It is undeniable that the design industry is always searching for the next big thing, trying to capture youthful energy and find fresh ideas. Often it favours ‘on trend’ aesthetics and newness over effectiveness, longevity and experience. The industry is obsessed with youth, from ‘Gen Z’ consumers to ‘New Blood’ up-and-coming designers. It is almost inevitable that this impacts older designers in the industry, in particular women.
Gemma Ince, an educator and freelance CD, believes the answer to the article’s title-question is right in front of us: “Why don’t we see many 50 –70-year-old creatives and in particular women full of insight, design leaders? Where are they? Who’s writing about them or profiling them? Where are they being quoted? Where are the books about them? Why do all the books we grew up with solely celebrate male icons of creativity?”
Cat How, How&How’s CEO and founder, agrees: “Venerable designers are lauded and revered, but these tend to be men who achieve near-celebrity status for the famous brands or campaigns they have created. Their age then becomes a signifier of their experience and confirms their importance as an icon. When it comes to women (although there are a few notable exceptions like Paula Scher), these are few and far between.”
Let’s start with some facts. According to a survey published by DesignWeek, in both the UK and the US, the number of designers aged in their 50s is surprisingly low – a mere 4.1%. The majority of designers – over half (56.6%) – are in their 20s and just above a quarter (26.9%) are aged 30+.
Even at the moderately youngish age of 40 the figure drops dramatically to 10%. For the true veteran professionals over 60 however, their numbers almost disappear at just 0.8%. Advertising is showing the same dramatic and sad figures, as this video by the FAAAC (Federation Against Ageism Towards Ad Creatives) shows.
Discrimination against older designers is difficult to pin-point and therefore hard to address. Out-dated assumptions about older people’s physical and mental limitations are subtly re-enforced by culture, in movies, advertisements, and stock images. As a society we are taught to be afraid of ageing. The idea that life just gets worse as we get older means that older people are often portrayed as forgetful, easily confused, anti-social, and just generally behind the times. This misrepresentation – and worse, the complete ignoring – of older generations, especially women, is a problem that persists.
To explore these challenges we spoke with a few experienced women working in the creative industry across the globe: Gemma Ince, freelance Graphic Designer and tutor at Birmingham City University; Heidi Lightfoot, Creative Adviser and founder of Heidi Lightfoot & Co; Cat How, CEO, co-founder and Creative Director at How&How; Mirella Arapian, Creative Director and founder at MEK; Sweta Pathak, Independent Creative Director; Monique de Jong, Head of Creative at Bed Bath N’ Table; and Rachel Gogel, Independent Creative Director.
Is age nothing but a number?
In the design and creative industries a stubborn prejudice prevails that older designers have less to contribute because of a supposed resistance to new technology. They are widely seen as not being open to change, difficult to train and generally not keeping up with the fast pace in agencies. As a result, learning opportunities are automatically offered to younger employees — older ones, being overlooked or passed over for challenging assignments. They are left out of client meetings or company (social) activities because of a spoken or unspoken assumption that they are not able to take time off for family commitments even if they don’t have young kids at home. Instead, older designers are navigating jokes about ageing, retirement plans, slow typing speed, and are being passed over for raises and promotions.
Women are affected by a double whammy (or more) as they face gendered ageism, bias based on both age and gender, and some women facing additional negative stereotypes such as racism, classism, sizeism and heterosexism.
As women age, they are often not seen as valuable or relevant in the way that their male counterparts are. As women’s youthful looks fade and childbearing ability diminishes, in society women become obsolete and invisible.
Rhonda Garelick, an author and Professor of Design Practice and Theory at Parsons School of Design, shares a powerful piece on the privilege men enjoy in the second half of their lives, which is not accessible to women who have to fight the negative stereotypes that come with #GenderedAgeism.
Instead of being revered for their power and vitality, women are encouraged to “anti-age” and erase every visible sign of ageing to remain visible and viable. Being visible as a woman requires making one’s age invisible and avoiding ageing at all cost #Lookism.
Many women enjoy this era of invisibility and feel freer in public places as catcalling tends to stop. In the workplace however, women feel they slowly and subtly fade into the background, becoming invisible. As a result, they are not hired or are passed over for promotions. While men become founts of wisdom as they age, older women are seen as outdated and difficult to manage due to menopause.
Even though the design industry often favours younger designers over more mature ones, being young has its pitfalls too, especially for women in leadership roles. “Youngism” is a stubborn bias toward younger leaders that is based on the misconception that maturity and a leadership position is required for competency. Young women often experience scepticism with regard to their leadership capacity and expertise which are often not credited or dismissed.
In light of the above it seems that the ‘right age’ for women to progress in their careers is in their 30s. But this is exactly the age many women choose to start a family and are therefore overlooked for jobs and promotions. Women are either too young or too old, even if they don’t have or want children. This “never-right” age bias creates obstacles and barriers for women throughout their career.
The biggest change in women’s careers seems to happen as they approach their 50s. Ironically this is usually the time when women have more time, confidence and headspace to dedicate to their careers as their children (if they have them) are older and more independent.
What happens at 45 and beyond?
In design agencies retirement parties are practically non-existent, as an employee rarely reaches retirement age. Usually they’re squeezed out long before.
The invisible wall hits as designers approach their 50s. Landing a new role or freelance gig seems to become a challenge overnight. Suddenly experience has fallen out of favour (experience is a code word for age). They seem to be past it, not relevant anymore.
“My visibility within the design industry has subtly shifted – I do think I have to work harder to not be invisible, and post about the good design that I am doing for example.” – Gemma Ince, freelance graphic designer and tutor at BCU.
It seems that a lot of employers and recruiters believe rightly or wrongly that young minds, besides being cheaper, are more malleable and less influenced by ‘rules’ picked up from previous jobs. The value placed on the exuberance and energy of youth is high in design, unlike more traditional professions such as medicine, law, architecture and education where experience is valued and rewarded. Design forums are full of older designers saying how hard it is for them to find work despite their many years in the field, particularly for roles within agencies.
Jane Evans, who founded the Uninvisibility Project which aims to spotlight mid-life women and change the narrative of midlife women in advertising, says in Creative Review: “For women at 45, all the gaps hit. There’s the gender pay gap, the lifetime gender pay gap, the gender pensions gap – which is horrendous, women 45+ have 50% of the pension savings of men. So while it’s essential that we get men employed, it is imperative that we get women employed – because if we don’t get midlife women employed we’re going to have a future where half are unable to retire. And we don’t deserve that.”
Many designers feel they are doing their best work in their 40s and 50s. They have more confidence, less responsibilities at home and more time to dedicate to their work. 40 over 40 aims to highlight the 40+’s accomplishments through an award scheme that celebrates those who deserved recognition for their loyalty, dedication, leadership or mentorship during their career so far. The people who’ve made a real difference on the ground and help to push the industry forward. #NotDoneYet!
What is going on?
Many experienced designers leaving the industry while others are forced out. Experienced designers often find the industry a hostile place for older designers, and women in particular.
Heidi Lightfoot thinks part of the problem is the design industry’s very regimented job titles that are expected to align with someone’s years in the industry. She says; “I like the squiggly career theory of discussing ‘moves’ rather than ‘steps’, and ‘progression’ over ‘promotion’. Because not everyone wants to work their way to a leadership or management role. Why do we assume a senior designer would be younger than a creative director? It may be that an experienced worker is very happy sticking at the design level and expanding their practical skills rather than directing others to do it.”
Some experienced designers will become creative directors, but these roles are thin on the ground and not all designers have the aptitude or desire for that role. Many favour actual design and getting stuck in rather than taking on more managerial and strategic work.
Another well documented reason for older designers to leaving the industry is the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality. Staying late is still a badge of honour in many agencies. Consistently working beyond the contracted hours causes designers of all ages to burn out. This doesn’t suit someone with responsibilities at home or with ageing parents. Care for children at home and the care for elderly parents still rests firmly on the woman’s shoulders, this work-culture affects women most dramatically.
Monique de Jong, head of creative in Australia, thinks: “After 20-30 years of pitches and tireless presentation prep, older designers can sometimes lose their lust to fire off countless new concepts and rollouts with speed and passion! Some of my contacts have just opted for ‘change’ full stop.”
Employers often want the experience and skills of a senior designer but want to pay the salary of a junior designer. It is undeniable that older designers are more expensive and will demand higher salaries to cover larger financial responsibilities, like a mortgage and children, than younger designers. A hidden, but possibly very common reason why the design industry prefers young people is the belief that younger people are more easily exploited. Older designers tend to know their worth and are better at standing up for themselves and setting boundaries. They will not, for example, accept working 80 hours a week for a crap salary.
”In an industry made up almost entirely of SMEs (without an in-house HR team and D,E&I stats to report) there is lots of room for unconscious bias to creep in when it comes to hiring. Youth works with youth, experience works with experience. Working alongside others who share our cultural references is easy and comfortable, but the lack of diversity will turn our agencies and industry into an echo chamber of similar ideas, offering the same old approach. Our thirst for the new and fresh will be harder than ever to quench”, says Heidi Lightfoot, creative adviser and founder of Heidi Lightfoot & Co.
Digital skills or the lack of, are often mentioned when favouring younger designers over older ones. The rapid pace at which the industry has changed since COVID and the advance of AI, for example, will lead to skills being fine one day and outdated the next. Cat How notices that the days are long gone when you printed out logos and stuck them on the wall. We’re now entering the era of design systems on a cloud and things happening in a flash and iteratively. If you’re not digitally super-savvy then it can be difficult to keep up.
Where do older designers go?
Many older designers go freelance, set up their own agency or leave the industry all together. Being in control of their own time and priorities as well as the absence of judgements from others leads many to go at it alone.
“Less emphasis on pure creativity and craft is making talent over 45 look elsewhere. Creatives also feel undervalued and can sense a lack of respect for their experience and maturity. Industry folk must constantly prove themselves and even compete with new talent”, according to Sweta Pathak, independent creative director. Sweta mentions that according to an IPA Excellence paper, written by AMV BBDO’s Strategy Director Olivia Stubbings (now at Saatchi & Saatchi), the over 50s represent just 6% of adland’s workforce. “To put that in perspective, 22% of those in finance, 28% in medicine, 30% in science and 35% in law are over 50. Advertising sadly doesn’t pay a premium for experience like other industries. We somehow believe that younger talent is cooler and more creative. This has come into play more with the digital era where creativity has got replaced by numbers.”
Changing the narrative: ‘I’m not 52, I’m 25 with 30 years of experience!’
As society is getting older and we all have to work longer, hiring and designing for the older demographic will become unavoidable. The UN currently estimates one in 11 people worldwide are 65 or over, and projects that this number will rise to one in four by 2050. If TikTok is anything to go by how things are changing, Granfluencers are gaining a huge following. According to Dr Keely Macarow, Coordinator of Postgraduate Research and Creative Care at RMIT University, we need to work creatively within our communities, keeping in mind that this could be us one day.
“Could we reimagine ageing as something that is so much more than skin deep and which we should not seek to fix, but to celebrate?” – Dr Hannah Zeilig, Reader in Arts and Health at the University of the Arts London.
It is commonly accepted today that diverse teams are better for business. Age however is a perspective that is often overlooked as the focus is mainly on issues of gender, class, and race. It is time that the industry starts to value different age-groups and to recognize what they can each bring to the design process. IDEO is ahead of the curve as it has a 90 year old designer on its team. Research shows that young people learn faster while older people use information better. Older people tend to question more which helps them take more on board and focus on the important areas. Some companies even prefer older designers.
Most younger designers will tell you that they appreciate working with and learning from older designers. And even though research suggests that diversity in leadership at creative agencies drives up profits, only 12.6% of creative director positions across the industry are held by women, and much less by women of colour. It’s perfectly plausible that a female graphic designer might never work under a female creative director. In fact, 70% of young female creatives say they have never worked under a female creative director. Solidifying the concept of “you can’t be what you can’t see”.
Cindy Gallop, aged 59, is the New York-based CEO & Founder of Make Love Not Porn, who has been vocally challenging ageism in the advertising industry for years. She explains the mistake businesses make in failing to see, champion, hire, promote, and value older people. Older people often know what to do in a crisis and can come up with an appropriate and relevant business strategy. They are experts in people management and are rarely phased.
Recognising individual contributions, celebrating each other’s achievements whether young or older – all ages have something valuable to bring to the creative team. It is not about age, as such, it is about talent and relevance. Maturity can be a motivator for great work.
What needs to be done to prevent experienced designers, in particular women, from leaving the design industry?
All the women we interviewed agreed that the work hard/play hard culture needs to change. It isn’t sustainable as a way of life throughout a career. If the creative industry were to offer a more attractive workplace for colleagues of all ages then this culture needs rethinking.
Reasonable and flexible hours are important for designers with family responsibilities to manage. Cat How, CEO and founder at How&How, would like to see more parental leave for fathers, in order to help women return to work earlier and share the load of childcare. “It shouldn’t exclusively be a woman’s problem that could negatively impact her career.” How would also like to see government stepping in with childcare vouchers or grants so as to ease the burden on working women. How&How is offering a better work/life balance by ensuring all their teams work no more than 8 hours a day, and everyone has a paid Friday off every 9 days.
Closing the gender pay gap should be a priority too. Agencies should adopt a fairer, more transparent hiring process. Putting the salary of a job on a job ad would help. Adopting a transparent, tiered salary system (like Cat How has introduced at How&How) means that women aren’t silently competing with men on wage and job position – as is still very common.
“I’m 40 and have been lucky enough to have run my own businesses for a long time — so tend to be less on the receiving end of ageism in the sense that I do the hiring and ultimately decide who joins the team. I actively try to hire for positions which require experience with an older person.” – Cat How, CEO, founder and creative director at How&How.
According to Rachel Gogel, many women are challenged during salary negotiations and requests for promotions are often rejected, receiving comments about being “too expensive,” and experiencing microaggressions at work.
“My involvement with AIGA SF’s WILD is one way I’ve navigated these gendered biases, but I encourage more women at every stage of their careers to talk more openly about money so that they can help each ” – Rachel Gogel, independent creative director.
Ensuring women’s life stages are taken into account, agencies need to consciously promote women to senior roles and recognise the work of ‘invisible’ women. Exposure to some of the terrific female role models is paramount. In order to retain older designers, designers of all ages need to be able to see more people of 50+ having thriving and happy working lives.
Creating more multi-generational and multicultural workforces with strong anti-discrimination policies and establishing mentorship programs and scholarships specifically for people in under-represented groups, are key changes every agency can make according to Mirella Arapian, founder and creative director at MEK.
“Over the next 5 years I’d love to see people coming into the industry in different ways and at different stages of life, to shake up the narrow demographic that we have. It would, surely, be a much more interesting and welcoming place to work.” – Heidi Lightfoot, creative adviser and founder of Heidi Lightfoot & Co.
It’s not a good idea to dismiss someone because they are over 50. There are many great and open-minded designers over 50 out there, who have “still got it” and who are not only on top of all of the current trends but also understand the history of the last 30 years. It is important to recognise that more experienced older designers bring different skills from younger designers and that the mix of both proves to be a great combination for creativity and business.
“My leadership strengthens as I get older because I have more clarity and confidence around what I do, what I want, how I want to effect change and inspire my team, industry, clients and beyond. With age comes experience, wisdom and bravery.” – Mirella Arapian, founder and creative director at MEK.
Ultimately, we need to think more radically about how we group and structure design agencies and the creative industry at large and become more creative about how we organise and push ourselves as culture creators.
What can women do themselves to future proof their careers?
Own your age, know your value. The more we talk about age, the more we normalise it. Be outspoken, speak up and share some of the (damaging) narratives, and explain your experience. Awareness of the barriers faced by experienced older designers is important to make change possible.
Being aware and savvy about your strengths, staying relevant and keep developing your skills, continue to ask questions, stay curious and if needed outsource some of the heavily technical aspects.
Surround yourself with supportive people and exchange experiences and ideas. A solid network will create ongoing work opportunities.
“Your age is a very special number because it’s the sum total of you. It’s the representation of all your life experience, learnings, and things that make you uniquely you over the years. Your age is a crucial dimension of what makes you valuable.” – Cindy Gallop, founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn.
Hear, hear.