women workforce, design industry women, tech women, women mentoer, women leaders

Design Industry women and their habits. Gender bias and discrimination is not a forgotten topic, it still exists in the corners of social norms, stereotypes and on the pay slips. This is common in all businesses and evidenced even in the tech space. There are challenges that keep women from achieving their complete potential.

This article is a practical advice to all fellow women in the tech industry with the habits you can embrace to support and encourage diversity in a larger community.

Keep up your Strengths & Personal Style

More often we spend time in following some else’s footsteps than developing our strengths and owning it. Find opportunities to chisel your strengths and practice them every day. Women bring perspective from real-life experiences that generally men do not. This gives women an advantage to add their personal experience in design and empathy for end user.

Enhance your Skillset & Tools

There is no easy formula to hard work, you must expand your skills to be in the league. One of a product design firm states that it only hires individuals with the “T-shaped” skillset. T-shaped means, having deep and ground knowledge of their core skill while smartly adding lateral skills and tools to make a more meaningful career.

Focus on Communication

Whatever be the situation, communication is key. It is essential to connect the decisions you have made with the logic and data when speaking to a customer. You could map the design elements to the business goals of the customer to help them understand, why and how you made the decision.

Open to Collaborate

Besides your own skillset and talent, you can achieve great goals and vision only when you work on a team. Look out for opportunities to interact with a diverse group of people, which help you bridge lateral skill growth.

Mentorship is important

Being led by a mentor is a smart way to improve your skills, troubleshoot challenges and progress in your career. If you plan to approach a potential mentor, do your homework on why you want to talk to them and what you are expecting. Given a chance, be prepared with questions, your thoughts on the topic and make a productive and a mutually beneficial meeting. Networking is a quick means to turn for advice and support.

Be the woman to make the change in all areas not only in design Industry. Creating workforce diversity is not a one-day task but a daily one. It is sheer willingness to grow above the ceiling that challenges the status quo.

Link:ilioSpark.com