The Design Conference: AI Isn’t Coming for Our Jobs but Burnout Is

The Design Conference Brisbane (TDC) has been running for over a decade, with each year gaining more recognition, bigger and better presentations, international speakers and workshops to ensure that all creatives are getting the best possible experience.  

Hosted at the Brisbane Powerhouse, a hub of creativity, art, music and most importantly design, it’s the perfect playground for creatives. 

The energy that spilled out of The Brisbane Powerhouse was insane. Designers from agency world to freelancers, all shared the exciting anticipation of what the day ahead held. 

The conference opened with a talk from Corine Roesner, a mind coach who spoke on the importance of looking after your mental health and having goals that are attainable. 

TDC founder, Matthew Haynes addressed a packed theatre of thrilled professionals. He spoke on the notion of “no longer gatekeeping the community,” and how important it is to support each other. Each speaker at the event has come from various backgrounds both in design and culture. It’s Matt’s goal to ensure that the conference is an inviting space for junior and senior creatives alike. 

This idea of support is one that runs throughout the conference. Rogan Jansen, founder of DashDigital® Studio in South Africa and Arielle Bodenstein and Claudia Henderson, from brand agency, For The People, spoke on problems. 

Rogan focused his talk on overcoming the notion of ‘having it all figured out. He opened up about the struggles of being a creative during the height of the pandemic. Rogan gave advice on the best way to move forward when faced with the unexpected. He spoke on how to build a portfolio without any clients and how to speak to brands. His solution? Just start designing. 

While Arielle and Claudia, (For The People) explored how storytelling and strategy can help creatives and clients overcome a problem they didn’t know they had. Especially when it comes to commercial creativity. Strategy and storytelling go hand in hand according to Arielle and Claudia. 

Jasmin Bedir, CEO of Innocean and co-host of TDC spent the day hosting discussions and asking all the hard questions. The first of the day was about everyone's favourite topic, AI. The discussion moved between the positives, AI being used as a tool to make the mundane tasks easier. To the negative, the potential loss of jobs and moments when clients don’t truly understand the implications of using AI to produce work. 

The consensus of the discussion and advice given to not only creatives but also brands is to get educated on how AI works as well as the legal side of copyright and ownership of IP. In the world of advertising, the legal implications of using AI are growing everyday. It’s getting harder for creatives to express the value of their creative process to brands and clients. An aspect of this industry that has already been undervalued.  

The second discussion was all about mental health. Each of the panellists spoke openly about their own struggles and how they ensure that they don’t face burnout. The discussion was an open space to discuss the issues that the industry faces, the misunderstandings from bigger companies, the lack of education and the lack of support. 

The two discussions combined created either a sense of hope or dread, depending on the ones personal outlook. Although AI won't be the cause of job loss, burnout could very well be if advertising agencies, brands and clients don’t start to see the true value of creative work. 

Multiple talks during the day cried out for the development of mental health programs, new practices and a better understanding. Never Not Creative’s Andy Wright was mentioned often by panellists as the one to take notice of when it comes to prioritising mental health. 

Anzac Tasker, the founder of Guardians - Ahiauaha touched on how simple it can be for the design community to incorporate indigenous art and traditions in their designs. He often mentioned the need to collaborate with the communities when necessary and to not be afraid to ask questions in order to gain the best possible product. 

The first day finished with a talk from Patrick Guerrera, founder and CEO of Re (M&C Saatchi Consulting). This talk was a celebration of the past 15 years of RE. Patrick very bravely opened up about his struggles as a queer creative and how those struggles built RE as we know it. 

Overall, day one of TDC was passionate and a safe space for creatives to connect with each other.