Diversity in the Design Industry
As an Australian living in London, multiculturalism has always been something of a norm for me. And being a new entrant in the interior design industry, it quickly became obvious that the industry could benefit from a greater diversity in its workforce, both culturally and multidisciplinary.
The recent talk at The London Design Fair 2023 addressed this exact topic, titled ‘Does varied experience and diverse backgrounds positively impact design?’. Hosted by Sarah Cullen, Editor of [d]arc Magazine, panel guests included: Anuj Gala, Lighting Designer at Delta Light; Dara Huang, Founder of Design Haus Liberty; and Tola Ojuolape, Founder of Tola Ojuolape Studio.
The topic in itself was a rhetorical question. Of course it positively impacts design! I wasn’t there to hear the obvious, but rather listen to how industry leaders have embraced this within their own workplace. What I didn’t expect was the diverse background that each panel guest had within their own right. The topic was very close to home for me, and it quickly became an inspirational talk as each speaker shared how they leveraged on their own diversity to progress in their careers.
“It is the new norm to have global collaboration with teams on a project [that is] based all around the world.”
– Anuj Gala
The panel members delved further into what multidisciplinary means, and how our string of experiences becomes what we practice and design. There were some great takeaways for me, including:
The unknown of each new brief, and which background or culture you may next need to reference to;
Businesses rely on the knowledge of the people that they hire as well as their personal tendencies (e.g. detail oriented and organised vs messy and creative), which goes beyond technical expertise;
Economic and political cyclicality, and regional and environmental factors, will ultimately force you to become flexible in practicing within both the residential and commercial markets; and
Diversity needs to avoid becoming a buzz word and be proactively put in practice. Just like sustainability, diversity is here to stay.
The talk then evolved, hitting other big topics. ‘Imposter Syndrome’ was discussed, a term claimed to be more commonly used by women to describe a feeling that men typically associates with ‘ambition’. The panel members spoke about how to navigate around imposter syndrome as an ethnic minority and as a female. Finding role models and mentors of similar backgrounds was identified as a way to overcome such insecurity.
“Lead into who you are… Confidence takes time... The world has to stand up and meet you where you are.”
– Tola Ojuolape
And of course, the inevitable discussion around Artificial Intelligence arose. Needless to say, AI continues to be considered as a tool and not a replacement for creativity. The panel spoke about the importance of surrounding oneself with different visuals and not to be trapped in a tunnel vision of ideas derived from computer algorithms. The subject matter was brought back to diversity; the members advised designers to be intentional and take reference points from different cultures, art mediums, and industries, in order to keep the mind broadened with creativity.
“Art is an intuition. You cannot give a computer intuition.”
– Dara Huang
The talk ended on such a motivational high and I was thoroughly impressed. It was one of the more meaningful talks that I have been to, expanding beyond current industry knowhow and trends. It addressed the human aspects of the industry that resonated strongly with me. I certainly walked away feeling even more fired up on this new career path.