The vast majority of designers expect that the pandemic pause will permanently change where and how — and perhaps why — they work. In particular, they believe that more flexible work arrangements, including working-from-home, will become the norm. Will the traditional office disappear? Not likely, but it will play a different role and with a different configuration. All that said, as you will see, a vocal minority hope traditional in-office routines will return.
SELECTED COMMENTS:
Things will probably change. We are only allowed to work from home once a week. I suspect the policy will be more flexible after this, because we’ve demonstrated, via time tracking and otherwise, that we don’t lose productivity by working remotely.
Great to see many adapt online tools and streamlined job processes. I hope this experience will ease the resistance to change/technology integration.
We’re an in-house agency and the company has remained productive working in this manner. Time will tell, but we’re getting a sense that the Executive Leadership Team now realizes that we’re very productive working remotely.
My company is quite large and it has already become clear during the crisis that we are capable of working well remotely. There has been talk of giving us more flexibility to choose how and where each of us work moving forward.
This experience has shown me that much of what I do — teaching, advising, and attending meetings — can be done remotely.
Our company head and upper management are coming to realize that people can actually be productive working remotely. In the past, many were skeptical and did not trust the staff.
I don’t see any reason to go back to renting office space. Clients seem fine working with us by email, zoom and telephone. How to find new clients is more difficult; I don’t think we have the answers to that yet.
Change will not be all that dramatic. But some things will change. I doubt that I will go back right away to a physical office building. We are happier (and maybe even more productive!) working from our homes. We do need time together to collaborate and I do miss meeting clients in their offices to get a feel for who they are and what they need, but we are likely to have a LOT less in-person meetings moving forward.
I hope to build my freelance business and continue to work remotely.
I actually appreciate being in the office more. Prior to this, we were discouraged from working from home. This proves it is possible and it will become easier. However I like going to an office because it is a lot more difficult to collaborate and work with clients working from home.
Work from home will become more accepted and common. I see virtual business meetings becoming the norm.
I was already working remotely. But in the longer term, this will have a large impact on how my co-workers and I work together, especially how we handle file and project management systems going forward.
Mixed feelings. Working as a collaborative team requires eye-to-ye contact and contributes to the exchange of ideas and the creation of new approaches.
We might meet less in person with clients and meet more on video chat. I can’t wait to return to the office to work together again.
I find I am relying more on my manager for advice and feedback on projects. I am also asking more questions especially about imagery.
