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.