Racial diversity

Subterms

    Latest story

    175 Shares169 Views

    Over 40 per cent of BAME interior designers have faced racial discrimination, survey finds

    by

    Two out of five BAME interior designers have faced discrimination at work due to their ethnicity, according to a diversity survey by the British Institute of Interior Design.Conducted last year, BIID claims its Diversity in Interior Design survey is “the UK’s first-ever survey of diversity in interior design”.
    Forty-two per cent of the 109 respondents who identified as Asian, black, mixed or other said they had been a victim of discrimination in their profession or workplace because of their race or ethnicity.
    Just over 60 per cent also believe that their race or ethnicity has hindered their advancement in the industry.
    “It is clear that racism has been a factor that has held back the career progression of ethnic minority designers,” BIID chief operating office Katherine Elworthy told Dezeen.
    White designers disproportionately represented in senior positions
    The results found that 46 per cent of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) interior designers are the only person of colour in their workplace.
    White designers, on the other hand, are disproportionally represented in leadership roles.
    Although they made up only 69 per cent of all 363 survey respondents, white designers accounted for 78 per cent of those in high-level positions.

    Fifteen per cent of all respondents have faced discrimination based on their ethnicity. This number increases to 42 per cent if only including responses from people who identify as Asian, black, mixed or other

    A total of 363 interior designers responded to the diversity survey. Overall, 37 per cent of respondents believed that they had been the victim of discrimination.
    Along with discrimination based on ethnicity the survey also identified that 18 per cent of designers believe they had been discriminated against because of their gender.
    The vast majority of these were women with 63 out of the 298 female respondents saying they had experienced discrimination.
    The survey also revealed that 10 per cent of respondents had been discriminated against because of their age.
    Issues start at university
    In addition to the survey, BIID analysed data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on how different minority groups were represented among interior design students and recent graduates over the last five years.
    This showed that while interior design students are more likely to be from BAME backgrounds than the average UK student, a quarter of them end up having to take on low-skilled, non-industry jobs after university compared to 19 per cent of white students.

    Of all survey respondents who were in senior positions, 78 per cent were white
    This is a higher percentage than the average BAME student who studied a different subject, which BIID concluded: “suggests there may be particular difficulties for ethnic minorities who have interior design degrees”.
    “We also know from government statistics there is a correlation between being a member of some ethnic minority groups and being in the bottom income quintiles,” Elworthy explained.
    “If unpaid internships are still one of the routes into the profession then this, of course, may disadvantage designers who come from lower-income households.”
    HESA data further showed that there is an “attainment gap” at university, with only 13 per cent of BAME students receiving a first-class degree compared to 28 per cent of white students.
    Problem requires a “multi-faceted” solution
    “Whilst we are encouraged by high numbers of students choosing to study interior design, we need to explore how we can support the career progression of those students from ethnic minorities who may not be getting the opportunities to progress once qualified,” Elworthy concluded.
    “We feel that a multi-faceted approach is the best way forward. Our recently formed Diversity and Inclusion Committee is looking at how we can help support change within design practices, including recruitment, internships and opportunities for promotion,” she added.

    “Conversations about diversity need to expand to celebrate the work of people of colour”

    “We are also looking at how we can work with partners in the wider industry, such as universities, colleges, trade shows, awards schemes, suppliers and other industry initiatives to make sure our industry is diverse and inclusive.”
    The survey, which received responses both from BIID members and non-members, was conducted anonymously. “This does mean that we were unable to verify the identity of respondents,” BIID said.
    “We must also emphasise that given that this survey was entirely voluntary and based on a small self-selecting sample size, it cannot necessarily be used to extrapolate for the entire UK interior design profession.”
    In a separate effort to increase the diversity of the interior design sector, Sophie Ashby and Alexandria Dauley set up the United in Design initiative earlier this year.
    The project outlines seven concrete steps that interior design studios can take to improve their diversity.

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 200 Shares179 Views

      United in Design aims to provide a “road map” to make the interiors industry more diverse

      by

      Interior designers Sophie Ashby and Alexandria Dauley have set up United in Design, an organisation that aims to increase racial diversity within the interiors industry.The initiative, which is supported by designers Martin Brudnizki and Joyce Wang, as well as Dezeen columnist Michelle Ogundehin, will invite studios to pledge committing a series of actions to make the interior design industry racially inclusive.
      “Our goal, together with our esteemed steering committee, is to create a UK wide initiative and provide an actionable road map for design studios, magazines and suppliers to follow,” said Ashby and Dauley.
      “We are the definition of grassroots for now, but we are thinking big and in it for the long-haul,” they continued. “We aim to create equal opportunities to those who may previously have been overlooked, side-lined or worse.”

      United in Design was founded by interior designers Alexandria Dauley (left) and Sophie Ashby
      A steering committee comprised of the founders, Brudnizki, Wang, Ogundehin, and a roster of others such as Graeme Brooker, who is head of design at the RCA and Emily Senior, who is digital editor at House & Garden magazine, will determine United in Design’s direction.

      United in Design members will commit to supporting the BAME community
      The organisation aims to support the BAME community in two ways – the first is the creation of a resource hub-cum-online journal, which will provide guidance on how to get a career in interior design and share employment and training opportunities.
      This resource will be overseen by Simon Hamilton, an interior design career coach and former international director of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID).
      United in Design will also ask interior design professionals to commit to its seven-point action pledge.
      Five of the actions focus on commitments to the BAME community: school outreach, career insight days and work experience, mentoring, apprenticeships, and talks with art schools, design colleges and universities.
      The other two actions – diversity training and promoting the work of BAME designers through press and PR – are commitments that professionals will carry out within their own businesses.
      Members will pay an annual subscription fee
      Those that are able to commit themselves to at least three of the seven pledges will become “a member of the United in Design movement”.
      Members will also have to pay an annual subscription fee to the United in Design charity which will go towards funding initiatives and widening their outreach.

      “Hire black designers first and foremost,” say organisers of Where are the Black Designers? anti-racism conference

      The launch of United in Design comes in light of the murder of George Floyd and wave of anti-racism protests across the globe.
      In the days following Floyd’s death – when several creatives were sharing black squares on Instagram to show solidarity with racial equality – Ashby issued a statement that called out “uncomfortable home truths” about the exclusionary nature of the interiors industry. She also addressed her own “blatant failure” of running a diverse design company.
      “The outpouring of energy and sheer drive for change I received in response to this post was the fuel I needed to take it one step further and start to provide actionable avenues for change,” Ashby told Dezeen.
      United in Design “powered by first-hand experience”
      “My passion for United in Design was ultimately powered by first-hand experience of this reality,” added Dauley, who noted the lack of BAME people when she both studied and tutored at the KLC School of Design. “I began outreach to leading industry figures to specifically promote the benefits of addressing inequality.”
      Others in the interiors and wider designer industry are trying to tackle and talk about the issue of inclusivity. Last month, in an opinion column for Dezeen, Michelle Ogundehin shared her personal experiences with racism and said that more open discussions about diversity need to be provoked.
      Interior designer Rukmini Patel and writer Kate Watson-Smyth, who runs interiors blog Made About the House, have recently collaborated to launch the Design for Diversity campaign.
      It asks brands, influencers and publications to post a sticker to their website or social media channels – by using the sticker, they pledge to consider the visibility, opportunity and accessibility of different races, genders and sexualities.
      Visual designer Mitzi Okou and interaction designer Garret Albury also teamed up to organise Where are the Black Designers?, an online conference that looked into the underrepresentation of black talent in the design and education industries.

      Read more: More

    • 200 Shares179 Views

      “Interior design casually borrows from cultures it finds aesthetically pleasing without hiring people from those backgrounds”

      by

      Borrowing aesthetics from a range of cultures masks the lack of racial diversity in interior design and it is now time to change this says Bhavin Taylor.As a BAME designer, I am well aware of the lack of diversity and the dearth of representation within interior design. The issue is not new and has been going on in our industry for years.
      Coming from an Indian background – with its own strong cultural heritage – a creative career is not often understood, nor seen as a stable career path by those around me. Growing up, I was hindered by the fact that there were no role models that looked like me who could offer aspiration or relatability. This made the decision to become a part of the industry a difficult one. It is not an environment for those who aren’t comfortable standing out – luckily, I am not one of them.

      I was only one of two people of colour in my class. All the teaching staff were white

      This lack of diversity was apparent throughout my younger years and especially so when I entered the industry. Starting at interior design school, I was only one of two people of colour in my class. All the teaching staff were white. This has continued throughout my career. In the professional workplace and at industry events, I am always in the minority. This is particularly noticeable in media and television, where the representation of BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) designers is sadly lacking.
      Our industry, which is all too often one seen as being crafted only by Magnolia-coloured hands, has a tendency to casually borrow from cultures that they find aesthetically pleasing, without thinking about the context or hiring experience from the backgrounds they find so inspirational.

      “I aim to shed light on what it is like walking in the shoes of a black woman within architecture”

      Everyone will have used or heard the term “tribal”, “boho” or “ethnic”, but do they know where these actually come from and what they mean?
      Tribal is a blanket term usually applied to crafts from the African continent. Quite often, you will see traditional textiles and patterns being used, such as the Kuba cloth, to denote a tribal aesthetic. Such cloth is created by the Kuba people of the Congo and requires a technique that is very time consuming and laborious.
      Boho comes from Bohémien, a French word referring to a group of people who travelled from a region in the Czech Republic known as Bohemia. Later, this term broadened to include the artist, writer, actor, or musician, often poor, who led a nomadic lifestyle making stops at major European cities. Bohemian design today is about incorporating many different things from different philosophies, parts of the world, and ways of life. The result is an eclectic style that’s as diverse as the people who inspire it. Note the key word there – diverse.

      Crafts are translated by the industry as interior design, quite often without the correct exposure or recognition

      Ethnic design is influenced by patterns, motifs and handicrafts from non-industrialised cultures, drawing its ideas from indigenous communities across South America, Africa and Asia. For example, Persian rugs – also known as Iranian Carpets produced in Iran (historically known as Persia) – are rugs of various types that were woven in parallel by nomadic tribes, in village and town workshops, and by royal court manufactories alike. They represent miscellaneous, simultaneous lines of tradition, and reflect the history of Iran and its various people.
      From a quick dig into the history of these styles, it is clear that they stem from traditional local crafts in the countries that they originate from. These crafts are translated by the industry as interior design, quite often without the correct exposure or recognition given to these hardworking, talented men and women.
      My question is if you take inspiration from another culture, are you giving them enough credit? Or are you inadvertently suppressing the faces and voices of these cultures for your personal preference or gain?

      It is our duty to proudly represent our diversity so that we can inspire and educate the younger generation

      This pattern of repackaging cultural artefacts as trends has minimised the visibility of diversity within the industry, even though it has actually been present for years. Everyone that has an influence on how the industry is portrayed should investigate this tendency to erase creative people of colour, as they in some way or another have played their part in creating the misrepresentation of the industry.
      Unfortunately, the past cannot be changed, but the narrative going forward can. I am calling upon our industry, including our major and trade media outlets, our social, our publications and our events to ensure that we collaborate, employ, contract, buy and promote diversely – and be vocal when we see that we are failing to do so.
      I also call upon other BAME designers such as myself, who are already a part of the industry, to come forward and be visible. It is our duty to proudly represent our diversity so that we can inspire and educate the younger generation – and their families – that a creative career is for everyone. In doing so, we may eventually get to a stage where we will only be recognised for our talents and not the colour of our skin.
      Main image is by Juliet Murphy.
      Bhavin Taylor is the founder of award-winning interior design studio Bhavin Taylor Design, based in London. Taking inspiration from his Indian heritage and with his extensive experience in both the fashion and interiors industry, Bhavin creates unique spaces that are bursting with personality, according to his motto “Love Colour. Embrace Pattern.”
      Read more: More

    • 50 Shares189 Views

      “Let's talk about diversity”

      by

      We need to provoke discussion, not anger, when it comes to talking about diversity, says Michelle Ogundehin, who shares her personal experiences with racism, views on positive discrimination and ways in which individuals can make a difference. So, let’s talk about diversity in design. I am a woman of mixed-heritage (my father was black Nigerian, my […] More