Don't Ctrl_Z the Next Generation

If you’ve ever used a computer, you probably know what Ctrl_Z does (chill, Mac users, we know). For those who don’t, Ctrl_Z is a shortcut to undo your last action on most programs. It might just be as satisfying as using an eraser.

Sadly, in today’s marketplace, the creative industry is hitting Ctrl_Z on the next generation of talent.

With layoffs continuing regularly, we’re running out of that eraser. Soon, the paper is going to rip, and we’ll be left with a talent shortage.

After moving back to Cleveland in 2021, I realized the stark contrast between West Coast design talent and that of my hometown. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with much coming out of the major corporations or agencies. It was hard for me to come to terms with this. However, as I slowly integrated into the design ecosystem, I found that older professionals had opportunities to showcase themselves, but emerging creatives were left to fend for themselves.

Panel after panel after panel… after panel (stop doing panels, people, I beg you), it was always the same thing: older professionals telling a crowd of younger ones what they should do. Honestly, most of the panelists had no idea what they were talking about and zero experience outside Cleveland. I digress.

Maybe I’m biased, but I don’t want to hear from the current regime. I want to hear from the next regime.

I want to know about the technology they love, the trends they find interesting, and how they see the world. In my last article, Is Gen Z Lazy, or Are You Just Basic?, I wrote about how impressed I am with this emerging generation.

For these reasons, we started Ctrl_Z to simply showcase the next generation of designers in Cleveland. Nothing more, nothing less. Why? Because it makes sense.

We partnered with AIGA Cleveland, which is led by Gen Z and has student chapters at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University, and Cleveland State University. It was a no-brainer to make it an open showcase for anyone in that generation. No competition, no judges, no red tape. Hopefully, this becomes more common.

This has been a beautiful way to wrap up an incredible year. Without the next generation Jake Lawall, Ella Choi, Sarah Cantor, Kyra Wells, Lauren Zawie, Audrey Pierson, Alex Miller, and all the creatives who submitted to the showcase this year none of this would be possible.

Thank you for being new.