‘Sisters are doing it for themselves?: Exploring gender in irish product design education-

Muireann McMAHON; Louise Kiernan

‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-

School of Architecture & Product Design

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Good design is gender neutral, as should be the design process that underpins it. However achieving equality in the design process is difficult as female product/industrial designers¹ are underrepresented in both professional and student realms, comprising 20% and 21% respectively [1] [2]. In order to even the balance we must first understand the potential barriers to access that have led to this gender imbalance; the conditions that might limit progression and how learning and working in male dominated spaces influences and impacts upon female designers as they move through their careers. Through a literature review, a series of expert interviews, conversations, journey mapping and focus groups this research gathered together a variety of diverse, but individual, stories that help build a collective narrative of the current situation in Ireland. Subsequently, through a collaborative co-design process, interventions are recommended that could shape a future where barriers to access in Product/Industrial design are potentially dismantled and gender takes a secondary role to merit, ability and creativity.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education
Subtitle of host publication	Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017
Editors	Tore Gulden, Nenad Pavel, Ahmed Kovacevic, Lyndon Buck, Erik Bohemia, Arild Berg
Publisher	Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society
Pages	601-606
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781904670841
Publication status	Published - 2017
Event	19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, E and PDE 2017 - Oslo, Norway Duration: 7 Sep 2017 → 8 Sep 2017

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017

Conference

Conference	19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, E and PDE 2017
Country/Territory	Norway
City	Oslo
Period	7/09/17 → 8/09/17

Keywords

Design education
Design practice
Gender
Product design

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

McMAHON, M., & Kiernan, L. (2017). ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-. In T. Gulden, N. Pavel, A. Kovacevic, L. Buck, E. Bohemia, & A. Berg (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017 (pp. 601-606). (Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017). Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society.

McMAHON, Muireann ; Kiernan, Louise. / ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017. editor / Tore Gulden ; Nenad Pavel ; Ahmed Kovacevic ; Lyndon Buck ; Erik Bohemia ; Arild Berg. Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society, 2017. pp. 601-606 (Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017).

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title = "{\textquoteleft}Sisters are doing it for themselves?: Exploring gender in irish product design education-",

abstract = "Good design is gender neutral, as should be the design process that underpins it. However achieving equality in the design process is difficult as female product/industrial designers1 are underrepresented in both professional and student realms, comprising 20% and 21% respectively [1] [2]. In order to even the balance we must first understand the potential barriers to access that have led to this gender imbalance; the conditions that might limit progression and how learning and working in male dominated spaces influences and impacts upon female designers as they move through their careers. Through a literature review, a series of expert interviews, conversations, journey mapping and focus groups this research gathered together a variety of diverse, but individual, stories that help build a collective narrative of the current situation in Ireland. Subsequently, through a collaborative co-design process, interventions are recommended that could shape a future where barriers to access in Product/Industrial design are potentially dismantled and gender takes a secondary role to merit, ability and creativity.",

keywords = "Design education, Design practice, Gender, Product design",

author = "Muireann McMAHON and Louise Kiernan",

year = "2017",

language = "English",

series = "Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017",

publisher = "Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society",

pages = "601--606",

editor = "Tore Gulden and Nenad Pavel and Ahmed Kovacevic and Lyndon Buck and Erik Bohemia and Arild Berg",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education",

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McMAHON, M & Kiernan, L 2017, ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-. in T Gulden, N Pavel, A Kovacevic, L Buck, E Bohemia & A Berg (eds), Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017. Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017, Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society, pp. 601-606, 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, E and PDE 2017, Oslo, Norway, 7/09/17.

‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-. / McMAHON, Muireann ; Kiernan, Louise.
Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017. ed. / Tore Gulden; Nenad Pavel; Ahmed Kovacevic; Lyndon Buck; Erik Bohemia; Arild Berg. Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society, 2017. p. 601-606 (Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - McMAHON, Muireann

AU - Kiernan, Louise

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N2 - Good design is gender neutral, as should be the design process that underpins it. However achieving equality in the design process is difficult as female product/industrial designers1 are underrepresented in both professional and student realms, comprising 20% and 21% respectively [1] [2]. In order to even the balance we must first understand the potential barriers to access that have led to this gender imbalance; the conditions that might limit progression and how learning and working in male dominated spaces influences and impacts upon female designers as they move through their careers. Through a literature review, a series of expert interviews, conversations, journey mapping and focus groups this research gathered together a variety of diverse, but individual, stories that help build a collective narrative of the current situation in Ireland. Subsequently, through a collaborative co-design process, interventions are recommended that could shape a future where barriers to access in Product/Industrial design are potentially dismantled and gender takes a secondary role to merit, ability and creativity.

AB - Good design is gender neutral, as should be the design process that underpins it. However achieving equality in the design process is difficult as female product/industrial designers1 are underrepresented in both professional and student realms, comprising 20% and 21% respectively [1] [2]. In order to even the balance we must first understand the potential barriers to access that have led to this gender imbalance; the conditions that might limit progression and how learning and working in male dominated spaces influences and impacts upon female designers as they move through their careers. Through a literature review, a series of expert interviews, conversations, journey mapping and focus groups this research gathered together a variety of diverse, but individual, stories that help build a collective narrative of the current situation in Ireland. Subsequently, through a collaborative co-design process, interventions are recommended that could shape a future where barriers to access in Product/Industrial design are potentially dismantled and gender takes a secondary role to merit, ability and creativity.

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85042091586

T3 - Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017

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BT - Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education

A2 - Gulden, Tore

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A2 - Berg, Arild

PB - Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society

Y2 - 7 September 2017 through 8 September 2017

ER -

McMAHON M , Kiernan L. ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves? Exploring gender in irish product design education-. In Gulden T, Pavel N, Kovacevic A, Buck L, Bohemia E, Berg A, editors, Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017. Institution of Engineering Designers, The Design Society. 2017. p. 601-606. (Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Building Community: Design Education for a Sustainable Future, E and PDE 2017).