DIY education in the digital era: youth-driven learning strategies and curricula for the future of work opportunities

Our article unpacks the emergent and dynamic relationship between learning needs and approaches and the evolving landscape of the gig economy in the country. This research seeks to comprehend the contextual collapse of generic, utility-driven, and structured educational models to create space for a personalized and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach to acquiring skills and competencies. We argue that the platformization of learning, user-generated learning resources, and peer networks of communication and collaboration enable this DIY model of learning. We interviewed 16 young digital designers (graphic designers and user experience (UX) designers) from three cities in India–Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. We complemented our interview data with social media ethnography to understand how young urban learners who work or aspire to join the gig economy design their learning experiences. Our goal was to understand how young artists who worked as gig workers or wanted to enter the gig economy defined education and learning in the context of the changing forms of employment and professional aspirations in the global South’s digitally connected and emerging market. Our analysis reveals the chasm between the rigidity of formal education and the future of work in India, including the evolving learning needs of young workers in a rising platform economy.