Celebrating women's groundbreaking contributions in design history.
Today, women make up approximately half of the graphic design industry, but history has largely forgotten the powerful achievements of the women who first pioneered the field. Get to know some of the amazing women who helped pave the way.
CIPE PINELES
ART DIRECTOR | GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Cipe Pineles was one of the first independent female graphic designers in America, the first female member of the prestigious Art Directors Club, and the first woman inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.
HER WORK
DOROTHY HAYES
Graphic Designer | Educator
Dorothy Hayes moved to New York City in 1957 to pursue a career in graphic design. She attended Cooper Union School of Art and the New York Institute of Advertising. She exhibited & lectured widely in the ensuring decades and is noted for organizing the Black Artist in Graphic Communication exhibition.
HER WORK
Born in 1894, Stepanova paved the way for modern day graphic design with her use of bold type & photomontage. She was associated with the Constructivist movement and aimed to create revolutionary & societal change through her work –which had a strong impact on early Soviet visual culture.
VARVARA STEPANOVA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER | TEXTILE DESIGNER
HER WORK
CAROL TWOMBLY
TYPE DESIGNER | GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Carol Twombly is a designer best known for her typographic design. She worked as a type designer at Adobe Systems from 1988 through 1999, during which time she designed, or contributed to the design of, many typefaces, including Trajan, Myriad and Adobe Caslon.
HER WORK
SYLVIA HARRIS
DESIGN STRATEGIST | INFORMATION DESIGNER
Sylvia Harris was a groundbreaking design strategist and pioneer in government and nonprofit design work. She believed that designers have an incredible impact for social good. She was passionate about the power of public service design and worked to create accessible, informative design for all.
HER WORK