It’s been more than 3 months since the WHO declares COVID-19 as a global pandemic. In April 2020, the UN labour agency said cutbacks equivalent to nearly 200 million full-time workers are expected in just three-month time. According to the agency, retail and wholesale sectors have seen impacted most with 482 million workers affected. Meanwhile, other industries such as manufacturing, business services and administration, food and accommodation are seeing 463 million, 157 million, and 144 million jobs affected, respectively.

There’s no such numbers found for the design industry, or any other creative industries, which sector contributes more than AU$90 billion to Australia’s economy annually. According to the Bureau of Communications and Arts Research, Design alone contributed AU$42.8 …

What a year it has been! 2020 was HARD. Time Magazine even rated 2020 “the worst year ever”. Like most people, I had a turbulent year, and yet, 2020 was also one of the most transformative years I’ve experienced so far. Besides everything else that was taking place in the world, I made the leap over to the freelancing territory; not just after hours, but full-time self-employed. What a year I’d picked! But, I am here, surviving (barely). That’s a win, a big win.

Don’t get me wrong, I did go through precisely 1 burnout and a very few depressive episodes here and there. Since my teenaged years, I’ve been struggling with depression, so this particular outcome is, in fact, an improvement… all things considered. I’ll continue living with depression, possibly for the rest of my life, and I’m okay with that. After a few years of cognitive behavioural therapy and medications, I can safely say I’ve become a better friend to myself during the ebbs of life. …

This is it! Our last MakeStuffUp.Info newsletter of the year & we’re going out with a bang. We came across some mind-blowing resources this month. Check them out! 👇

Good Stuff of the Month

Using frameworks to increase productivity are common for developers but not for designers. SystemFlow is gonna change that. SystemFlow is a robust “ Designer-First, utility Framework for Webflow & Figma”. If you’re a fan of Webflow, SystemFlow is a must-have. By using Systemflow, you can build high-quality websites twice as fast, moving seamlessly from Figma to Webflow, while maintaining a Design System from the get-go. …

This month, we’re doing something a little different & added a ton of new Figma Plugins to the site. Check them out below!

• Content Reel lets you create custom content & share it with other Figma users so you can design more efficiently by pulling text strings, images & icons. Much similar to Craft in Sketch, but more powerful. You can find Content Reel under Tools > Product Design > Content.
• You wanna create animations directly in Figma instead of opening After Effects? Figmotion is the plugin for you. Figmotion is built with web technologies in mind, allowing a smoother animation hand-off to developers. …

Spooky season is here. Do you celebrate Halloween where you are? If so, how are you doing it this year? We don’t celebrate Halloween down under in Australia, so we don’t have candies for you, only the latest & best tools around.

Good Stuff of the Month:

Calendly is our scheduling of choice. Owned & operated by Black founders, Calendly offers an easy solution for meeting scheduling without the back-and-forth emails. Working as a consultant? You can get paid with each booking via Stripe or Paypal integrations. …

Hey there,

Sydney has been moody the last few days, but that’s Australia for ya. How’s the weather where you are at? If you’re in California right now, we wish you safety & a sound mind. As residents of Australia, we understand how terrifying wirefires can be.

For the moment, we hope we can distract you with some design stuff.

Good Stuff of the Month:

Even though Sizzy was initially built for developers, it can be tremendously helpful for designers, too! Sizzy offers an easy way to test your responsive design on devices in all shapes & sizes of you choosing. …

A few words before starting today piece:

I was finishing this writing when I heard the news about Chadwick Boseman. His passing hit me harder than expected. The sacrifices he made have shattered glass ceilings, proving once again the arts are especially needed in the world right now. I thought it’s only apt to give tribute to him and those who have paved the way and inspire so many others, including myself.

Rest in power, Chadwick Boseman. And thank you for sharing your talents and bringing light to so many people, even in your darkest hours.

I’m now officially older than my mum when she had me; terrified, on a cold morning of winter in the Highland of Vietnam. My memory is shot so I can’t remember that was the time she gave birth standing up, or that was my brother’s. Both times, she was giving birth without my dad being by her side. …

It always amazes me how easy it is for us human beings, to misjudge each other’s nature. Most of us would quickly judge a stranger without really understanding the life they lead and the reasons behind it. Instead, we make judgements based on how they speak, dress, walk. Sometimes more dangerously, how they express their gender identity, sexuality, or the colour of their skin.

As someone who studies cognitive psychology, I understand why biases came about. We simply can’t help it; it is how the brain processes information via heuristics. According to Dr Christopher Dwyer, a researcher at the National University of Ireland, there are at least 12 main biases hindering our decision-making process in everyday life — most notably, Confirmation Bias, leading us to favour ideas that confirm our existing beliefs and what we think we know. …