How does a product designer prepare for a post pandemic world?

A guide on how to prepare for this pandemonium

Pandemonium unfolding

A few weeks ago, it was announced at my company that most of our department didn’t have to come into the office. We were told we could work remotely at home due to COVID-19. Second week of working remotely at home, I’ve somewhat adjusted. So far, haven’t stooped down to wearing my underwear and turning off the camera for video conferencing…just yet. Being naturally introverted, I didn’t even realise that self-isolation was negatively impacting people…just kidding ;)

In all seriousness, Monday of that second week working remotely was such a dismal day. I turned on my computer to see in my email and Slack, a bunch of heartfelt messages and names of unfortunate people that have been laid off. My heart sank because I could see names of people I knew. Morale had already been low but this was an extra blow. Despite being very fortunate that my name wasn’t listed with those that were laid off I still do not feel as secure. I think one of the biggest lessons learnt from this pandemic is how quickly your world can change. How quickly I could have a meeting with a manager saying that we have to let you go.

Fortunately, it’s in my nature to plan for the worse. I thankfully attribute that to The Walking Dead and all the apocalyptic games, books and movies out there. Most of all, I attribute that to my dad teaching me chess at a young age. Always try to be a few moves ahead in the game.

Try to be a few moves ahead

There’s a few things I’ve been asking myself in order to prepare myself for the worse or at least put myself in a good position. These questions are…

• If my professional world falls apart today, would I be prepared?
• What do I need to do to be prepared for that moment?
• How do I prepare for a post pandemic world?

If my professional world falls apart today, would I be prepared? What do I need to do to be prepared for that moment?

I think I’m somewhat prepared although, there’s always more that can be done. The most obvious thing is to make sure that your portfolio is up to date. Another thing to note is, I’ve noticed on LinkedIn that fellow designers who have been laid off, have been pivoting and doing things that they don’t usually do. Believe it or not, not all designers are unicorns and are masters of many skills. We usually have more strengths in certain areas. For example, one particular designer I know whose strengths lie in art direction and conceptual design is moving into development. Personally, I think that’s maybe the direction we have to take, which is learning many disciplines.

A lot of companies are trying to reduce cost which means people with multiple skills will be more attractive. According to Bill George a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, George states in the Fortune article ‘The coronavirus pandemic is changing work forever’, there’s going to be fewer middle managers and consultants. This means there will be more dependencies on internal employees to fill this void and take on more responsibilities. Fortune also states that there will be less full-time roles and more flexible roles so people will need to adapt to this instability. Companies will be looking for unicorns, masters of many skills. So if you are lacking in any of these skills it’s best to skill up in the following:

• UI — Be very familiar with online tools that are collaborative like Figma.
• UX — Skill up in remote user-testing as remote working will become the norm. Learn how to facilitate workshops remotely. Jake Knapp, who invented the Google Design Sprint has released a guide on how to conduct a remote design sprint, it would useful to check this out.
• Copywriting — Unfortunately, I know a lot of fellow product designers that take on this role because it’s a lot cheaper and sometimes more efficient for the company.
• Front-end development — I know some designers probably shuddered when reading this but designers that understand a developer’s mindset, make for a better designer. In particular, if you start looking at UI as components it’s very advantageous.

Not for the faint-hearted designer — do not read if you are: This is just my personal prediction for the future. The front-end developer role and product designer role will eventually morph into one. It makes sense that the source of truth is what has been built. What the user sees and interacts with is the source of truth and not a figma, sketch or xd file. In future, there will be systems where designs can be altered and what’s been built will change on the fly and vice versa. If code is altered, the design system will update on the fly.

• Speculative Design — Some of you are probably thinking what the heck is this. According to Invision, Speculative Design is a design method addressing societal problems and looking towards the future. It’s about creating products and services for those scenarios. Typically designers work on addressing current problems and there’s less emphasis on disruption and futuristic thinking.

Recently, I was reading the article ‘Simon Sinek: These are not unprecedented times.” Sinek is a best seller on Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, he writes and coaches leadership. Sinek talks about the companies that will thrive are the ones that aren’t focused on getting back to normal, but on how to create a new normal. There’s so much truth to this. The world cannot entirely go back to the way it was before this pandemic and so we have to start thinking and designing for things that do not exist. Designers will have to start having a futurist mindset, so start thinking like a science fiction writer.

How do I prepare for a post pandemic world?

Besides skilling up in those areas mentioned above, if you have some control in choosing what you want to work on in the future, you should take into consideration the following below.

A lot of companies around the world are adapting existing products or inventing new ones to help fight the pandemic or just trying to make life easier for those working from home, in hospitals or stuck in quarantine. For example, Forbes describes a life-saving technology that helps Israeli healthcare system to slow the spread of the virus developed by Diagnostic Robotics. Reuters talks of how AI software developers around the world have been inventing new gadgets to fight the virus. Tech giants, Apple and Google are joining forces to develop a COVID-tracking machine.

There is opportunity in crisis. It will be advantageous to work on products and services related or things that have been impacted by the virus. Those listed below are examples of some areas to venture into:

Please note some of those listed below have come from the Board of Innovation report. The report describes how to navigate the world after COVID-19.

• More anxiousness and loneliness: means there will be a need for remote therapy and coaching. Social games and tools will be booming.
• Damaged trust in hygiene of people and products: will result in packaging redesigns, sharing of personal health records and temperature. There will be more contact-free deliveries and drop-offs.
• Extended travel restrictions: Local tourism will flourish. Rural and remote will become luxury escapes.
• Unprecedented levels of global unemployment: many will be forced to rethink their career. Remote re-skilling and training will see a peak.
• Take out/home delivery everything: Many retail businesses and product distributors will need to switch to delivery and/or remote-first. Expect more specialised delivery solutions and advanced supply chain optimisations.
• Limited contact with older generations: Interaction with +65 year old people will be severely restricted. People will need to rethink social gatherings. Ceremonies like large weddings will have to be redesigned. There will be a rise of communities for those with special needs or of a certain age.
• The value of certified immune consumers: If your business model relies on packing many people in tight spaces, there is no light at the end of the tunnel (cruises, theaters, events/festivals,…). There will be a rise of solo dining booths or human-free interactions (e.g. robot waiters). There could be the rise of a new consumer segment with an official health record to prove an immune status.
• Museums, cultural institutions, festivals have shut operations: These sectors rely on in-person connection and are moving fast to the digital arena. According to The Guardian, this is ushering in a golden age for virtual media such as VR and AR.
• Safe behaviour and social distancing.
• Communication of the virus: Products and services that clearly inform information about COVID-19 have been increasing.
• Medical equipment: there has been an increased need for personal protective equipment, ventilators, etc. for medical staff and patients.
• Medical workers and processes: Increased need for designing best practices for clinics and hospitals for testing and treatment.
• Re-inventing in-class to remote learning.
• Vulnerable groups: Increased need to assist the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, the homeless, the incarcerated, people in countries without public healthcare, etc.
• Workforce: Workers who have lost their jobs will need assistance in coping. In general, there will be an increase in the development of new digital skills. According to DigitalTrends, Zoom has been one of the fastest-growing videoconferencing apps. There’s already a boom in videoconferencing tools.

Now a recap on what to do to prepare for the pandemic:

• Update your portfolio.
• Prepare yourself for the idea of flexible roles.
• For your future line of work — venture into products and services that are related to combating COVID-19 or areas that have started to boom due to the pandemic.

Skill up in the following if you are lacking in any of these areas:

• UI
• UX
• Copywriting
• Basic front-end development
• Speculative Design

Now I need to go and practice what I have just preached. To all you fellow designers out there, wish you good luck! Be brave in this crazy new world.

Peace! Don’t forget to wash your hands ;)

A little background

Hi, I’m Christine :) I’m a product designer who’s been in the digital field for quite some time and have worked at many different companies; from large companies (as large as 84,000 employees), to mid size and to very small startups still making a name for themselves. Despite having a lot of experience I’m a product designer who has a fear of suffering from the dunning-kruger effect and so I’m continuously trying to educate myself and I’m always searching for more light. I believe to be a great designer you need to constantly hone your skills especially if you are working in the digital space which is constantly in motion.