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| 99U | |
|---|---|
| Name | 99U |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Behance |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Industry | Creative professional development |
99U is a creative professional development initiative and editorial platform originating from an online portfolio service. It emphasizes practical career advice, productivity, and the business of creative work for designers, artists, photographers, and entrepreneurs. As an editorial brand it produces conferences, talks, articles, and books aimed at mid-career and freelance practitioners in fields such as graphic design, industrial design, photography, illustration, and user experience.
Launched in 2008 by the team behind Behance, the initiative emerged within the digital creative ecosystem alongside platforms like Dribbble, DeviantArt, and Flickr. Its early evolution paralleled shifts in online portfolios, echoing debates involving Adobe Systems after the 2012 acquisition of Behance, and intersecting with communities associated with AIGA, HOW Design Conference, and SXSW Interactive. The initiative staged its first conference as part of a broader movement that included events such as TED, CreativeMornings, and PechaKucha, adopting formats influenced by speaker-driven programming seen at 99% Conference and The Future of StoryTelling. Over the 2010s, the organization expanded content amid conversations framed by publications like Fast Company, Wired, and The New York Times about the precarity of freelance life and the professionalization of creative work.
The stated mission centers on providing actionable guidance to creative professionals, aligning with the professional objectives of individuals engaged with institutions such as Parsons School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, and California Institute of the Arts. Its focus areas include practical productivity strategies used by practitioners connected to studios like IDEO, Pentagram, and Frog Design, and by independent creators in networks around Kickstarter, Etsy, and Shopify. This practical orientation situates the brand among organizations addressing career development alongside LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and specialty media like Communication Arts and Creative Review.
The initiative produces an annual conference modeled after speaker series popularized by TEDx and curated presentations similar to 99% Conference and CreativeMornings. Conference programming has featured speakers with ties to institutions or projects associated with Apple Inc., Google, IBM Watson, NASA, and major cultural organizations such as Museum of Modern Art and Smithsonian Institution. Workshop topics have overlapped with professional development curricula from General Assembly, Skillshare, and School of Visual Arts, covering portfolios, client relationships, pricing, and studio operations. The events draw attendees who also participate in festivals and convenings like How Design Live, C2 Montréal, and Design Indaba.
Editorial output includes articles, interviews, case studies, and books focused on the craft and commerce of creative practice. Published essays often profile figures and entities such as Paula Scher, Jonathan Ive, Tobias van Schneider, Jessica Walsh, Sagmeister & Walsh, Massimo Vignelli, Milton Glaser, and agencies like IDEO, Pentagram, and Sagmeister Inc.. The brand has produced book-length titles that join texts from publishers such as Penguin Random House and Princeton Architectural Press in libraries alongside manuals by Chris Anderson and compilations associated with A Book Apart. Content distribution channels intermingle with platforms like Medium, YouTube, and iTunes for podcasting and video documentation of talks.
Reception among design educators, studio principals, and independent practitioners has been mixed but significant: advocates cite its influence on career practices across cohorts in programs at RISD, Parsons, and Central Saint Martins, while critics point to broader critiques levied at creative-industry gatekeepers found in dialogues involving The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review. Coverage in outlets such as Fast Company, Wired, and The Verge has highlighted the initiative's role in codifying "how-to" knowledge for creatives, while commentators in Slate and Los Angeles Times have debated whether conference-driven models adequately address systemic labor issues discussed alongside Freelancers Union advocacy. Metrics of impact include attendee testimonials, citations in syllabi at institutions like Columbia University School of the Arts and New York University, and references in studio onboarding materials at firms such as IDEO and Frog Design.
Organizationally, the initiative operates within a corporate context tied to an online portfolio and creative network established by Scott Belsky and colleagues, with leadership transitions reflecting integration into larger entities like Adobe Systems after acquisition activity. Editorial and programming teams have included professionals with backgrounds at Fast Company, Wired, The New York Times Magazine, and agencies such as Pentagram and IDEO Studio. Advisory contributors and speakers often come from academic and professional institutions like Harvard Graduate School of Design, Stanford d.school, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, forming a networked leadership model common to niche publishing ventures and professional convenings.
Category:Creative industry