Why Redundancy Needs a Rebrand
This year has been one of strange turns and curve balls.
Unexpected turn No.1
For some reason when I was being furloughed on a Zoom call in April, I started to cry. I’m not sure why, maybe because it felt symbolic of the world crashing to a halt, or maybe because I knew this was simply just a steppingstone to the end of my job. I was 10 months into a role as an in-house designer at the time. Looking back, those 3 months of furlough were the most productive I had been in a very long time. A true gift in disguise. April, May and June were spent making the most of the sunshine, writing letters and making collages.
Unexpected turn No.2
There is no good way to tell someone that their role is a ‘risk of redundancy’. The truth is, it feels like shit. The definition of the word is literally ‘not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous. Unnecessary or inessential.’ During desperate attempts by my employer to convince me it was the ‘role’ and not ‘me’, I wished wholeheartedly that I had the ability to separate myself from the work I do. The more I thought about it, the more rejected I felt, and the more I realised that this was just the muckier side of business I’d hoped I’d never have to face.
Unexpected turn No.3
Losing my job made me realise something. So often I was seeking the approval of others in my work, be it a boss or a colleague, to the point of feeling frozen in my own decisions. For a designer, this is not great. Redundancy led me to set myself up as a sole trader and giving freelancing a go. When you’re suddenly on your own with no hierarchy to break through before you can use an idea, the feeling is ridiculously liberating. Of course, great merit can come from a design team, and sharing the early stages of work for feedback is crucial, but not being stunted by the process is also integral to cultivating creativity.
The hardest part about redundancy during this pandemic has been the isolation from my creative pals; sharing inspiration and motivating each other to be bolder with our ideas. That’s why I set up @Design_Pals. It’s an online community that exists to encourage creatives that their work is glorious, sexy, but most importantly essential. Putting your whole self into a job isn’t always required, but so often we feel more fulfilled when we do. Give us a follow and become part of the crew, I’m always looking for new things to share. As a freelancer moving forward, one of my side projects is to Rebrand Redundancy. This project explores how real emotional intelligence and business can function side by side, and of course, how to put the Super in Superfluous.
Lucy Harper
(If anyone else has had experiences of redundancy during this pandemic and feels comfortable enough to share with me, please email lucyalexandraharper@gmail.com. I’m currently researching into the effect it has had on people and resilience in the face of unexpected turns. Thank you!)
If you liked this piece, you may also like You’ve Got To Splay To Play and RTBC This Week