Get to Know WIID
We know you are all wondering: “Who are these AMAZING women taking part in the panel discussions for WIID Chicago?” Read on to hear more from a few of our amazing contributors and why they volunteer their time to help build the WIID community.
WHY DO WE VOLUNTEER OUR TIME?
JESSICA KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOr WOMEN TO SUPPORT WOMEN.
“I joined WIID after I came to a workplace in a new state surrounded by men. Having grown up with three sisters and graduated from one of the most diverse universities, I never realized how important women supporting other women could be until I left home.“
Miranda’s admiration for the women of WIID inspires her.
“I joined Women in ID because of the clear underrepresentation of women in the industrial design industry. I wanted to join this group of amazing women and be a part of the change, tell the stories of female designers, and show my support for the women who work so hard to be in this industry. WIID is full of spunky, talented, and diverse women and I am so happy to be a part of the team!“
Mckayla helped found wiid to fill a gap.
“I didn’t see any other organizations in our industry that were truly fitting the needs I know, from first-hand knowledge, that women in industrial design have. I wanted to help fill those gaps and build a community that I wanted to be a part of.”
MONA wanted the wiid community to be better represented.
“I want to help expand the community of women designers in Industrial Design, as we are quite underrepresented in the industry at the moment. I thought the best way to do this was to share my experiences within a group of likeminded women, to bring awareness of the issue and industry, and lend a helping hand if needs be.”
Lea WANTS TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION OF WIID.
“I love that the number of women graduating from Industrial Design education is growing. We have a ways to go until the mix in student population is reflected in professional population, especially at leadership levels. I’m here to connect generations of WIID to help each other succeed.”
TATI GETS INSPIRED BY WOMEN WITH SHARED VALUES & TALENTS.
“I believe that change comes from a collective work. The WIID team is not only a community that shares the same values as me regarding gender equality, but also a group of extremely talented and hard working women who inspires me to pursue the best version of myself.”
WHAT DO WE DO OUTSIDE OF WIID?
Industrial Design is an expansive career field. If you are not on the inside, it is hard to understand what it is that the women of WIID do at their everyday jobs. We are here to unlock that mystery.
look around your kitchen and you will see the work of our team of Industrial designers
“I’ve been working on the industry since 2016, designing for a wide range of product segments such as transportation, street furniture, and home appliances. Currently, I’m pursuing my MFA in Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Back in school, I’ve been exploring materiality applied to ID and positive design as a tool to encourage users to engage in healthy habits.”
- Tati
“I work as an Industrial Designer at a European company called Faerch - we make packaging for food, especially for national supermarkets and international brands. I also work as freelance designer, working on a variety of products - a short while ago, I launched a 3D printed lamp called Buddy, with Gantri, who are based in San Francisco.”
- Mona
“I’ve been exploring materiality applied to ID and positive design as a tool”
CHECK OUT WIID CONTRIBUTORS’ WORK-FROM-HOME STUDIOS
INDUSTIAL DESIGN GOES BEYOND CREATING PRODUCTs
“Currently, I am a product designer for Staples just outside Boston. I contribute to strategic systems thinking, design research, industrial design at scale and packaging production across multiple brands.“
- Jessica
“I lead an international team at Newell Brands that creates baby gear, like strollers, car seats, and bottles. I help set my team up for success in their projects and coach their development.”
-Lea
“I help set my team up for success in their projects”
we use skills at work that go beyond core design
“I’m an industrial designer and design strategist at Beyond Design, a product development consultancy in Chicago. My main role is as an industrial designer, working on all parts of the process, but I also run any research and strategy programs that we are a part of. As a consultant, I work in a wide variety of industries, including packaging, home goods, industrial and commercial products, toys, the list goes on and on.”
- McKayla
“Outside of my community engagement (and in what you might call “the real world”) I work as an Industrial Designer for an awesome design consultancy called Delve (formerly named Design Concepts). We have 3 offices (Madison, Boston, and San Francisco) and a really wonderful team of designers that I can look up to and learn from. The products I work on are diverse in their focus, including consumer goods, industrial solutions, and medical devices. In addition to classic industrial design work, I also employ my skills in VR to help tell the story of some of the products we help create in an immersive and experiential way.”
- Miranda
“I also employ my skills in VR to help tell the story of some of the products we help create in an immersive and experiential way.”
WIID CONTRIBUTORS RECOMMEND….
WIID has so many amazing resources for you! Our panel contributors recommend some of their favorites.
“My favorite is the Diverse Talent & Opportunities section for finding talented creatives of different backgrounds.”
“My favorite is the link to the article, Sara Little Turnbull: Whose Bra Cup Design Became The N95 Mask. The N95 mask has been a literal life saver during this pandemic - it just goes to show what can happen when a woman is heard in the workplace. ”