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Where are all the female web designers? Or, according to a new article out of Smashing Magazine, the question should be rephrased: Where do all the female web designers go after college? While the numbers between genders are remarkably even in the classroom, 82.6 of web designers in the work force are male. What happens from that first day of college to stat collecting day post-college? Things that make you go "hmm."
Smashing Magazine has some theories.
- The stats themselves. Apparently lack of women begets lack of women. "Lack of visible female heroes results in lack of female interest." Not a bad point.
- Perceptions about what men and women are good at. "Research shows that both males and females believe that males are better than females at computing" (Clarke, 1992; Spertus, 1991). Hmm. But that was 1991-92. Can we get a retake on that vote? I think my husband and all of the men in my family would vote differently.
- "Conditioning" of males toward video games. As a female gamer, I can see it. "It’s a format that is relevant to men and women, boys and girls, and this inclusion of the female population is invariably causing more females to ask themselves how it all works, and how they can be a contributing factor."
- Status quo. Pardon me while I disagree here. Smashing Magazine suggests, "Similarly, few are tooting the horn for more female firefighters, or male nurses." Wrong comparison to make with me. Perhaps John Mindiola missed the 2008 piece at The Huffington Post about female firefighters burning down barriers or my 2009 post about antique firefighting books pushing my feminist button. I wonder if he'd like to ask the women of the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services if they would like to stop tooting their horn. The status quo is meant to be challenged. Women and men alike do so everyday.
Theories aside, I asked one of my longtime friends -- a female web designer -- for her opinions on the article. When I initially read this piece, she popped into my head, as did the number of web designers I know who all happen to be -- you guessed it -- female. Here's what she had to say:
I've worked as a Web Designer for the same company for almost 10 years. My department is small, and besides myself, there has only been one other female web designer I've worked with, the others have been men. My overall experience working with these men has been positive, but when it came time for me to dole out the tasks and give direction, I wasn't well received. I don't think it was based upon my personal design and coding abilities, but from receiving direction from a woman, period.
I think to be a good Web Designer, male or female, your design and coding skills have to be well meshed. My mentor was a man and I have him to thank for knowing what I know today. I may have to work a bit harder, but that is only to prove myself to myself.
-Rebecca Toth, Sr. Web Designer
I nodded as I read her last line: proving myself to myself. While I'm not a web designer (I know just enough HTML/CSS to get by), I work as a photojournalist. Some may argue that the field of photography is largely female. In my experience, I'm often the only female showing up with a camera at events, tragedies and especially sporting events. I've gotten used to being the only woman, though I sometimes internally roll my eyes at the Man Talk that constantly surrounds me. I do work really hard, mainly to prove that I can continue to better myself.
One thing about the Smashing Magazine article rang true in my head, and it was the quote at the very end of the piece from Lisa Firke.
Lisa Firke, a woman embodying that rare combination of female and Web designer, commented on Zeldman.com: “I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that 90% of my clients are women. Perhaps taking women seriously as designers goes hand-in-hand with taking women seriously as Web consumers.”
When she revisited the topic in a blog post about the article, she updated her sentiments with a final point.
How do I feel, right now, this minute, about women in web design? I’m thinking that I know, more than
