Abstract
The unabated development of technology continues to affect human life in many aspects, one of which is working life. Over the past decade the world of work has been experiencing digital transformation. Integrating the digital processes and tools into business models, digital transformation has led to the shift in the traditional business structures, hierarchies, relations, and the workplace. Thanks to this shift in the traditional way of work, today, it is possible to outsource the work through an open call to a geographically dispersed mass of people. This means that, companies or individuals now have access to an indefinitely large group of people and can solve their specific problems with them in exchange for payment by using intermediary platforms on the web. This model of work is referred to as crowdwork. Crowdwork, as a new working model, has spread to and popularized in many geographies and disciplines. This paper focuses on industrial designers who have increasingly preferred to work on crowdwork platforms in the last decade. Presenting the analysis of the interviews with 22 designers, the paper focuses on industrial designers’ motivations driving them into this work model. It also offers suggestions for design education in relation to new practice and employment models in design.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.041
Citation
Alptekin, İ.D.,and Kaygan, P.(2025) A New Career Path for Designers: Crowdwork and Designers’ Motivations to Engage in this Employment Model, in Clemente, V., Gomes, G., Reis, M., Félix, S., Ala, S., Jones, D. (eds.), Learn X Design 2025, 22-24 September 2025, Aveiro, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2025.041
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Full Paper
A New Career Path for Designers: Crowdwork and Designers’ Motivations to Engage in this Employment Model
The unabated development of technology continues to affect human life in many aspects, one of which is working life. Over the past decade the world of work has been experiencing digital transformation. Integrating the digital processes and tools into business models, digital transformation has led to the shift in the traditional business structures, hierarchies, relations, and the workplace. Thanks to this shift in the traditional way of work, today, it is possible to outsource the work through an open call to a geographically dispersed mass of people. This means that, companies or individuals now have access to an indefinitely large group of people and can solve their specific problems with them in exchange for payment by using intermediary platforms on the web. This model of work is referred to as crowdwork. Crowdwork, as a new working model, has spread to and popularized in many geographies and disciplines. This paper focuses on industrial designers who have increasingly preferred to work on crowdwork platforms in the last decade. Presenting the analysis of the interviews with 22 designers, the paper focuses on industrial designers’ motivations driving them into this work model. It also offers suggestions for design education in relation to new practice and employment models in design.