Lisa Lorek: Senior Designer at Global Prairie

Hi Vanessa,

Thank you again for reaching out to me. My answers are below. Good luck with your remaining time at Leeds, please shoot me a link to your student portfolio when it's completed! 

1.    Why do you think so few women feature in the history of design? 

It was definitely a man's world up until just recently. There are hardy women in the history of any field, let alone design. There is still a little sexism that still exists, but I think there has been an amazing shift to give more women the recognition and power they deserve in this field.  Also, it might have something to do with how the woman of the house was supposed to stay at home and raise the kids.

2.    Have you ever come across the so-called “glass ceiling” (the point beyond which women don’t get promoted) Do you think it exists or is it an urban myth? 

In advertising, there are definitely more men in leadership roles, but right after graduating, I've been in an art director role and have not hit a glass ceiling yet. I think I've been really lucky with the agencies I've worked at, specifically Global Prairie. This company, co-founded by the strongest woman I've ever met, creates an environment where women are equal (if not slightly more favorited). All the women of the company have a meeting each month, to talk about news articles and books about what other women are doing to be leaders in the world.

3.    Is it difficult for a female designer to find their place in the design community? 

I didn't think so, but I just flipped through Communication Arts (the advertising awards edition) and there are hardly any female names in the more senior level positions. That's so depressing. Maybe our generation can shake things up in the upcoming years. Again, I feel very lucky at Global Prairie because they give everyone an equal opportunity to grow in this field.

4.    Do you feel starting a family can cause some women to leave their career?

 I think so. It definitely is a personal preference. I don't blame mothers who want to stay at home and raise their children, but there are go-getters out there that make it work. The beauty of graphic design is that it's so easy to work from home!

5.    And finally… Does the gender gap matter? 

HELL YES!!!!! We need to stop letting men run the show! Women need to get the credit they deserve. We are just as good, if not better, than the male designers out there!

Primary Research: Lotta Nieminen

Email Interview with Lotta Nieminen

Lotta Nieminen is an illustrator, graphic designer and art director from Helsinki, Finland. She has studied graphic design and illustration at the University of Art and Design Helsinki and the Rhode Island School of Design, and has worked as a freelancer in both fields since 2006. After working for fashion magazine Trendi, Pentagram Design and RoAndCo Studio, Lotta now runs her own New York-based studio. 

Website

Did your career already started during your studies? 

Yes, I started freelancing on the side of my studies. My major was graphic design, but my freelance jobs at the time were mostly illustration.


Do you have a family and children? 

If you do how are you managing family and job? No children. I do have a husband who’s a graphic designer as well. :) 

Were there situations in your career where it played a role that you're a woman? 

Graphic design & illustration is surprisingly still very much a man’s business. I asked a male designer friend of mine at a comparative level what he charges - I was charging a third of what he did. So I upped my rates, but still cringe when I send out invoices, while he won’t think twice. Women are definitely under-represented in this field - at the conferences I speak at, there’s too often about 2 women out of 20 speakers. Which is crazy because there are so many talented female designers. I don’t believe in a 50 / 50 ratio for the sake of it, but there should be an honest representation. I think that’s what feminism is about, not being good because you’re a woman, but being good because you’re good.


Do you think that there are differences in the workflow and the design between men and women? 

Not really. I think the workflow is more about an individual than sex.


How do you explaining the fame of male designers (against women)? 

I wouldn’t call it fame as much as just a general under representation of women. I think men are often more ballsy. The men designers I know aren’t apologetic about their work and aren’t ashamed to state their worth. The successful women designers I know are similar to that: go-getters. I just think it takes more work as a woman to embrace that more aggressive side in oneself. This is a field where good communication skills are key, and being apologetic about the work won’t get you far.


Do you think a development has already stared in this case? 

There’s still an under representation of women, but I do feel like there’s starting to be more an more prominent female designers. In a younger generation of designers, people like Jessica Walsh, Jessica Hische and Dana Tanamachi are great examples of powerful, prominent female designers. I think the more women get highlighted, the bigger the encouragement and example it shows to budding female designer that it’s out there for you to grab.

OUGD601: Final Dissertation Title

With the help of Simon, I have finally decided on the title for my dissertation!...

Why is there disparity between male

 and female Graphic Designers? 

OUGD601: Research/Ted Talks

Michael Kimmel: Why gender equality is good for everyone — men included



"it's good for men. It is good for the kind of lives we want to live, because young men especially have changed enormously, and they want to have lives that are animated by terrific relationships with their children. They expect their partners, their spouses, their wives, to work outside the home and be just as committed to their careers as they are." 

"gender equality is in the interest of countries, of companies, and of men, and their children and their partners, that gender equality is not a zero-sum game. It's not a win-lose. It is a win-win for everyone. And what we also know is we cannot fully empower women and girls unless we engage boys and men. We know this. And my position is that men need the very things that women have identified that they need to live the lives they say they want to live in order to live the lives that we say we want to live." 

My Thoughts:
Remembering that TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design which is why they brought a comedian on to entertain the feminists in the audience.He has some fair points, and a opinion and a perspective. Feminism is another state of mind and enlightenment comes through discussion and understanding of other perspectives

OUGD601: Guardian Article/ Gender pay gap

Gender pay gap: women effectively working for free until end of year

Today, a Guardian article was released where Fawcett Society (Charity focussed on advancing women's rights and equality in Britain) calculation have set a symbolic date as 9 November, were women are effectively working for free until end of year. Men in full-time work earning over 14% more than women! 

My thoughts: The manipulation in effect here is actually that apples are being compared to oranges. The article is looking at average full time play for all men and women working in Britain, but aren't looking at career choices, education and experience. For example, there are more men than women working in engineering, a very lucrative field, while there are far more women than men working in fields such as childcare, a relatively low paying field. You can't compare what a child carer earns to something an engineer earns and then claim to have found a substantial gender wage gap.

However, the statistics used are very helpful towards my dissertation especially with chapter one where I can compare the stats from the Equal Pay Act of 1970 and compare it with today. 

OUGD601: Second Tutorial

Dissertation Title?: The profession of the female graphic designer: an exploration into the role of women in design 

To do by next tutorial: 

• clear idea of what I want to do for cop practical
• 4 chapter drafted 
• made contact with designers