Going Digital

Austin-San Antonio corridor is one of the nation's best for this hot job sector

Woman working and drawing at desk with computer

Austin-San Antonio is a digital job hot spot.

The Austin-San Antonio corridor is one of the country’s hottest spots for jobs in the digital sector, according to a new study, but we’re well behind Silicon Valley.

The study, commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), says the 35th Congressional District — covering a narrow stretch along I-35 from Austin to San Antonio — ranks 13th among all U.S. districts for the number of digital jobs. Last year, the study says, the digital economy contributed 23,876 jobs to the 35th Congressional District, whose congressman is U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, an Austin Democrat.

Perhaps even more impressive is this statistic: The digital economy pumped nearly $8.4 billion into Doggett’s district in 2016, according to the study’s author, John Deighton. The 35th Congressional District was the only Texas district among the top 14 digital districts ranked in the study.

“The 35th Congressional District is a vibrant part of the internet jobs culture. It contributes much to the build out of the internet that makes digital markets work,” Deighton, a business professor at Harvard University, tells CultureMap.

With schools like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University in the district, “there is a fertile mixing of computer science and business mindsets, which no doubt accounts for its thriving startup culture, and its attractiveness to national and global internet marketers looking to open regional offices,” Deighton adds.

Jobs counted in the study range from customer service representative to software developer in digital sectors such as online video, e-commerce and cloud computing. Even jobs like ride-hailing driver, web content creator, and eBay seller qualified.

For the study, Austin employers that fit the digital definition included Bazaarvoice, HomeAway, RetailMeNot, and WPEngine, according to Deighton.

While the Austin-San Antonio corridor’s showing in the study is impressive, it’s overshadowed by digital powerhouses in Northern California.

Five of the top 14 congressional districts in the study are in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, or neighboring areas. At No. 1 is the congressional district covering most of the immediate San Jose area, with the study tallying 53,873 internet jobs there in 2016.

Throughout Texas, the “advertising-supported internet ecosystem,” as the study officially calls the digital sector, pumped $89 billion into the state’s economy and supported 253,097 jobs in 2016.

Texas accounted for 8 percent of internet jobs in the U.S. last year, the study says. From 2012 to 2016, the number of internet jobs in Texas rose 117 percent, one of the highest growth rates in the country.

Only one state, California, was ahead of Texas for the number and percentage of internet jobs. California claimed 15 percent of U.S. internet employment in 2016, with just over 478,000 jobs.

“The ad-supported digital ecosystem has proved to be a powerful economic driver and job creator in the U.S.,” says Randall Rothenberg, president and CEO of IAB. “This research underscores the industry’s ability to touch lives and support families across the country, fueling the economy from coast to coast, whether through big-name companies or mom-and-pop operations that depend on the internet for their livelihoods.”

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SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts