Readymag, a leading coding-free design platform, has announced the relaunch of its Designing Women initiative to address gender inequality within the design industry. This revamped endeavor introduces the ReadyLaunch Grant, offering tailored fellowships to kickstart design projects and amplify female and non-binary voices in the field.
Diana Kasay, co-founder and CEO of Readymag, underscores the importance of creating environments where women can flourish and contribute to shaping the future of design. The ReadyLaunch Grant is poised to ignite the passion projects of its recipients, providing a platform for their creative endeavors.
Central to the relaunch is a showcase of 37 influential women in design from the 20th and 21st centuries, including luminaries such as Paula Scher, Kazuyo Sejima, Charlotte Perriand, Debbie Millman, Norma Merrick Sklarek, Tea Uglow, Jessica Walsh, and Ilana Goor. With a commitment to inclusivity and horizontal representation, the project aims to recognize and celebrate the diverse contributions of women in the industry.
In addition to the ReadyLaunch Grant, Readymag offers resources tailored to support female and non-binary designers. Each grant package includes a fellowship valued at $2000 alongside free one-year access to a Female Design Council membership, enrollment in the Female Design Council Mentor Match Program, and assistance securing media coverage. From networking to funding and mentorship, the company’s dedication to empowering creators underscores its mission to foster a more equitable design landscape..
Inspired and excited to learn more, I spoke to Alya Datii, Readymag’s head of brand marketing and the producer of both editions of Designing Women, and Lora Appleton, executive director and founder of the Female Design Council (FDC).
What insights or feedback from the initial launch of Designing Women influenced the decision to relaunch the initiative in 2024 with the ReadyLaunch Grant?
AD: Designing Women 2019 was the first time Readymag spoke on behalf of our brand on a social issue. For companies like ours, any take is risky; a vibe check with the user community might transform it because not everyone will agree with us – and not everyone did in 2019. We were anxious and more careful with our language than we are now, but the initiative came from personal experiences, from a place of honesty and a feeling of responsibility. As a female-led business, we couldn’t compromise our beliefs to be more likable. The risk paid off. Of course, there were hurtful and dismissive comments, unfollows, and unsubscribes, but supportive reactions outweighed the bad stuff.
Years went by, and every Women’s History Month, design media and influencers repeatedly highlighted the project. In 2023, we finally realized that Designing Women needed an update—if it’s still getting attention, that means it’s needed, and if it’s needed, the program must reflect our current beliefs. The 2019 project, albeit not intentionally, mainly focused on cis women and was whiter than the actual design field. In the 2024 version, we aimed to do a better job of being equitable.
Our reason for adding the ReadyLaunch Grant is simple: as Readymag grew as a business, we became strong enough to reinvest more in the community.
At the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full parity.
Global Gender Gap Index 2023
Could you elaborate on the process of making the Designing Women project more horizontal and inclusive? How did your team identify and prioritize the challenges and needs at the intersection of gender and design?
AD: Readymag’s marketing and design teams are primarily female, and we’ve experienced many of the issues the project addresses firsthand. We sat down and listed our problems, experiences, needs, and demands at the intersection of our work and gender; then, we reached out to people outside of our circle for input. From there, we picked the blank spaces we could try to fill as a сompany. We decided to continue archiving the impact of female designers, using our platform to highlight other initiatives tackling gender issues, and setting up a grant which prioritizes designers from underrepresented communities. In 2019, adding a ‘Resource’ section was an afterthought. This time, we based the relaunch on studying and contributing to the visibility of the work already done in the sector.
The ReadyLaunch Grant supports many project types, including newsletters, zines, YouTube channels, and podcasts. How do you envision these projects contributing to combating gender inequality in the design industry?
AD: One of the central issues that affects the career choices and paths of women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people is underrepresentation. It’s hard to take professional risks, launch passion projects, and tackle social issues while facing discrimination and working the second shift.
We expect the ReadyLaunch grant to help the project authors pursue their true passion. Many exceptional projects deal with gender equity, but it’s hard for them to sustain their work from a financial and time perspective. Our grant can enable them to pay themselves, pay their team, or cover other expenses, at least for a while.
Many exceptional projects deal with gender equity, but it’s hard for them to sustain their work from a financial and time perspective.
What excites you most about the relaunch, and what do you hope this initiative will achieve?
AD: To be honest, the response has already exceeded our expectations. In the first few days, we’ve received dozens of amazing proposals from all over the world. I hope we’ll be able to do the very difficult job of selecting just four winners well and that we will connect more applicants with resources that can help them implement their projects.
Besides practical outcomes, we hope Designing Women will continue making design herstories visible and inspiring other companies to take a stance on gender inequality. The current situation is a systemic and institutional failure that no single person, activist group, or company can overcome alone. However, businesses can influence their networks and use their platforms to make at least a small but positive impact.
With a curated list of over 20 organizations and initiatives tailored for female and non-binary individuals in design, how does Readymag approach collaboration and community-building to create a more supportive and inclusive industry environment?
AD: We understood how much work had already been done by activist initiatives and recognized that our responsibility as a business was to use our platform to shine a light on the work of others. In the reboot of the project in 2024, we’re taking this responsibility to a new level: we made the project much more horizontal by referring people to sources that deal with gender equality issues professionally. People need a lot of different resources: mentorships, subscriptions to services, educational courses, and trips. We’re very open to partnerships for resources and are not looking for the usual cross-promo; our main goal is contributing to the community.
The current situation is a systemic and institutional failure that no single person, activist group, or company can overcome alone. However, businesses can influence their networks and use their platforms to make at least a small but positive impact.
With the Female Design Council’s commitment to advancing female and non-binary representation in the design field, how do initiatives like Designing Women and the ReadyLaunch Grant contribute to its broader efforts?
LA: The FDC Mentor Match program started in 2020, and since then, it has served over 250 aspiring designers, architects, and applied artists by connecting them with successful design industry professionals. This direct relationship allows mentees to receive real-world advice, directions, and counsel to lead them toward their professional goals. A key element of our mentorship program is that it is also open to mid-career professionals interested in transitioning or pivoting into a different specialty. We are committed to keeping this a free program so that it’s accessible to anyone, regardless of financial means.
A key element of our mentorship program is that it is also open to mid-career professionals interested in transitioning or pivoting into a different specialty.
In what ways does the Female Design Council Mentor Match Program support emerging designers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, in navigating design industry challenges?
LA: The FDC Mentor Match program started in 2020, and since then, it has served over 250 aspiring designers, architects, and applied artists by connecting them with successful design industry professionals. This direct relationship allows mentees to receive real-world advice, directions, and counsel to lead them toward their professional goals. A key element of our mentorship program is that it is also open to mid-career professionals interested in transitioning or pivoting into a different specialty. We are committed to keeping this a free program so that it’s accessible to anyone, regardless of financial means.
How does the Female Design Council approach collaboration and community-building to create a more supportive and inclusive environment within the industry?
LA: The FDC has been “doing the work” since Day One. Everything we do is community-driven and inclusive, and we are very mindful and focused on ensuring access and representation. We offer in-person and virtual networking events, a free mentoring program, and 25 gratis memberships annually to designers of underrepresented backgrounds. Those are a few examples, but a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration infuses everything about our mission and programming.
Applications for the ReadyLaunch Grant are open from March 4 to May 8, 2024, inviting aspiring designers to seize the opportunity to propel their projects forward. With this initiative, Readymag continues to champion diversity and inclusion within the design community, reaffirming its commitment to empowering creators.