[Business of Design] Trends

This weeks assignment is to blog about a trend from Intuit's list of Twenty Trends that Will Shape the Next Decade. There are multiple trends that are currently and will continue to influence me, but I will focus on the two trends that are most disturbing: the combination of Individuals Shoulder the Risk Burden and Work Shifts from Full-time to Free Agent Employment.

To be honest reading this article made me feel old and scared. It is daunting to think that the government situation regarding health care and social security is highly unstable, plus support in the private sector is expected to reduce. It reminds me of the rule that clients can only have two out of three -- quality, speed, and price. How does it work out that governments will offer fewer social support programs, traditional full-time/full-benefit jobs will be harder to find, and insurance companies will continue to be unregulated (this one is my own assumption, not from the article)? I just received a letter in the mail letting me know that my individual health insurance was increased because I turned 30; it is up around $500 per month now. Happy Birthday to me!!!

I think these two trends invite a conversation about what government should or should not provide for its citizens, but that is, perhaps, too far outside the scope of this blog... In terms of how these trends are influencing me, it makes me really want to get a job with a stable company rather than going back to working for myself. Additionally, the two trends often make me consider what life would be like living and working in another country. At what point does the individual burden become so great that it drives people, and their innovations, out of countries with little social support into countries with lots of social support?