Designers are expected to come from various locations, races, and backgrounds. Despite the world shrinking into a small village thanks to the internet, many still hold the outdated notion that graphic design is a domain primarily for men, rather than embracing the diversity of talents from both genders. Surprisingly, more than 60 percent of art courses are pursued by females, raising questions about the historical bias that labeled graphic design as a male-dominated field.
As careers advance, women tend to become less visible, with fewer reaching top executive positions, as highlighted by Julia Woollams in her insightful analysis challenging gender norms in creative industries. There’s still a lot of mileage to cover when portraying women as leading figures.
As we celebrate International Women’s Week, NGD is proud to contribute its perspective on the role of women in the design industry. We aim to spotlight not only their presence as project managers but also their excellence in executive roles, exemplified by individuals like our guest of the week, Christy Douglas.
Christy has been an integral member of our team for a significant period, and today, on Women’s Day, we are honored to have her share her experiences in the industry, providing valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring professionals.
Here’s 10 Questions with Christy Doughlas
1. Can you share about your background growing up and how you discovered your passion for graphic design?
I stumbled upon my interest in design quite unexpectedly, Like a mistake!
Growing up, I was a very curious kid and a fast learner. I wanted to know why things are done the way they are and how they are done. I found myself trying out different things, including drawing, and surprisingly, I was good at it. After school hours, I spent my time drawing anime and cartoon characters in my drawing book, most of which came out well.
When I left high school, I felt like I needed to do something a bit more than braiding, Around that same time there was a photo studio newly opened in my vicinity and I would go there to get soft copy pictures. I later noticed how they used photoshop for editing and It piqued my interest, one of the workers close to me noticed how I came over daily just to watch them edit pictures and he recommended one Charity Foundation for skill acquisition to me, I was interested in the opportunity and he signed me up for their next acquisition batch.
Upon my arrival at the foundation, I had a strong urge to switch to the ICT department, and so I did. There, I learned the basics of computers and Microsoft Word for typing.
I later applied to work at a nearby printing press that urgently needed a secretary, and regardless of my typing skills being terrible, they hired me because it was urgent. Over time, I noticed how boys would troop in to make prints of designs they made. As much as some of the works were really terrible, I was fascinated by how a simple pushing pixels could produce such results.
I worked at the press from November 2018 until I got admission into college in November 2019 and within this short period, I started developing interest in design.
I got into school I desired to own a system so I can start learning how to design, But then 2020 came and COVID-19 hit, and my plans got derailed, especially after losing my older sister in late 2020.
In 2021, not knowing what to do next, I saved up some money I got from doing hair to buy a used laptop for 45k. It was a used Dual-core HP Elitebook system with a 500GB HDD RAM and a low processor speed and here I started my design journey with coreldraw. Although this particular Laptop taught me patience in a very terrible way, haha.
In all, I am grateful for the speed of my growth that happened afterwards, Looking forward to an even better height.
Cheers
s Christy shows off her typography and deep thinking skills in David Henyu’s Strong logo rendition
2. What were some of the earliest challenges you faced in your career as a graphic designer?
Bringing my ideas to life. I noticed that ideas are not enough, you need to groom your skill to be able to bring those crazy and wonderful ideas to be even better than you imagined. In short, Train your skillset to match your imagination.
Christy Douglas at the 2023 creative Meet with Arm Opulent
3. If you had the chance to go back in time, what aspects of your journey would you approach differently?
None, growth is a process and as such i am grateful for every step of the way.
4. Have you encountered challenges in your career as a female designer that you believe men may not experience?
Yes. i have.
A friend once recommended me for a gig, and when he forwarded my number to the man, his first comment was “oh it’s a girl” and he opted out without even seeing samples of my previous jobs. haha
I don’t really think any male designer has experienced something like this before especially for a gender neutral gig.
5. You’ve mentioned the importance of sleep in your routine. Could you elaborate on its significance to your productivity and creativity?
Sleep is like an energy booster to me, so yes I ensure I take out time to rest as it also increases creativity, I work better when I rest.
That gig you want to kill yourself for will actually be given out to someone else if you pass out because of stress. So please take care of yourself and rest.
On one of my interviews for a brand I currently create designs for, The HR told me that the reason they are currently hiring is because their designer had recently passed away. On hearing this, I got the shivers.
6. Could you share your personal experience dealing with imposter syndrome and how you’ve managed it?
I made a post on this on my Facebook page, HERE IS THE LINK (Click here)
7. As someone based in Port Harcourt, do you find there are ample opportunities for graphic designers compared to other locations?
There are opportunities, but not as much as Lagos and Abuja.
Brown Shoo by Christy Doughlas
8. If you had to choose between working solely for financial gain or pursuing projects purely out of passion, which would you prioritize?
This is a tricky question haha, If I am working for financial gain then it is also because I have passion for what I do, hence its a win win situation for me LOL
9. Do you have any particular favorite design projects or pieces of work that you’ve created? If so, could you name three?
Most of my favorite design projects are NDA, Sadly I can’t name them here.
10. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the coming years in your career and personal growth?
To be a voice in the Design space.
Personal Learning To Help You Grow.
NGD remains an endeavor to upscale graphic designers in Nigeria and beyond through educational resources, trainings, conferences and deep dive interviews such as this.
It’s really our hope that apart form catching up on laptops for design in 2024 you absorb some life tips from the stories of other designers and shorten your journey to perfection.
Check out other personal stories to learn a thing on two on collaboration, winning methodologies and how good designs go beyond tools used.
