Raquel Gonçalves
Creative Director
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
I studied at the Árvore School on a course specialized in graphic design, corresponding to the 10th, 11th and 12th years. And then I went to university, to ESADE, in Communication Design. In the last year, I went half a year to Barcelona on Erasmus and I studied there. When I came back, I started working as a freelance designer. I did some projects for people I knew or family members and some things over the internet, so I was in a cycle and in a more closed environment. And in the meantime I applied to several companies for a professional internship, and I was contacted by some of them, I had an interview and started working straight away.
So I didn’t feel any difficulty in finding work, neither as a woman nor as a designer. I was 22 years old at the time, so everything went relatively smoothly. In the recruitment process for the company where I worked, it was a man who interviewed me. When I was already working, I was contacted by other companies that showed interest, where I think only in one it was a woman who contacted me, and the rest were men. However, I didn’t feel any complex in terms of anything, neither as a designer nor because of my gender. In one of the interviews, I just didn’t like people’s behaviour. They were older than me, but they were on kindergarten behaviour. For example, with their feet on the table, and I didn’t like the posture, nor did I identify with the company. It wasn’t to do with gender, I didn’t feel there was any hindrance about it.
However, it’s possible that the volume of interviews I had may not have been enough to get a large sample. Maybe if I had had about 10 or 20 interviews, other things could have happened for sure.
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?
There exist two problems: the gender and the age factors. Maybe not so much now, but it still happens. It’s not enough that I’m a woman and there’s often that differentiation, there’s also the issue of being young. These are two things that, together, become terrible. It’s ridiculous that I want to grow old to make a point! The truth is that I am capable of managing my company and I give my face for it, and it has nothing to do with whether I’m 28 or 38 years old. It also has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a woman. And maybe the fact that I’m a woman is even better than if I were a man! For me, I only see advantages. But sometimes I feel it’s not very well seen. People have already commented on the fact that I’m too young, for example “you’re old enough to be my daughter!” And this is something that I think is not very nice to hear, coming from a client. It’s like we’re being put on a lower level. When in fact I represent a company that they’re going to work with.
I, who manage the company, deal more with male clients. Even though I don’t have much of a problem because of my personality, there are times I don’t feel comfortable. I feel observed differently. For example, it’s unthinkable for me to go to a meeting wearing cleavage. Because I don’t wear cleavage, and they already look at my breasts! I imagine what it would be like if I did. It often happens that I’m in meetings with 10 men and I’m the only woman. And they are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, much older than me.
Meanwhile, my boyfriend has joined the company team, in the digital marketing field, but he supports my position as a manager. So I often ask him to be present at meetings, because he is a person I fully trust, he is not just a collaborator. Our relationship is not something that clients know about, but I feel safe knowing that I have the support of a right-hand man of the opposite sex, to balance things out a bit. And I feel that the fact that there is this mixed issue has brought me benefits.
I think that maybe if the company were all women, it would be different. When a client sees that a man is present at the meeting or in the studio, it’s different. But this is something that can happen in both genders.
Did you ever feel that a client or work colleague treated you differently because you were a woman?
On one occasion I really needed my boyfriend’s presence in a meeting, but it actually even happened with a female client, which may seem contradictory. I had a conflict with her and realised it was because I was younger and because I was a woman. So I asked him to be present at the meeting, he made his point and things worked out. It is possible to have this kind of conflict, even between people of the same gender.
I think it is good to have a balance. For example, we are now recruiting a person, and I would like it to be a man, so that the team is balanced with respect to gender. The dynamic and the results turn out to be very different and positive when there is this equality and balance. We never know what we are going to find on the other side in terms of clients, so this factor makes it much easier. Everyone complements each other.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
I think there was a balance. I don’t really remember, but I believe if there hadn’t been that balance I would remember.
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?
I don’t see a clear differentiation in this respect. Maybe it is easier to differentiate people with certain interests or age groups, regardless of whether they are men or women. People who want more freedom in their lives and more independence, who find it more difficult to be led by other people, prefer to work as freelancers. On the other hand, people who want greater financial stability, because of certain moments in life, or because they need to buy a house or a car, or because they’re going to have children, or they want to start certain investments…whatever, they’re going to want greater stability. I have friends of mine who, as women, some prefer some things and others prefer others. I think it has a lot to do with the person’s life interests of that moment, and it doesn’t depend on being a man or a woman.
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?
Yes, I have a reference as a designer, and then I have others more as a company. That is, it’s more the work of companies as a team, where we don’t know who’s behind it. As for my reference as a designer, I can say Jessica Walsh for example. She’s always been the most obvious one for me, and the one I think of immediately.
As I’m in a corporate environment, we observe more companies than individual designers.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
Maybe. But I think the expectation is not high. I notice, by the fact that people are surprised. But that may also have to do with the way I am. I have a lot of the leadership and organisational factors. So, whether it’s a small or a big company, I can be at ease and organise all the things, with people who are more than twice my age, and have a professional experience that I believe is much greater than mine, and they invoice I don’t know how many millions, but then the company doesn’t represent that. They don’t have a good internal organisation, for example, they don’t understand things that are basic for me. So sometimes I think maybe they devalue us, because we are not a company that invoices millions, or because we are not 10 or 20 years old. So I think people don’t have high expectations, and then they are surprised.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
I would give this answer by looking at some prizes, making a research in Portuguese or foreign awards. I think that would be the answer, if there were more men or more women as winners. I believe this could help us to understand who has the greatest recognition.
I think we also still have a lot of work to do as designers. Because design, for many people, is still very undervalued. I don’t even think it’s just a question of gender. In terms of society, it’s really the question of the “designer”. It’s already a whole difficulty many times, and gender can further complicate that, it’s another factor to consider, as well as age.
In terms of need, design is always going to be very important. Now, valorisation and recognition is still a long process to go through. There are still many generations that don’t know what design is or what it’s for. But I think that as the generations move on, there will be a greater understanding.
I, who manage the company, deal more with male clients. Even though I don’t have much of a problem because of my personality, there are times I don’t feel comfortable. I feel observed differently.
I think people don’t have high expectations, and then they are surprised.
Raquel Gonçalves
Creative Director
Was it difficult for you to start your career as a designer? Why?
I studied at the Árvore School on a course specialized in graphic design, corresponding to the 10th, 11th and 12th years. And then I went to university, to ESADE, in Communication Design. In the last year, I went half a year to Barcelona on Erasmus and I studied there. When I came back, I started working as a freelance designer. I did some projects for people I knew or family members and some things over the internet, so I was in a cycle and in a more closed environment. And in the meantime I applied to several companies for a professional internship, and I was contacted by some of them, I had an interview and started working straight away.
So I didn’t feel any difficulty in finding work, neither as a woman nor as a designer. I was 22 years old at the time, so everything went relatively smoothly. In the recruitment process for the company where I worked, it was a man who interviewed me. When I was already working, I was contacted by other companies that showed interest, where I think only in one it was a woman who contacted me, and the rest were men. However, I didn’t feel any complex in terms of anything, neither as a designer nor because of my gender. In one of the interviews, I just didn’t like people’s behaviour. They were older than me, but they were on kindergarten behaviour. For example, with their feet on the table, and I didn’t like the posture, nor did I identify with the company. It wasn’t to do with gender, I didn’t feel there was any hindrance about it.
However, it’s possible that the volume of interviews I had may not have been enough to get a large sample. Maybe if I had had about 10 or 20 interviews, other things could have happened for sure.
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?
There exist two problems: the gender and the age factors. Maybe not so much now, but it still happens. It’s not enough that I’m a woman and there’s often that differentiation, there’s also the issue of being young. These are two things that, together, become terrible. It’s ridiculous that I want to grow old to make a point! The truth is that I am capable of managing my company and I give my face for it, and it has nothing to do with whether I’m 28 or 38 years old. It also has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a woman. And maybe the fact that I’m a woman is even better than if I were a man! For me, I only see advantages. But sometimes I feel it’s not very well seen. People have already commented on the fact that I’m too young, for example “you’re old enough to be my daughter!” And this is something that I think is not very nice to hear, coming from a client. It’s like we’re being put on a lower level. When in fact I represent a company that they’re going to work with.
I, who manage the company, deal more with male clients. Even though I don’t have much of a problem because of my personality, there are times I don’t feel comfortable. I feel observed differently. For example, it’s unthinkable for me to go to a meeting wearing cleavage. Because I don’t wear cleavage, and they already look at my breasts! I imagine what it would be like if I did. It often happens that I’m in meetings with 10 men and I’m the only woman. And they are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, much older than me.
Meanwhile, my boyfriend has joined the company team, in the digital marketing field, but he supports my position as a manager. So I often ask him to be present at meetings, because he is a person I fully trust, he is not just a collaborator. Our relationship is not something that clients know about, but I feel safe knowing that I have the support of a right-hand man of the opposite sex, to balance things out a bit. And I feel that the fact that there is this mixed issue has brought me benefits.
I think that maybe if the company were all women, it would be different. When a client sees that a man is present at the meeting or in the studio, it’s different. But this is something that can happen in both genders.
Did you ever feel that a client or work colleague treated you differently because you were a woman?
On one occasion I really needed my boyfriend’s presence in a meeting, but it actually even happened with a female client, which may seem contradictory. I had a conflict with her and realised it was because I was younger and because I was a woman. So I asked him to be present at the meeting, he made his point and things worked out. It is possible to have this kind of conflict, even between people of the same gender.
I think it is good to have a balance. For example, we are now recruiting a person, and I would like it to be a man, so that the team is balanced with respect to gender. The dynamic and the results turn out to be very different and positive when there is this equality and balance. We never know what we are going to find on the other side in terms of clients, so this factor makes it much easier. Everyone complements each other.
Do you think that the Design education (in terms of bibliography, case studies and references) is inclusive to female designers?
I think there was a balance. I don’t really remember, but I believe if there hadn’t been that balance I would remember.
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?
I don’t see a clear differentiation in this respect. Maybe it is easier to differentiate people with certain interests or age groups, regardless of whether they are men or women. People who want more freedom in their lives and more independence, who find it more difficult to be led by other people, prefer to work as freelancers. On the other hand, people who want greater financial stability, because of certain moments in life, or because they need to buy a house or a car, or because they’re going to have children, or they want to start certain investments…whatever, they’re going to want greater stability. I have friends of mine who, as women, some prefer some things and others prefer others. I think it has a lot to do with the person’s life interests of that moment, and it doesn’t depend on being a man or a woman.
I, who manage the company, deal more with male clients. Even though I don’t have much of a problem because of my personality, there are times I don’t feel comfortable. I feel observed differently.
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?
Yes, I have a reference as a designer, and then I have others more as a company. That is, it’s more the work of companies as a team, where we don’t know who’s behind it. As for my reference as a designer, I can say Jessica Walsh for example. She’s always been the most obvious one for me, and the one I think of immediately.
As I’m in a corporate environment, we observe more companies than individual designers.
Do you feel that society has any expectations regarding you as a female designer?
Maybe. But I think the expectation is not high. I notice, by the fact that people are surprised. But that may also have to do with the way I am. I have a lot of the leadership and organisational factors. So, whether it’s a small or a big company, I can be at ease and organise all the things, with people who are more than twice my age, and have a professional experience that I believe is much greater than mine, and they invoice I don’t know how many millions, but then the company doesn’t represent that. They don’t have a good internal organisation, for example, they don’t understand things that are basic for me. So sometimes I think maybe they devalue us, because we are not a company that invoices millions, or because we are not 10 or 20 years old. So I think people don’t have high expectations, and then they are surprised.
What is your opinion about the female visibility and recognition in the graphic design area?
I would give this answer by looking at some prizes, making a research in Portuguese or foreign awards. I think that would be the answer, if there were more men or more women as winners. I believe this could help us to understand who has the greatest recognition.
I think we also still have a lot of work to do as designers. Because design, for many people, is still very undervalued. I don’t even think it’s just a question of gender. In terms of society, it’s really the question of the “designer”. It’s already a whole difficulty many times, and gender can further complicate that, it’s another factor to consider, as well as age.
In terms of need, design is always going to be very important. Now, valorisation and recognition is still a long process to go through. There are still many generations that don’t know what design is or what it’s for. But I think that as the generations move on, there will be a greater understanding.
I think people don’t have high expectations, and then they are surprised.