Reaching Professionals

I've been putting off contacting professionals for a long time so today I spent the morning sending emails to female designers as part of my research for my dissertation, which will be a great help in informing my dissertation and context of practice outcomes. I have emailed a whole range of designers, from art directors to freelancers. 

I have had one reply so far from Lotta Niewminen an illustrator, graphic designer and art director from Helsinki, Finland that I admire. Although she didn't answer my specific questions due to her work schedule, she kindly attached a  a copy of a very similar interview with some really insightful answers.

Hi Vanessa,

I appreciate you reaching out and your interest in interviewing me. 

Unfortunately I won’t have the chance to specifically answer your questions due to my current work situation, but having done a slightly similar interview a year back, and thought this might still be of some interest to you – copy pasting it below!

Best,

Lotta

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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.