projections 1 – LOQ + Project Proposal

Development of line on enquiry and project proposal

Line of Enquiry 

77% of those working in the design industry are male-identifying and only 23% are female-identifying. 86% of the industry is white and 14% are of black, asian, or minority ethnicity. How can these statistics be exposed to the design community through an intersectional lense?

How can weaving (as a historically sidelined female-centric practice) be used to present data on the design industry inequity? How can I translate & inform data through color / shapes while contextualizing through woven text and/or symbolism?

Project Proposal

Using weaving as a medium rich in sidelined histories and the oppression of the female voice, how can I reiterate and contextualize the data from the 2020 UK Design Council report to better amplify the statistics and create increased awareness within the design community? 

With the audience being the UK design community I will create scarves that can be a form of wearable data visualisation and a conversation starter to grow awareness for the inequities of the industry.

This will take the form of two scarves, each with layers representing intersectional inequity through colors of the weft and weave. 

Scarf 1 will use the % symbol – the icon for my project – as a visual aid to contextualize the data while colors show the gender ratio. On the weft underneath color ratios will be visible but obscured, showing the racial inequites of the industry which are not always overt / entirely visible. 

Scarf 2 will use textual weaving to communicate the tag line for the project, Mend the Gap. In the middle of the scard will lie a physical gap to further communicate the industry inequities and potentially leave room for scarf wearers to fill in the gap on their own if they choose. The weft underneath will showcase racial inequities ratio. 

Each scarf will also include space for a garment tag which will provide citation of the data and additional project / craft context.