Joana Beja
UX/UI Designer & Web Developer
“the truth is that by doing the exercise of thinking of names related to Design I come up much more quickly with male names than with female ones and that is, probably, a result of this lack of bibliographic references.” (Joana Beja, 2021)
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
No, actually things happened quite naturally. During my Masters I was doing some occasional work and, at the same time, I was looking for freelance opportunities on platforms like Upwork. This allowed me to “get into the market” and some of those clients ended up returning or advising someone.
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?
No, to date I have not felt that being a woman has had any influence on my career decisions.
Did you ever feel that a client or work colleague treated you differently because you were a woman?
As a designer, no. As a programmer, maybe. I work in both areas and programming is usually more associated to a masculine universe. And sometimes you feel that, in a conversation, you are not taken as seriously when discussing algorithms and that there is a tendency to think that the guys involved will always have a superior knowledge than you.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
Maybe not. I confess that I have never thought much about it but the truth is that by doing the exercise of thinking of names related to Design I come up much more quickly with male names than with female ones and that is, probably, a result of this lack of bibliographic references.
Do you consider that most women prefer to work as freelancers, or with a contract with an entity? Do you think men think the same way? Why?
In my particular case I have always preferred the world of freelancing. I aspire to have my own agency and the corporate environment doesn’t appeal to me in the long run.
Most of the women I work with in the area prefer the stability of a work contract, and so do the men. Although, in their case, I can identify some who would like to work independently and don’t do it because they don’t feel they will have the same conditions as they have in their jobs.
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 confess, at this point, male names immediately come to mind rather than female ones. My connection to design is technology-based, and it’s easy to remember a Jonathan Ive, for example. But I remember finding Paula Scher’s work inspiring. More recently, the work of Cidália, Joana and Sofia from Oupas! Design.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
Maybe it’s not as expected of a woman to aspire to a leadership position, like founding and running a company. But other than that, I don’t feel that society has a different expectation of my work as a designer or the work of a male designer.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
I don’t feel that recognition is directly linked to the genre. Design is still undervalued (less than it used to be, no doubt, but there is still a way to go). But I believe we are growing in that sense, thankfully.
“programming is usually more associated to a masculine universe. And sometimes you feel that, in a conversation, you are not taken as seriously” (Joana Beja, 2021)
Joana Beja
UX/UI Designer & Web Developer
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
No, actually things happened quite naturally. During my Masters I was doing some occasional work and, at the same time, I was looking for freelance opportunities on platforms like Upwork. This allowed me to “get into the market” and some of those clients ended up returning or advising someone.
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?
No, to date I have not felt that being a woman has had any influence on my career decisions.
Did you ever feel that a client or work colleague treated you differently because you were a woman?
As a designer, no. As a programmer, maybe. I work in both areas and programming is usually more associated to a masculine universe. And sometimes you feel that, in a conversation, you are not taken as seriously when discussing algorithms and that there is a tendency to think that the guys involved will always have a superior knowledge than you.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
Maybe not. I confess that I have never thought much about it but the truth is that by doing the exercise of thinking of names related to Design I come up much more quickly with male names than with female ones and that is, probably, a result of this lack of bibliographic references.
“the truth is that by doing the exercise of thinking of names related to Design I come up much more quickly with male names than with female ones and that is, probably, a result of this lack of bibliographic references.” (Joana Beja, 2021)
Do you consider that most women prefer to work as freelancers, or with a contract with an entity? Do you think men think the same way? Why?
In my particular case I have always preferred the world of freelancing. I aspire to have my own agency and the corporate environment doesn’t appeal to me in the long run.
Most of the women I work with in the area prefer the stability of a work contract, and so do the men. Although, in their case, I can identify some who would like to work independently and don’t do it because they don’t feel they will have the same conditions as they have in their jobs.
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 confess, at this point, male names immediately come to mind rather than female ones. My connection to design is technology-based, and it’s easy to remember a Jonathan Ive, for example. But I remember finding Paula Scher’s work inspiring. More recently, the work of Cidália, Joana and Sofia from Oupas! Design.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
Maybe it’s not as expected of a woman to aspire to a leadership position, like founding and running a company. But other than that, I don’t feel that society has a different expectation of my work as a designer or the work of a male designer.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
I don’t feel that recognition is directly linked to the genre. Design is still undervalued (less than it used to be, no doubt, but there is still a way to go). But I believe we are growing in that sense, thankfully.
“programming is usually more associated to a masculine universe. And sometimes you feel that, in a conversation, you are not taken as seriously” (Joana Beja, 2021)