by Monica W. Tracey (Author), John Baaki (Author)
Cultivating Professional Identity in Design
is a nuanced, comprehensive companion for designers across disciplines
honing their identities, self-perception, personal strengths, and
essential attributes. Designers’ identities, whether rooted in
education, workforce training, digital technology, arts and graphics,
built environment, or other fields, are always evolving, influenced by
any combination of current mindset, concrete responsibilities, team
dynamics, and more. Applicable to designers of all contexts, this
inspiring yet rigorous book guides practitioners and students to
progress with ten key traits: empathy, uncertainty, creativity, ethics,
diversity/equity/inclusion, reflection, learning, communication,
collaboration, and decision-making.
Though it details
a complete journey from start to finish, this book acknowledges the
varying paths of designers’ roles and is structured for a flexible,
highly iterative reading experience. Segments can be read individually
or out of order and revisited for new insights. Current and future
stages of development – education experience, early-career
opportunities, mid-career accomplishments, and/or career transitions –
are factored in without hierarchy. Specific takeaways, activities, and
reflection exercises are intended to work across settings and levels of
experience. Design hopefuls and experts alike will find a new way to
participate in and persevere through their work.
