Working From Home or Not? The New Age!

Guys, 2020 was a weird year. You know it, I know it, and ‘nuff said when it comes to all the pandemic craziness.

Aside from all the life changes and general weirdness, 2020 was the year that a lot of tech and apps went to die. Everything from Adobe Flash and Windows 7 to Nintendo DS and Google Play Music. These things run their course, and new things come along.

Probably the biggest shiny new craze? It’s not an app, it’s not a piece of tech. It’s this phenomenon where you and your uncle and your best buddy Ben from 6th grade gym class are all working from home.

Boxes in Boxes

I used to be a freelancer, but most of my career I have been going into an office at least part-time. And I enjoy that! I’m a people person, I like interacting with my team and our co-workers face to face.

The part I don’t usually like about in-person work? The fish bowl effect. You know, the way that everyone is in each other’s spaces or watching each other from behind their glass office walls.

We live in boxes, we drive in (basically) boxes, and then we go work in little boxes inside other boxes. And even smaller boxes if you have your own cubicle.

It’s weird, right?

But 2020 kind of broke all that. So many of us are working from home, in our own boxes. At least we get to decorate them the way we like! And we don’t have to drive back and forth and burn all that gas on the way.

Productivity at Home

Personally, I am way more productive in my own box than in a fake, corporate one. No one breathing over my shoulder, watching every little click and scroll.

I know some people have a lot of distractions at home: kids, pets, the fridge, you name it. But overall I find working from home way less distracting. Just think about how many people pass you and stop to chat, ask what you’re doing for lunch, giving you last minute busywork. You know the drill.

And the meetings! God save us from all the useless meetings. I remember one day where there were only two hours available in my day for actual work, because of all the meetings I needed to attend. Unbelievably inefficient.

Not that working from home eliminates meetings, but at least there are usually fewer overall. And sometimes a meeting that would be an hour in person can be replaced with an email plus a 15-minute Zoom call.

The Future?

A lot of companies are assessing whether they even want to go back to the “traditional” work environment a.k.a. boxes in boxes. For example, Pinterest canceled a $90,000,000 lease. Imagine how much more efficient they can be without having to house people in one space for work.

It’s the age of tech, and as far as I’m concerned we do not need to be in the same place to get things done. Slack, video calls, emails… for the most part they get the job done! Even people who need in-person time probably don’t need to be sitting in that chair for 40 hours every week.

70-80% of Americans want to keep working from home. People don’t want to go sit and work inside a box that’s not their own anymore. They’re tired of being micromanaged, or pushed and pulled in too many directions. They’re tired of sitting in meetings that could just be an email.thread.

Companies also can see their redundancies more easily now. Without all these people milling around in their office, what are they actually accomplishing? So this is good news for people who work hard, maybe not so much for the folks coasting by and hoping they won’t get noticed.

Does Size Matter?

Different sized companies will probably move forward from this pandemic differently, especially when it comes to remote work.

Smaller companies probably do need more in-person time a.k.a. more micro-managing time. Small changes make a bigger impact on their environment, so they have to keep the team and their values much more in line. These are places where you can stand out a lot more easily, whether that’s for good or bad reasons.

At bigger companies, it takes a lot more to rock the boat. There’s a lot of red tape and structure in the way, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, it takes a lot more to change certain things. But on the other hand, there’s more job security, more training available, and more room for advancement.

Training and stability are nothing to sneeze at, and that is where corporations and larger employers are really strong. When I interned at Disney, it was clear they were willing to invest in people who were willing to learn. If you can make the most of those situations, you can really benefit. But if you want to be a mover and shaker, watch out. Structured environments usually don’t welcome that.

It will be interesting to see how remote work affects culture at different sized companies. One thing’s for sure: the way things used to be are not how they are anymore!

Culture, Salary, and Other Considerations

Sometimes you have to choose between tradeoffs, and that’s where the world is probably headed with remote work. It’s certainly been true for me with Ugly Unicorns. Every stage of growth means applying what I learned so far, but it also means moving towards some things and away from others. The key is that I stay flexible.

What kind of UX design job are you looking for? There are so many factors to consider if you have very specific goals.

• Company Culture: Do you thrive in structure and stability? Or do you like casual environments where you feel comfortable asking questions and pushing back on the norm?

• Salary: Is it more important for you to find a company and job you love, or a place you’re not passionate about that pays better?

• Stability: Do most employees stick around for a while, or is hiring a revolving door? Does the company have a well-established history?

• Training: Is extensive training a normal part of on-boarding, or are you expected to pick up everything as you go along? Do long-time employees receive additional training as the company evolves? Will you be able to keep specializing or expanding your skill set if you want to?

• Room for Growth: Are you planning on keeping your head down, or do you want to move up the company ladder eventually? Is this something that other employees there have done?

• Work Environment: Is the company okay with you working from home long-term? Will you mind if they change their policy on this later?

Every potential workplace has its flaws, whether you’ll be working onsite or from the comfort of your own home. There’s a lot to consider.

Navigating the Waters

I’ll be the first to admit that there have been times I need an outside opinion to help me move forward with my career. Whether it was the guy who told me I should be applying for jobs before I completed UX bootcamp, or my wife who gave me the encouragement to go in a new direction. Everyone needs help figuring this stuff out sometimes.

There are so many variables, twists, and turns. I’ve seen a lot of them and I’ve learned a lot from others with different experiences. That’s why I’m excited to be offering mentorship and help for you - if you need and want that.

To be an Ugly Unicorn is to always be learning - and hopefully to have fun too. It’s a blast to work with new UXer’s and keep adding to my resource library. So check out my podcast, mockups, and other tools when you have a chance. And remember, I’m here if you need to chat about your UX design journey!