Interview Series With Designers - Bernita

[originally posted Dec 9, 2016 via medium - then a pay wall went up…]

72andSunny is an advertising and marketing agency right smack next to LAX (Los Angeles airport). They count adidas, axe deodorant, Carl’s Jr., Seventh Generation, and other giants amongst their clients. All this is beautifully showcased on their website. It is thus no surprise to me that this SoCal company has been recognized as one of the best places in advertising to work at.

Bernita Ling was warmly recommended to me by an employee at Optimist Inc, where I shadowed for one week amazing creative work. As I spoke about the important of user experience (UX) design in today’s creative agency and design work, Franco Casiean a former employee of company sunshine just knew who I would have to talk to.

Bernita — what a fine shot! Her instagram evidences her poignant skills.

Bernita Ling — navigating the gender waters of the creative industry

Bernita Ling has been the only female in the UX design department at her agency since she started her work. Her portfolio evidences an impressive background including various internships at outstanding institutions on the East Coast plus experience in Hong Kong, China. Let’s hear from her directly.

JL: What is your professional role and line of work?

BL: I am a User Experience Designer at 72andSunny. I also have a background in visual design.

JL: How do you define “design”?

BL: Design is the interface a person has to interact with to complete a task — an app, a magazine spread, or a living room setup. Each iteration of a design should make the task simpler, and easier. Without the design, the task would be less delightful and more mundane. I firmly believe that aesthetics are part of function.

JL: What are typical tasks and challenges in your day to day?

BL: My biggest struggle is getting people to understand what a UX designer does. Do you code? No, I can read code though. You make websites right? Yes, amongst other things. So you make apps? Yes, amongst other things. A UX designer is a multidisciplinary role, we dip our toes in strategy, design, and production.

JL: What difference does your gender make in your experience as a creative in design?

BL: I’ve been the only female in my department since I’ve started, and I will have to say that my team has done a wonderful job making gender a non-issue. My biggest struggle is not having female creative leaders to look up to. I don’t need to see someone in a leadership role in order to get there, but I want someone to get advice from, see how they navigate the gender waters of the creative industry.

JL: What stereotypes about men and women and other gender issues in design come to your mind? (And what do you think and feel about them?)

BL: Design can be very subjective in early phases of the process, and this is where I’ve seen male colleague’s ideas go through because they are more confident in their presentation styles. I’ve also had friends tell me that their superiors often direct all feedback to the males in the group. These are natural human behaviours that add up.

JL: Where do you see some easy solutions for any of these issues?

BL: Equal pay and female leadership mentors.

JL: What is your message for people struggling in design?

BL: I started by redesigning existing things, making them work better than they already did. Rearrange your room, make a new lamp, redesign Pinterest — go crazy. It doesn’t have to be on a screen, just keep exercising your brain.

JL: Thank you, Bernita! All your points are well taken especially your note on UX design being multidisciplinary. Yes, I’d love to see more female leaders “navigating the gender waters of the creative industry”.

I emailed Bernita my set of questions, which always gives data a different spin — no opportunity for follow up questions, and maybe a little more caution when you see your answers black on white.

Bernita shared about her fortune to have had a very supportive team to make gender a “non-issue”. I am happy to hear this. Yet, this also makes me listen up, as I am still collecting data on gender in the creative industry. Is this really possible? If you equate “issue” with “problem”, then I can imagine how a team can make it as little a problem as possible (across situations). Yet I am doubtful that this is entirely possible. The same way in which we are not “color-blind” with regards to ethnical background, the same way we perceive gender constructs and they impact behavior.

The need for females in leadership roles is well noted. Actually, I habitually check the gender distribution (of what we can visually infer) when I stumble upon a new agency. Try it yourself. Go to the team or about section of any creative, design, or technology company and do a quick count. You might (not) be surprised.

And lastly, I love her reminder to play around with things to find better ways of living. Have you moved your desk recently? Just what exactly can you do with duct tape and a razor knife to your furniture?