Whilst looking for jobs/researching studios, what stood out to me is the overwhelming amount of creative directors and those in senior roles who are (often white) males—I knew the statistics, but to repeatedly witness it is really disheartening. As a female designer starting out, not seeing yourself in the positions you hope to eventually reach has a real impact. Although I don’t have a lot of experience, I’ve found this has been reflected in my internships/job and many of the interviews I’ve had, despite the number of women in the industry and education.
I haven’t felt directly disadvantaged being female in my professional roles and whilst in education (sometimes it feels more of an advantage with ways of thinking etc.). Nevertheless, I do often feel as though I need to better match the way a man might behave in order to be taken seriously—even just in writing an email. It seems that with such a gender imbalance at the ‘top’ and the biases that come with it, it must be having an effect on everyone in the industry, even if we aren’t always aware of it.
Industry
