INÊS AYER
Graphic Designer
“In my perspective, female visibility is very low and there is a lot of work to build in this area.” (Inês Ayer, 2021)
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
One of the things that made the begging of my career easier to start was the fact that I kept a curious and observant attitude, always eager to make new connections and show my distinctive value to hiring professionals through self
initiated projects that would complement my existing college work. It took a lot of time investment to create this profile but in the end this frame of mind gave me the capacity to better shape my journey.
During your career, did you ever feel you had to make decisions that you think if you were a man you would not have to even consider?
In terms of decision making I felt that sometimes the power that was given to me was less, not because of gender gaps but due to age difference. In Portugal for instances the years of experience of a creative are a more relevant factor than the skill of the professional. The same doesn’t happen in the US or London, from what I could examine.
Did you ever feel that a client treated you differently because you were a woman?
I never felt that about a client directly, but I have felt that inside previous teams.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
There is a massive gap on Design Education regarding the role of female creatives & designers. The representation in comparison to male dominance is very clear that our system of education is lacking the examples and mentorship from females.
There seems to exist a preference by women to work as freelancers or to create their own business. What motivated you to follow your path?
In my opinion women have sometimes a more decisive and leadership philosophy approach to their work. For me the main reason to pursue a more independent role was the fact that I could overcome more obstacles and experiment in a bolder environment. The will to develop my practice had more to do with my personal ambitions than to gender issues.
In terms of influence, did you feel the presence of the female figure (in the Design History, academic or professional environment)? What designers inspire you?
I always try to look for female references if I could list a few, I would mention: Gabriela Namie, Jessica Walsh, Parámetro Studio, Sofia Noceti, Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
I think that gender wise we are expected to only reach senior positions and don’t have a director or leader role like men are most common to have.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
In my perspective, female visibility is very low and there is a lot of work to build in this area. Specially because we tend to segment too much with “all women clubs” instead of create a common found where we can level with male creatives.
“There is a massive gap on Design Education regarding the role of female creatives & designers.” (Inês Ayer, 2021)
INÊS AYER
Graphic Designer
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
One of the things that made the begging of my career easier to start was the fact that I kept a curious and observant attitude, always eager to make new connections and show my distinctive value to hiring professionals through self
initiated projects that would complement my existing college work. It took a lot of time investment to create this profile but in the end this frame of mind gave me the capacity to better shape my journey.
During your career, did you ever feel you had to make decisions that you think if you were a man you would not have to even consider?
In terms of decision making I felt that sometimes the power that was given to me was less, not because of gender gaps but due to age difference. In Portugal for instances the years of experience of a creative are a more relevant factor than the skill of the professional. The same doesn’t happen in the US or London, from what I could examine.
“In my perspective, female visibility is very low and there is a lot of work to build in this area.” (Inês Ayer, 2021)
Did you ever feel that a client treated you differently because you were a woman?
I never felt that about a client directly, but I have felt that inside previous teams.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
There is a massive gap on Design Education regarding the role of female creatives & designers. The representation in comparison to male dominance is very clear that our system of education is lacking the examples and mentorship from females.
There seems to exist a preference by women to work as freelancers or to create their own business. What motivated you to follow your path?
In my opinion women have sometimes a more decisive and leadership philosophy approach to their work. For me the main reason to pursue a more independent role was the fact that I could overcome more obstacles and experiment in a bolder environment. The will to develop my practice had more to do with my personal ambitions than to gender issues.
In terms of influence, did you feel the presence of the female figure (in the Design History, academic or professional environment)? What designers inspire you?
I always try to look for female references if I could list a few, I would mention: Gabriela Namie, Jessica Walsh, Parámetro Studio, Sofia Noceti, Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
I think that gender wise we are expected to only reach senior positions and don’t have a director or leader role like men are most common to have.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
In my perspective, female visibility is very low and there is a lot of work to build in this area. Specially because we tend to segment too much with “all women clubs” instead of create a common found where we can level with male creatives.
“There is a massive gap on Design Education regarding the role of female creatives & designers.” (Inês Ayer, 2021)