Making a difference in the creative industries balance of gender needs everyone to be on board. So, we needed to create a brand expression that united and invited everyone to contribute.
Taxi Studio has long held a collaborative relationship with the West of England Design Forum (WEDF) since its establishment in 2006. When their insight and involvement with the local design community sparked the seed of a ‘sister’ initiative to address the imbalance between the large number of females studying graphic design compared to the small number of female CDs, we were only too keen to help.
Initiative founder Emma Blackburn knew something needed to change when we were still seeing rooms full of young women on university design courses and agencies at the start of their careers, but very few in leadership roles. Blackburn knew change needed to happen but what form that change would take was less clear to her.
Taxi took on the project with open arms and an open call within the studio for all those keen to get involved. “New to the design industry, it was inspiring to start my career on a project promoting equality,” recalls Designer Andrew Hodgkiss.
Pam Partridge, Designer, remembers the project kick-off, “It was a perfect opportunity to get under the surface of campaigns around equality, from the likes of #metoo and #thisgirlcan, to gain a broader understanding of some of the problems faced. It enabled us to outline our approach and define what this could look like, and mean, for women in design in the West of England.”
During the initial stages, Taxi helped the WEDF volunteers turn their first-hand experience plus gathered statistics into a brand expression that had a name, a purpose, a positioning statement and a beautiful brand that would help make change happen in the West of England and beyond.
Partridge continues: “It became clear this wasn’t just about salaries and promotions, but that each person has a different view on what success looks like for them. And that fundamentally we needed to encourage the creation of an ecosystem for women to thrive, feel supported, and achieve their dreams.”