…or, rather, lucky Design Industry. 

Because if the newsPeoples are to be believed, you’re in line for an unexpected windfall. 

In the guise of an extra (at least!) four years Service from all the dangerous old fools (my description of myself. And as in a danger to myself) still able to wrastle out a clunky prototype in Figma or a jerky-motion animation in Lottie (subs. Please check these are the right-on ‘apps’ to name-drop.)

If, as appears inevitable (once some bast*rd says in print what everyone in government has been thinking is kind of inevitable), we can now enjoy an additional four years before being able to retire. 

Now, two issues with that (only two! Lol).

One, that retiring thing. Hmm. Have you checked what your pension pot’s going to be returning you? Might not want to cancel the Adobe subscription yet, might still be needing that instead of looking forward to wandering down to the park to shout at pigeons for the day. 

And the elephant-in-the-room second. The 60-year old designers. Because the studio’s are just trip-over full of them. 

Am honestly struggling with the Septuagenarian’s being part of that picture. 

And yet here we are (well, not ‘we'. Some can decide to chuck it in at any time - you’ve the choice if you've the finance), looking at the opportunity to carry on. Carry on wondering where the shortcut keys are that is. Or your charger.

So in whose interest is all this delightful extra time? 

Well, me for a start. I know old people are annoying (I’m constantly annoyed and getting on towards being old. Certainly in industry terms.) And old people moaning about how rubbish everything has become is a tedious trope. And not true, because not everything is rubbish.

But if I can do something resembling the thing I do now, and can do it for a few more years, well that’s fine. 

You really don’t want me wandering aimlessly around the village swearing at motorists. 

Far safer sat behind a monitor and keyboard. 

I might, might, even have something useful to contribute to society and industry. 

Long shot I know. 

Chrissakes. What the hell’s the password for the server again?