female graphic designers out numbered

From: niki@cactuscreative.com
Subject: Re: enquiry
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:02:26 +0000
To: vicki999@hotmail.com

Hi Vicky

Please see below the response to your questions from one of our female designers. I'm hoping the other two girls can respond as well but we're really busy at the moment so it might not be for a couple of weeks.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards

Niki

1. Do you feel there is a larger ratio of men to women in the design industry?

I think it depends on which area of design your are going in to and the area in which you live. I have found that web design has always been a more male dominated area, whilst graphic design has a very good balance, even if the ratio of men to women is higher or lower, it is always a good balance and those that work together have been chosen for there abilities and how well they fit in to the team regardless of gender.

2. How do you feel women are perceived in the design industry?

I think women nowadays are seen in the same way as men, your design and creativity is not based on your gender, age or nationality.  Though this may not always be the case, the design industry is in no way different in its perception of women as any other occupation.  

3. What career challenges would you say women may encounter in the design industry?

I think there are a multitude of challenges that face designers in general, from new talent to getting stuck in a rut. 

For women however, I think the biggest challenges are: 

• sexism in the work place - whether this be from you employer or your colleagues

• maternity leave - one of friends is petrified of losing her job to the person doing maternity cover for her.

• themselves - not putting yourself forward, overreacting, over thinking.

4. Do you have experiences that you may have come across in the design industry?

In my previous job, I had challenge after challenge.  My boss was extremely sexist and was stuck in his ways. There were 3 women (including myself) who worked in the design/print section of the business and were all treated the same, regardless of job title or how long we had worked there.  One of the women who started at the same time as me, only lasted 6 weeks, he was so rude and belligerent that she just couldn't stay. As the boss continued to be rude, the men that worked there picked up on it and began to act the same way. We had no respect from anyone, the jobs we got were always very small and insignificant and even when we did do a job it would be wrong.

My working hours were 9 am - 5.30 pm and I got a 5 minute tea break in the morning and a 15 minute lunch, as ridiculous as that sounds, it is very true, when I asked my boss he explained that I didn't work enough to be entitled an hour (which would have meant working 8.45 am - 5.30 pm) something that I still don't understand!  It was all mentally exhausting, the constant battles and lack of respect pushed me to the limit and in the end I finally gave in and left my job after just 7 months.