Design Has a Diversity Problem
Note: This was a paper I wrote for my Race & Ethnicity sociology class at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. We looked at data on the Standard Occupational Classification System on the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The goal of this paper was to analyze inequality and opportunity in occupations. These were my results and analysis:
In high school I took a graphic and web design class just for fun. Our instructor encouraged us to participate in a statewide logo contest for Nebraska Library Association because whoever won received a brand new iPod touch, so I gave it a shot and ended up winning the contest. This experience is what led me to the advertising and public relations field. Although I’m very interested in copywriting and account planning, I chose graphic design as a career choice for this paper. I’m also a graphic design intern at an engineering and design firm.
When I think of a graphic designer, a white guy with glasses pops into my head. The senior graphics coordinator at the firm I work at is white. All of the graphic designers at that firm are white. Come to think of it, every single graphic designer that I know is white, so it wasn’t a huge shock when I found that 84% of graphic designers are white. This data made me realize something I never thought of before; design has a diversity problem. I was shocked that Asians in the graphic design field typically earn more money than whites with $1.09 for every dollar a white person makes. Hispanics earned the least among the minorities, about .83 cents for every dollar a white designer makes and .76 cents for every dollar an Asian designer makes. Another depressing fact is that only 3.4% of graphic designers are African Americans. Where are the black designers?
In going through an art history book, we see that the majority of artists are white males. For hundreds of years white men have dominated the art world, and artists of color have been excluded from the scene. The data presented shows that this is still a problem. Two of my graphic design teachers at UNL have been white. The lead graphic design instructor at UNL is a white female. The large majority of leaders and instructors in this career are white. This is more than likely the reason why there aren’t as many minorities in graphic design; our role models are white.
Adobe Creative Suite is the tool all graphic designers use and it costs about $1,048 to purchase it. Not only do we have to have Adobe Creative Suite, we also need a computer or laptop. It is not cheap being a graphic designer. I have access to Adobe Creative Suite and a good computer because of work and school. The reason I pursued the graphic design career is because I had access to these tools in high school. If I didn’t have these opportunities would I be in the graphic design career today? Probably not. I stumbled upon an interesting article that discusses how funding gaps exist based on the racial composition of the school. David Mosenkis found that districts with a large population of white students receive higher funding than districts with a large proportion of minority students (Gillian B. White). If 84% of graphic designers out there are white, graphic design tools are probably more available to white people than they are to minorities.
After a week of class I’ve learned that institutional racism is why it is easier for whites to make more money than minorities. This is also why I was surprised when the data showed that Asians make more money than whites. This stumped me until I remembered what I learned from Outliers: The Story of Success. In chapter eight it discusses how Asian culture is shaped by the hard work and tradition of wet-rice agriculture. Their culture is what makes them the leading race in mathematics. Perhaps the reason Asians are paid more is because they tend to work harder than whites and other minorities. I am aware that this is racialization but it’s the only explanation that I can think of.
Race did not play a role in my career aspirations, and before this paper I never realized how one-sided the graphic design career was. After seeing these numbers I’m extremely disappointed that this is the reality of the situation. I’ve learned a lot of things from design that I apply to my life. One of them is that too much white space is boring. Excessive use of color makes it too busy. Balancing these two is what creates a masterpiece.
Sources:
White, Gillian B. “The Data Are Damning: How Race Influences School Funding.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 22 May 2016.
