News / Women in Business
Championing women in design
A new initiative created by the West of England Design Forum aims to support women, foster talent and drive equality in the world of design.
WEDF UP was first mooted as an idea two years ago when it really struck founder Emma Blackburn that while women are well represented on university design courses and in early career positions, there are still very few in leadership roles.
The website has been launched with the support of partners, including design agencies Taxi Studio and Touchpoint Design, to directly address the worsening diversity trend in the design industry, which was highlighted in the Design Business Association’s (DBA) 2020 Annual Survey Report.
The report, published in October 2020, found that women make up 47 per cent of the design workforce in junior roles yet only nine per cent of executive creative director positions.
Emma Blackburn of WEDF UP says her team realised that, despite working through the challenges of Covid-19 and lockdown, the need for a platform that champions greater gender diversity in design agencies is more urgent than ever.
“We know that not enough women are rising to the top despite making up the majority of graphic design students,” said Emma.
“In the workplace, the barriers and issues preventing women from progressing to leadership roles can be tricky to unpick and to subsequently find solutions for.
“It’s not as simple as agencies simply choosing to not support flexible working, to pay women less or deciding not to hire them into senior roles. In fact, on paper, men and women appear to be given fairly equal opportunities.
“We realised that giving everyone the ‘same’ opportunities doesn’t necessarily work in a world where everyone needs different conditions to thrive. We’re all a product of the society we’ve grown up in – a society where diverse biases feed our experiences and expectations. With this thinking in mind, WEDF UP focuses less on the idea of treating everyone the same, and more on the idea of embracing difference.”
Gender split in creative roles – source: Design Business Association’s Annual Survey 2020
WEDF UP hosts community-sourced information for agencies and individuals, designed to help create an ecosystem that will help everyone to thrive. It aims to celebrate and champion agencies and individuals that are helping to create a more inclusive design industry and also provides resources and tools to help companies improve.
Adam Fennelow, head of services at the DBA, said, “The situation will not change unless those in positions of leadership realise that a diverse workforce is good for their business, and create an environment that encourages diversity in all its forms.
“A huge amount of creative talent and experience is lost after women take maternity breaks, so let’s encourage them to return. Make their role more flexible, support them through a gradual return. Create cultures where finishing on time is the norm and individuals are empowered to make their own decisions.”
Adam challenged employers to understand their own unconscious biases to make sure women are not disadvantaged in the recruitment or promotion process and introduce family-friendly policies.
Women make up 47 per cent of the design workforce in junior roles yet only nine per cent of executive creative director positions, according to a recent report – photo courtesy of WEDF UP/Brightspark PR
Main photo of Taxi Studio, courtesy of WEDF UP/Brightspark PR
Read more: How does Bristol rate as a place for women in business?
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