The Big Apple is one of the most expensive places to live in the world, which makes this design internship tool developed by designer Barron Webster more than just a ledger for public praise. The tool, which is available through browsers, keeps a running tab of design firms and other companies that pay design interns $13.65 per hour, the living wage in New York City.
London, New York, and other big cities tend to be central hubs for creative work like design, and yet those cities are consistently the most expensive in which to live. While this is just an inconvenience for people with established careers, those starting up in the industry can struggle to make ends meet while working internships with paltry pay — or no pay at all. Barron Webster's design internship tool helps to mitigate that scenario.
What's Driving This Trend
- Design Internship Tools
- This tool helps design interns find firms that pay fair wages, addressing the issue of low or no pay for internships in the industry.
- Living Wage Tracker
- Tracking companies that pay the living wage in expensive cities like New York City provides transparency and support for interns in the design industry.
- Fair Pay Movement
- The development of this tool reflects the growing trend of advocating for fair pay in creative industries, particularly for interns.
Who This Affects Most
- Design
- The design industry can benefit from adopting fair pay practices for interns, leading to increased industry diversity and talent retention.
- Technology
- Technological solutions like this internship tracker tool can disrupt traditional internship practices and promote fair pay standards across various industries.
- Human Resources
- The use of internship trackers highlights the need for HR professionals to ensure fair and equitable compensation for interns, shaping the future of internships in all sectors.
