March 8th is known as International Women’s Day, where we celebrate and encourage the vital role women play in our society. Here at Memorisely, we want to celebrate those women in design of the past, present, and future.
Past
Dating back to 1891, we see one of the first women designers come forth with her own label, Madam Jeanne Paquin. From that moment forward, women from all over the world begin setting foot into designer roles — in fashion, tech, interiors, products, and so many other industries.
In 1907, Ray Eames, and her husband, Charles, become an influential pair in furniture design. Under the ‘Eames Look’ we see sleek, sophisticated, and simple designs come to market.
In the 1950s, South African native Margaret Calvert assisted with redesigning the entire road sign system in the UK. She then became the head of graphic design at the Royal College of Art, teaching other young women the impact they may have in the world of design.
In the 1990s Paula Scher became a partner at Pentagram, a design consultancy, in NYC. She is best known for her work with The Public Theatre, Citibank, and Tiffany + Co. She is a major influence in today’s world of typography design.
Susan Kare is one of the leading forces in web-based iconography, she began her career at Apple in the 1980s. She has been a pivotal designer for UI/UX designers worldwide.
Although there are still barriers to entry, these women and so many more have paved the way for the future generation of women designers. These women designers of the past have been pivotal for current female designers, by opening a door that was shut for far too long.