Gender issue is pre-dominant in every industry today. Pity that it’s messing the design industry as well. Often unequal representation of males and females spoils the creativity and purpose of design projects. User interface (UI) design specifically is guarded by this superficial set of misrepresentation, and hence motivated me to delve deeper. For instance, I’ve found that statistically 82.6% UI designers are male. Chilling right? What is more surprising here is the balanced ratio in academics. A Michigan University study show that on average in the UI design classrooms, there is a 50/50 blend of male and female students respectively. If that were the case then in the real world too there should be this balanced division. Unfortunately, seems like something has gone wrong in the UI design field. The slideshare below provides the subjective explanation based on logical reasoning of the conflicting statistics. It talks about gender as a social construct in the field of UI design. My concern with this unequal representation is not because of feministic perception, but the real issue underlying this gender disparity in the design industry. I believe, we are capable of doing much better together, than judging the capabilities of one another based on gender bias. Social acceptance of anything is dangerous. This slideshare will attempt to open dialogue in gendered social discourse and help you understand the reality behind the socially constructed gendered design thinking.

1. Gendered Design Thinking:
Are Men More Successful
UI Designers?

3. Do you know that gendered thinking
today directly relates to women
subjugation?

4. It is no more about biasness or
discrimination

5. However, the issue has evolved as a
matter of equal representation now

6. Statistics show that 82.6% of UI
designers are male

7. However, women representation in
UI design field has fallen in US over
the last five years from 32.4% to
24.9%.

8. Obviously chilling but let’s think
over it practically

9. Does women under representation in
UI design indicates women
incapability?

10. Because that will mean men are
more successful UI designers

11. OR is it linked with the equal
opportunity issue?

12. There is a 50/50 blend in academics,
where in some classes women
representation in UI design is more
than men

13. Nevertheless, the web design
field is male-dominated

14. Let’s dig into the logical and
subjective reasoning for “Less
Women Participation and Under
Representation”

15. Relevant Arguments from Discussion:
UI design is male dominated, where
females’ designs are not appreciated.

16. Individual and Collective set of
beliefs: Women inspirational UI
designers in the industry are less than
2%

17. Social Dogmas and Popular Mindsets:
Women are more creative with print
and graphic design

18. Personality Characteristics and
Stereotypes: Women are socially
conditioned to fear technology

19. Gender Biased Cultural Roles:
Technical stuff is not women’s job. IT
and technology are better
understood by males

20. Solution: Create Your Place! Let
Socially Constructed Fears Go

21. Conclusion: The reason behind the
existence of gender gap in user
interface design is a socially
constructed phenomena. It is a
discourse that is now socially
acceptable and became a pre-
dominant controlled thinking.

22. Reality indicates that women are not
under-represented but
misrepresented in the design field,
especially in UI design.
Share Your
Opinions With Us!