Close your eyes.
Imagine that you talk to the typical designer: original shoes and glasses, maybe a tattoo… and probably a man.
Although 54% of designers in the United States are women, those we know and talk about are often men. In Spain, 69% of the students of design degrees are women.
So today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we’ve decided to bring together some of the greatest designers of the past and present to show them complete admiration, respect and all the recognition they deserve!
Here is our list of 5 women designers, leaders, pioneers, that you should know:
1. Carol Davidson:
The most amazing secret in the world of design: the Nike logo was designed by a woman!
And the most surprising thing is that they hired her for only $ 35 dollars (approximately $ 200 today).
- 2. Ray Eames:
Yes, the one we know after her husband, Charles.
Although the creativity of the couple is recognized, Ray is often omitted from the authorship of their common work.
One of the best known pieces of his work is the Eames Lounge Armchair, a modern American interpretation of the club chair.
- 3. Charlotte Perriand:
- She is one of the greatests examples of European interior design.
- He collaborated with Le Corbusier as head of furniture and interior design.
- Le Corbusier’s famous chaise longue that everybody knows…is hers!
Her iconic designs are the LC7 chair, the Refolo system or the LC4 chaise longue currently edited by Cassina.
4. Susan Kare:
She invented pixel art and she was the first woman to work with Apple.
You would be surprised to find out you recognize many of the designs this woman created.
She is a very important figure in the icons creation, since she has designed internationally recognizable symbols for Apple, Microsoft and PayPal.
5. Zaha Hadid:
- Perhaps the most famous of the list?
- She received many awards, like the Mies van der Rohe in 2003 or the Pritzker Prize in 2004.
- She was the first woman to win this award … No comments.
Surely you didn’t know that women are such a big force in the design world! You are right. Contrary to stereotypes, we women exist in the design and in many more sectors. We are half of the world population and let’s not forget, we are creators by nature.
The women that appear above are not the only designers in the world, but they are some of the pioneers. In many ways, the design industry is at the forefront in terms of gender equality.
Let’s keep making the world a more beautiful and equitable place!
It’s up to you!
By the way, did you know that the founders of Up to You Studio are two women?
Last photo: Charlotte Perriand (Les Alps – 1930s)