In this section, you will find three phases of data collection: Scholarly Research, Interviews and Survey Results. This was also the chronological order that the research was conducted.
Click the links below to jump to individual sections.
In order to build narrowed surveys and deliver the highest quality interviews, I first needed to gather information on where women in the workplace currently stand, especially in the design field. I accrued information from scholarly articles, as well as census reports and other demographic-based data.
The following charts were composed based on the gender pay gap, which appears to be the leading issue effecting the modern female designer. Other determinants, such as race, were also incorporated.
It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to interview two female designers in the field. Both designers have years of experience and currently hold leadership positions at their respective companies.
Lynn Fisher is an artist, designer, and developer. She works with some of her favorite people at &yet, where she serves as their Chief Creative Officer and makes cool things for the web.
1. Did you take arts or design classes in high school?
Yes, I took a few art classes which were more traditionally focused: drawing, painting, and technique. I think being exposed to art and regularly practicing it helped shape my creativity and prepared me to eventually pursue an art degree and a career in design.
2. Would you say you felt supported by family and friends in choosing a career in graphic design? How so?
Yes. My family and friends were very supportive and encouraging. My father (a physician) told me early on that he often wished he’d gone into the arts. My parents saw web design as a career where I could express my creativity while still making a stable living.
3. Do you think approaching the problem of gender inequality in design leadership roles by empowering female high school design students could make an impact?
Sure, I think it could prepare students earlier in their career paths. I don’t think this would be enough, though. Design industries and companies are still responsible for and benefit from systems that perpetuate inequality and lack of diversity. Those systems must be addressed and dismantled. The responsibility can not be placed on women designers only. Men in the industry, along with the companies they work for, need to do the work.
4. What does a leadership position in design look like for you?
Leading with generosity and by example. Dropping the ladder down to bring others up with you. Making space for new voices and encouraging others. Leadership happens (and should happen) at every level of a company.
5. How apparent do you feel the gender gap among creative positions of power is? Explain.
It’s still obvious in my experience and what closing of the gap has happened benefits white women disproportionally. There is still a very wide gap for women of color.
6. What are some steps we can all take to make the field of design more balanced?
Holding companies and design leaders accountable to the values they claim to have. Encouraging, promoting, and stepping aside for those from underrepresented groups.
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Samantha Toy Warren is an Experience Design Manager and Product Design Lead at Adobe who loves solving problems at scale. She has 13+ years of crafting digital experiences that educate, delight, and rally people to action.
1. Did you take arts or design classes in high school?
Yes, I worked it out so that I was spending almost 3 periods a day in the art room by my senior year. I was also very involved with multiple art related after-school activities. Leading up designing the school play backdrops, I was president of the art club, vice president of art honor society... etc..
I think my teachers were helpful and important. I had multiple influences that contributed to me choosing this career early on, but I did have multiple great art teachers who helped me. My dad ran a print shop, my school was an early test-school for the apple macintosh computer program, and my mom went to art school. Everyone in my life pushed me into design.
2. Would you say you felt supported by family and friends in choosing a career in graphic design? How so?
Yes, my mom went to art school in the 60s and I was exposed to the idea of having a career in art/design early on... if anything my parents really pushed me to just make sure I would make money. That was their biggest fear, they new I was obsessed but feared that I would be a starving artist. They pushed me to be the best designer I could be. I am not that artistically talented. So they pushed me to find what made me unique and work hard. Hard work can make up for a lack of talent.
3. Do you think approaching the problem of gender inequality in design leadership roles by empowering female high school design students could make an impact?
Possibly? Honestly, I have thought a lot about this... and I think there are a lot of factors. It is incredibly nuanced. It really wasn't until I was about 10 years into my career that I realized that there was a flip in gender. My graduating design class was 98% women and most design agencies were mostly women. It wasn't until I got into design/tech and then leadership that I saw the drastic change in that and even now, I only see it at the leadership level. As a kid, I identified as an artist/designer first and foremost ... even before thinking about my gender. That might be a part of it. Design is, and always has been one of the most important themes in my life. I am even married to a designer.... and can not imagine doing what I do without being married to a designer.
4. What does a leadership position in design look like for you?
In general: Having significant influence on the impact on the outcomes of design decisions being made. Its having a seat at the table with equal influence and partnership with business and engineering influence.
For me personally, I oversee a horizontal design team that impacts the user experience for most of the creative apps at Adobe.
A leader in design in general? Someone who can connect dots, champion end-user needs, have grit, inspire, motivate teams, mentor, and compose/ project a greater vision. A design leader is a conductor of a symphony of various inputs.
5. How apparent do you feel the gender gap among creative positions of power is? Explain.
It is VERY apparent to me. BUT I will preface this... there is a gender gap in MOST positions of power. I just find it particularly odd in design because when you look at the gender ratio of college students/ pursuing a creative career... its often mostly women. It flips at a certain level.
6. What are some steps we can all take to make the field of design more balanced?
I think its a very complicated problem. I follow the careers of all of the women who I started my journey with... and nearly all of them have chosen not to take a leadership role, or to leave the industry all together. BUT they ALL have every different reasons and situations.
I do think that there is too much of a focus on a leader in this industry having the same skills as a hands-on designer. AND because of that, many people do not promote or champion people earlier in their careers who may be great leaders but not super great hands-on designers. Many times, these are women.
The following survey results were gathered by surveying 50 female graphic designers across different design disciplines in the United States.
© 2020 JoJo Dupuy
