The Layoff Season…

SAP Lab Laid off 300 employees. Ericsson to fire 8500 people. Headlines like these have become very common these days. Over 340 organizations have laid off more than 1.10 lakh people so far across the world. Not only humans but even robots were fired by Google recently. Meta, Amazon, Twitter, Zoom, and Microsoft are some of the major companies to join the layoff bandwagon. These big tech companies have large teams with multiple people with the same skill set. Over the past few weeks, dozens of them have frozen hiring and made significant cutbacks to eliminate redundant positions in departments like HR, marketing, and design. This has led to high competition for jobs in these areas and skill sets and a decrease in job opportunities.

The value of a designer is not always acknowledged, especially in these times of economic uncertainty where cost-cutting becomes a priority. This has also resulted in a cut in the budget for design departments, which leaves designers with fewer employment options. The assumption that design is a luxury rather than a necessity also hinders people from appreciating the worth of designers. This article discusses some tips for designers to tackle layoffs and AI-based solutions that can assist them to stay relevant in UI/UX design.

Automation and technology advancements have led to an increase in the use of design software and tools, making it possible for non-designers to create designs and perform tasks that human designers previously did. This has led to a decrease in the need for human designers in specific industries such as graphic design and website design, where the use of templates and pre-designed elements has become more prevalent.

Who benefits during the recession?

Contra