Designers Resilient In Adversity

By Gordon Kaye, Editor/Publisher of Graphic Design USA

A GDUSA Pandemic Poll Sponsored by Verso Corporation

Keep calm and carry on. Turn wounds into wisdom. Necessity is the mother of invention. Old ways will not open new doors. Pick your metaphor or idiom: designers are reflecting a surprisingly positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity. That is the fundamental and sometimes uplifting finding of our recent poll of creative professionals as they adapt to and gingerly emerge from the pandemic pause.

We asked our readers about how they are grappling with the present challenges, early lessons learned, bright spots in a dark time, and how hopeful they feel about the future of the creative business. And since, under normal circumstances, this edition of GDUSA would focus on our 57th annual print and paper survey, we also explored how the role of print may be impacted. There are no numbers to report, just smart and heartfelt comments, included below.