriers they face to reaching their potential in the workforce.”

Stronger Relationships

As we reconcile how we were and work to create more equitable working environments (Did I mention there was increased demand for diversity and inclusion professionals? Because there is!), it’s also a great opportunity to think about the progress we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned over the last year. We have learned that it’s important now more than ever to have strong relationships and connections with our colleagues. Anyone who has had the good fortune of starting a new job in the pandemic is well aware of how difficult it is to keep up or get to know folks, so it’s also important to reach out to each other.

It’s also extremely important to remind ourselves that we have been living through a historic global pandemic. We’ve been surrounded by a lot of despair and loss and trauma that we probably won’t even fully process for a while because, you know, we’re still living it.

For those struggling with feeling unproductive or stuck at work, be kind to yourself. Not feeling motivated is a very natural response to going on, and it’s important to listen to your body. Take breaks, get outside, change up your work space (and if possible keep it as separate as possible from your living space), and stay in touch with loved ones.

And if you’re like me and will drag out work because you are (I am) easily distracted by the internet, try setting a timer for increments of 20-30 minutes to focus and then take a lap or drink some water or watch an ASMR video or a SNL Cast Members Breaking Character Compilation (whatever your vice is).

It’s hard to live through history especially when we’re forced to be isolated from one another. Be kind to yourself and each other.

About the author.
Sam Mani writes about work, creativity, wellness, and equity — when she’s not cooking, binging television, or annoying her cat.