New York City’s Latino designers are engaged professionally in a subset of activities within the wider umbrella of the “creative industry.” They identify themselves as graphic designers, web designers, fashion designers, industrial/product designers, interior designers, and architects. Their extensive professional experience, acculturation to the language and customs of American life, and commitment to their professional futures mark them as valuable contributors to the city’s economic and cultural health.The relatively high social capital of New York City’s Latino designers does not exempt them from problematic patterns of growth and opportunity. Almost all of the Latino designers work in small companies or as independent freelancers and are hindered by a matrix of factors in expanding their businesses or launching new ventures. Assistance in marketing their businesses and in securing financing tops their list of needs. More often than not, design expertise is not paralleled by skills in business management and strategy.

These are some of the key findings of Créate: Diseñadores de Nueva York, a pioneering study by NYDesigns of the city’s Latino designers. The goals of the study were to develop a profile of New York-based Latino designers in order to better understand what impedes their business growth and how these conditions can be managed, circumvented, or transformed. An online survey completed by 70 designers, including business owners, employees, and freelancers, was carried out. From this initial pool, 20 designers engaged in comprehensive follow-up interviews which sketched a clearer outline of the mutual circumstances propelling and restraining business and professional development among New York City’s community of Latino designers. The report is published and in circulation. We’re moving on to next stages, in which we begin to implement our recommendations through engaging, community-driven programs.

Want to learn more about the report or become involved in our next steps? Email us at create@nydesigns.org.

Read our report, and see our profiles.