Testing, Testing: Can Anyone Hear Me?
Speaking up and having a voice can be difficult, hear some tips and experiences about how to overcome this.
Do you ever feel like a fly on the wall during your own meetings, or like your opinions are always getting lost in the fray? If you’re a person working in an industry where you are the minority, you are probably familiar with this problem. This month, we asked our team of designers to share their experiences being the invisible woman in meetings and ways they’ve overcome that persona.
Lea Stewart, Senior ID Manager in the Baby Division at Newell Brands
Lea Stewart is based in Kalamazoo, Michigan + WIID Lead Blog Curator + Speaker + Advocate for Women in ID
When you graduate and enter an industrial design career, there are many barriers to being heard.
You are inexperienced, so you are assumed not to be the go-to for opinions. There may be an age bias at work here too. If you are a female, there is unconscious bias of not being the authority in your field. I have an added challenge of being really short (5’ 2”), since research shows this works against you when attaining leadership positions.
Miranda Degg, Industrial Designer and VR Guru at Delve innovation
Miranda Degg is based in Madison + Milwaukee, Wisconsin + Advanced Design Mentor + IDSA Northern Lakes Advocate
As somebody with a boisterous personality and bright red hair, you might think that I have no trouble making myself heard in the professional environment, but there are times that even my outrageous enthusiasm cannot grab the attention of decision-makers in meetings. I have never had much trouble getting my thoughts out within the confines of my own team, but will often struggle exuding that same confidence when it comes to working with clients.
Mona Sharma, Industrial Designer + Creative at the Færch Group
Mona Sharma is based in Cambridge, England + Freelance Designer for Gantri and occasionally for the Noun Project
Often, I am the token brown person in the room, and to add to that, I am quiet, small, short, and female.
So, in some ways, I can feel a little different, or maybe even feel that I need to try a little harder in order to be heard. Being heard can mean a lot to us—it makes us feel valued, it lets us get things off our chests, and most importantly of all, it can result in getting things done.
So how can you overcome this to be heard, be recognized as having value, and be regarded as a leader as a woman in ID? It would take a thesis and a doctorate in organizational psychology to truly answer this question. Instead, our panelists, Lea Stewart, Miranda Degg, and Mona Sharma, have some tips to share that they’ve learned throughout their careers. Whether you’re beginning your studies in academia, your first job as you enter the field, a long-time designer in the industry, or simply in your day-to-day life, we hope these bring you insight and give you the tools you need to be the best version of yourself.
“If it’s an important meeting, I wear tall heels to give me a few extra inches of height.”
It is important to Always Know how to Look for the Part, and to put your best self forward.
When you are the one presenting, splurge on buying yourself business clothes that make you feel creative and empowered. If it’s an important meeting, I wear tall heels to give me a few extra inches of height.
In an era where we have mostly virtual meetings, I am primarily working from home in my yoga attire, but still practice this look of professionalism when it matters and the camera is on.
*Lea Stewart, Senior Manager ID
Even just wearing clothes that actually suit me as well as the scenario, make me feel I am much more likely to be heard. For me it is also a way to ensure fewer distractions or excuses for anyone to act otherwise.
*Mona Sharma, Industrial Designer
Engage in the Conversation, however you can. This is not always physically verbal.
Sometimes being heard in meetings, brainstorms, presentations, or simple check-in calls doesn’t go well no matter what you try. It isn’t necessarily right, but not every meeting can be a winner. When I find that my voice and opinion isn’t valued, I will look for other ways to help the project and my team move forward in a good direction.
If there is a discussion happening and there happens to be a whiteboard in the room, start taking some sketch notes and map out the conversation. You will likely be able to evaluate the information in a way that others who are more engaged in speaking will not be able to do, and oftentimes you will be asked to explain or summarize the main points.
This can also show in a very physical way that you are engaged and present in the conversation, and may allow you to provide insights at the end of a meeting.
Taking notes, sketching your client’s ideas while they talk about them, and providing tangible work will not only help you gather insights you might have otherwise missed, but will also aid the client in visualizing their train of thought. It is never a bad idea to help your client feel like they accomplished something important in a call with you.
*Miranda Degg, Industrial Designer & VR Guru
Be clever and adjust. Think about the type of person/people you will be speaking to, and adjust the way you come across or talk a little bit. I try to do this in a subtle way—it doesn’t mean to act like someone else and not be true to yourself—by engaging with who you are communicating with, you are more likely to capture their interest, and they are more likely to agree with you.
It’s less about being crafty and more about being understanding and perceptive of how you come across to others—different people can read the same statement in many different ways.
A good analogy could be user testing in Industrial Design projects—give the same prototype to a group of users with little explanation, and no doubt they will each use it in their own way, based on their past experiences, through no fault of their own.
*Mona Sharma, Industrial Designer
“When I find that my voice and opinion isn’t valued, I will look for other ways to help the project and my team move forward in a good direction”
Always Know how to Ask the right questions.
This could be a sub-conscious behaviour which I have learned over time, but it is certainly helpful in many situations. By observing people’s actions, picking up on what is said around me, and keeping up to date in my interests or industry, I can store this information and use it to my advantage to contribute or defend an idea, and say something of value.
I feel as though I am more likely to be heard by saying something meaningful with reason, as opposed to just being louder. Talking hot air can only get you so far—and people will only respect you so much for that. They can see right through it.
*Mona Sharma, Industrial Designer
The key here is to ask smart questions, not just talk to be heard or to prove that you know a lot on the subject. For example, making a clarifying point about the topic being discussed could help everyone learn.
This will show that you are appreciative of the discussion you are in, that you are passionate about the topic, and that you have the skill to process information quickly.
If processing quickly or talking in front of a group isn’t your strong suit, start small by taking notes and while others talk and writing your comments to yourself. You can even ask your boss or others to force your practice by calling on you for comment during discussions.
*Lea Stewart, Senior Manager ID
“Talking hot air can only get you so far—and people will only respect you so much for that.”
Please remember to Ditch the ego. Leave it at the door.
“As somebody who pours their heart and soul into their work, it can often feel like there is literally a piece of me in everything I do. This might be great for grinding away on a project that is not inherently exciting but tends to backfire when we get negative feedback, or the concepts do not resonate well with the client. Removing my ego from the work has helped me to find peace within the iterative process, leading me to unlock my potential for rapid problem-solving. Over the years it has become easier and easier to bounce back from a bad critique and move forward without taking the negativity personally.”
*Miranda Degg, Industrial Designer & VR Guru
Don’t shy away from Seeking out allies and sponsors. It’s important to find support.
An example of this could be volunteering to do more in creating a presentation, while also asking if you could speak to a part of the work. A few years into my career I recall standing hidden behind a board working the rigged-up wiring of a bath product suite I had designed to show off the features, while my boss presented.
I had asked him for the opportunity to speak, so we timed a special point in the share where I came out from behind the board to present to the highest big wig at the company.
Other examples of this could be asking people to help you with networking connections or raising your name for a special project that would give you exposure.
*Lea Stewart, Senior Manager ID
If you have the opportunity to work within a creative team, there is often a person on your team that the client “just loves”. Sometimes this person isn’t you, and that can make things difficult.
You might feel that everything you say goes in one ear and out the other, or that your concepts seem to hit better when your superstar teammate presents them. As difficult as this can be, you can use this to your advantage and it can become an opportunity for you and your teammate to collaborate more effectively within meetings.
You could voice your insight to your teammate and continue to empower them to present the work themselves, but you could also ask them to back you up when things seem to get fuzzy. This tip can harken back to the last tip in that you will need to get your ego in check to make this work.
The end goal of any creative meeting should remain the same whether you or a teammate presents: to help the client empathize with their users, and make fact-based decisions that have the user’s best interest in mind.
*Miranda Degg, Industrial Designer & VR Guru
“The end goal of any creative meeting should remain the same whether you or a teammate presents: to help the client empathize with their users, and make fact-based decisions that have the user’s best interest in mind.”
Overall, a lot of this has to do with being confident, which is something that some are lucky to be born with, and others have to learn it slowly as they go along. Don’t be afraid to use your voice, and help your team whenever you can—it means that they have your back too, and everyone can all help each other to be heard even more.