Started in 2009, 10% Time is my commitment to giving away a portion of my time (10%) as a designer.

Q: In difficult times like these, how can you afford to work for free?

A: Because these are difficult times, that’s why. While times may be tough for me and people like me, they are certainly more difficult for small organizations and non profits who dedicate themselves to doing good and making a difference. They normally operate with very little resources, short on cash and with very little staff who are wearing all the hats.

I have said this before, but designers have a responsibility. If we don’t pitch in and help, or bring ourselves to put aside profit margins and just do some good, we fall short of proving the full value of our craft. If we consider the value of design thinking and what it can do for others – and fail to spread it around – we miss out on the opportunity to make things better. There are many who need assistance, and as designers it’s our responsibility to seek them out and help. We think in ways others won’t. We have skills others don’t. “If not us, then who?” I ask.

As a designer, I have become increasingly more aware of my surroundings and have expended a great deal of energy making long lists of the kinds of projects I truly feel drawn to – where I see myself being able to directly impact the lives of others. Most of them are those for organizations who find themselves in difficult positions or with limited resources. Paradoxically (and sadly), these are also generally the organizations that people need the most. They are generally extremely important – even critical – to those they serve.

Put simply, we need these organizations to thrive, and I have committed 10% of my time to helping them do just that. And I will do it for free.

These projects will be selected carefully and the expectations are to be clearly defined from the outset.

Services Offered

Who fits the description of a candidate for this approach?

10% Time recipients include:

• Sisters of the Holy Spirit (2010 – 2011)
• Greater Harmony Chorus (2010)
• Emmanuel Christian Church (2009)

If you think your organization or project fits this description, please let me know by filling out the form below:

PLEASE NOTE THAT SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2011.

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