Work in progress

Abstract

Work has repeatedly been in the spotlight in recent years, whether it is a debate around gen-z's unwillingness to work fulltime, workplace surveillance or mass resignations following the pandemic. On another level the climate crisis has many experts calling for a decrease in productivity and a transitioning to a 'de-growth' economy, which would have huge implications for work and labour. It is against this backdrop that I am exploring the topic of work from the perspective of a young graphic designer. The project aim is to create something in the vein of an alternative-career-guide for creative graduates, which opens a mental space for thinking about work, beyond conventional ideas of success and productivity. The result is the publication 'Work in Process'. By creating a combination of historical research, interviews, critical theory, personal anecdotes, text excerpts and images to explore methods of questioning, critiquing, and re-imagining (design-)work today. A prioritization of process and maintenance over 'a final piece'.