Happy Monday!

Right, burnout in OSS. Let’s get into it!

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

What burns me out:

1. Being an under-represented function (design) in OSS.

2. Being an under-represented gender in OSS.

3. Being under-represented as an impaired person in OSS (I have a long term illness).

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

4. Not being valued as part of OSS (imposter syndrome why???)

5. Knowing how ‘optional’ it is to my overall design career. As in, it doesn’t often give me benefits in career shifts or promotions.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Design in OSS is a lonely, lonely place if you like and want the company of other designers.

There are very few of us connecting as a community as well as doing the design work needed/wanted in the OSS projects we’re part of.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Re. 'If you like and want other designers as company'

Designers are coming out of a culture of competitiveness and into one that prefers collaboration over competition. But old habits disappear with difficulty…

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

In the freelance and contract world, designers (like other functions) are played off each other.

Who can offer ‘What think I want’ for X value.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Replace X for, Cheapest, most, my preference, least resistance, the most influence over etc. (this happens in other professions too!)

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

And this culture can (not always) soak into the other design work you do, hackathons, professional teams and then of course OSS too!

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Trying to promote an open and collaborative way of doing design is…tricky…when designers have been taught to ‘craft their genius idea’ it becomes harder to open that up to other designers, of all experiences to be part of an OSS like workflow.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Another factor is that many designers outside of well-funded corporations and agencies work solo or in very small teams and simply through lack of opportunity to collaborate, they are more experienced with solo and ‘closed’ working.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

The answer isn’t ‘just push designers and their work together!’ that’s a quick way to get a design response which just smooshed together.

Real magic happens when there is a co-creation culture grown between designers. OSS would benefit hugely from this!

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Because when there’s a great co-creation culture between designers, they are able to do great design facilitation for the wider contributors and users and really create a space that is multi-stakeholder inclusive!
#TheOSSDesignDream

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

There’s plenty of folks that talk about being under-represented in OSS and I recommend: https://opensourcediversity.org/ 

I might talk about my marginalised identity if we get time here this week! but for now, we’ll talk about dreaded #ImposterSyndrome

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

There’s always more to do in OSS there’s not a well defined ‘end’ for many projects and as a function (design) which doesn’t have a large community of contributors, I often feel the pressure to contribute more and advocate more.

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

Though I know design is an under-invested function in OS, prioritisation of code building in OSS will be consistent until we shift OSS culture to a user-centred, design informed approach at large.

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

But we need more designers to help with that! argh! meet .



-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

So this is where many of the designers in OSS doing the advocacy work are critical! They’re laying the pathway for more designers to enter and sustain design within OSS!

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

As designers actively participating in OSS contributions, we also have to, more often than not, define our own terms of engagement. How to contribute, when, in what ways/processes. It’s not just about the design outputs.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

I spend a lot of time doing my best to build and shift culture, nurture and empower other designers, offer support, advice, design critique, create and maintain teams and facilitate the blending of design into OSS which is a lot!

phew.

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

This is why it’s so important to view all design contributions as meaningful ones.

There’s a culture shift here and it takes guts to move against established norms.

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

Thank your designers, give them a break and support their work both visual outputs and otherwise!

-Eriol @EriolDoesDesign

What other ways can non-designers support designers who are at risk of burnout in OSS:

- Better defined terms of engagement in OSS.

- Not just relying on one or two OSS designers, build a team, a community.

- Allow exploration.

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

- Be flexible with the ‘rules’ of OSS

- Don’t gate-keep OSS based off of assumed knowledge, skills, tech, culture.

- Participate in design when you can and are invited.

- Be ready and willing to be invited!

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign

annnnnd finally...

- Give kudos, sing praises, offer support, sponsor and show that $$.

-Eriol @erioldoesdesign