Who’s Who Workshops have been conducted in universities across Melbourne.
Who’s Who Workshop
2016 to present
Billy Blue College of Design,
Monash University and
Australian Catholic University
Melbourne
The Who’s Who Workshop is an interactive activity that aims to develop self-efficacy and professional identity in design students. It aims to provide design students with a greater sense of professional purpose and confidence to formulate pathways into the industry through an exposure to women in design.
Creating an inclusive design culture requires design students to learn about Australia’s diverse community of communication designers. As cultural practitioners and critical creative thinkers, female designers are often underrepresented, particularly in design and creative leadership.
Based on afFEMation.com, this workshop is designed to help students visualise the value of professional networks through traversing a mini ropes course. Biographies of significant women in Australian graphic design hang from colourful cones on a life sized sociogram. A series of ropes connect each woman signifying how they are connected through their work. A series of questions help students explore the networks and identify the relationships between their current experiences and their future professional goals. This helps students reflect on their strengths and professional identity to begin planning their own careers.
Above: Bespoke biographies, connecting anecdotes and question cards engage students in understanding the history of women in Australian graphic design.
By acknowledging the experiences of the Australian designers that have come before them, students can identify potential role models and set their own career goals. The Who’s Who Workshop opens a discussion about the gender barriers that exist within the design industry and empowers students to view themselves as active creators of culture.