I could start this post with a joke about my big mug being in the shot but I don’t want to trivialize what is, I believe, an important issue to be addressed. The problem here? – There’s only one woman in this shot of the InHOWse speakers cabal – and Dyana, who is a powerful and committed advocate for in-house, is not an in-house design team manager. So with all due respect to my fellow speakers, all of whom are committed, sharp and generous leaders in the in-house community, I'd like to advocate for a shake up in the gender ratio at the 2011 Chicago conference.
I met some very intelligent, articulate in-house managers who are passionate about their jobs and who happen to be women who should be in this pic next year. I hope some of you who I met (and others who I didn’t) will step up and become leaders within the community. You know who you are. Please consider joining in on the AIGA In-house Initiative and email HOW with your ideas for the presentations I hope you’ll be giving at next year’s HOW & InHOWse conferences.
Thanks for pointing this out, and for your encouragement for getting more women in leadership roles involved! I am the creative manager for a national nonprofit, and I was thinking a panel or presentation on working in the nonprofit sector might be an idea for next year, too. I would be happy to talk with other folks about it.
Sheri,
I'm also an in-house design manager for a non-profit and really like your idea. I'd be interested in contributing any way I can.
Hi Melissa - I am following up with the folks at the InHOWse about possibilities for a pullout session on in-house non-profit teams. Where can I contact you? I would love to kick around ideas.
Sheri
Not sure how to contact you directly outside this post, so here is my email: melissaoloughlin@wpt.org
Look forward to hearing from you.
I hope I don't get in trouble with the wonderful staff at HOW for this, but you should contact Beth Dean - and do it soon. Believe it or not, the dedicated HOW team is going to be planning the Chicago conference in short order. Good luck, Sheri. BTW - The topic is very relevant. I've spoken with many designers at non-profits and the culture at their organizations seems to be different enough to warrant a breakout session.
Right on, Andy!! It's great to have men as allys and being proactive in change (just like you were suggesting to us at the conference). I am a designer at a public agency AND a team member of our organization's Diversity Team. As a participant of the In-HOWse Designer conferences for the past 5 years, I would appreciate more speaker diversity in gender and ethnicity. Thank you for your courage.
Well said as usual Andy. Please remember that your buddy Jeni Herberger was presenting too, even if she missed the photo-op. I'd also lobby to have Emily Cohen return to InHOWse. She's brilliant.
Good points, Kevin. Jeni was presenting at the conference and has been championing in-house design well before others took up the challenge. Emily is one of the most savvy articulate design business consultants and speakers I know and has made a point of focusing her practice on in-house issues.
I will still say, though, that it would be nice to get some practicing in-house design women presenting at next year's conference.