There seems to have been a rise in the popularity of girl geeks recently and I quite happily confess to being one of them! I am a web designer for a start which puts me right at the top of the list. I am also obsessed with my Apples (Mac, Powerbook, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod) and one of my favourite TV shows is the Big Bang Theory. And yes after a recent eye test I now wear the black rimmed glasses! So I really wear the t-shirt when it comes to geekiness.
BUT being a girl geek doesn’t make me a feminine freak. I recently attended an event in London help by Web Heroines, a not-for-profit organisation founded by Keri Lambden, which promotes women in technology aims to increase the number of girls willing to embrace their geekiness. Only 12% of workers in web design, mobile, programming, UX & UI are women so, despite the recent rise in women using social media and buying gadgets, this hasn’t increased interest in working in the technology industry. An intense debate was had with panel members and the audience about why this is but no one seems to be able to come up with a definitive answer.
Maybe it’s because being a web designer or developer doesn’t seem very glamorous? Maybe the stereotype of smelly, socially inept boys hunched over computer screens until the early hours of the morning, surrounded by empty crisp packets and pizza boxes is just too ingrained in our minds? Well I couldn’t be further from that stereotype! My office is very feminine and full of mood boards covered in photos and magazine tears of colours and design that inspires me. My favourite social media site is Pinterest where I spend hours pinning beautiful imagery onto my many pin boards. I burn Ginger and Bergamont candles while I work and listen to Asian Zen Music and I sketch with beautiful coloured pencils onto embossed paper.
Despite being a girl in what is typically seen as a male dominated industry I actively embrace my femininity when it comes to my work. That doesn’t mean I only design pretty, girly websites (take a look at some of my work) but I think communicating with clients is much easier when I focus on my feminine energy and way of thinking rather than trying to compete with the boys who may come across as slightly intimidating to those who are not au fait with technology.
So if you are enjoy technology and have an eye for design you should really consider a career in the web industry – I would be happy to talk to you if you want to ask any questions. And you most definitely don’t have to become a feminine freak to do it!
(photo: Shutterstock)
