Despite womxn representing over half of design school graduates, they remain significantly underrepresented in senior roles (see Kerning the Gap). I've heard too many stories of womxn with rock bottom confidence in their design skills.
One rainy night last autumn, a friend shared that she didn't feel she had the confidence to apply for design roles despite having 3 years' agency experience. Somehow the agency had knocked the confidence right out of her.
I knew I had to do something, so we started with something small. An affirmation.
My ideas bring valuable contributions to the world of design.
(Hilariously, I was riddled with doubt throughout the whole process of creating the Affirmation Foundry “It’s been done before!”, “Who am I to even do this?”, “Everyone will think it’s amateur.” etc, etc.)
The Affirmation Foundry is for my younger self, my now self, and anyone feeling the same way.
Our mission is to encourage womxn in design to visualise and achieve their full potential, break through barriers, and reshape the industry.
Logo and visual identity
The starting point for the visual identity was the idea of the hammer and anvil. We began by sketching ideas around that moment of a hammer striking the anvil, representing hard work, determination and grit.
This developed into something less literal, focusing on the by-product of all that hard work: resilience and brilliance. The Affirmation Foundry is for the grit, the long-haul. Like when the hammer strikes the anvil. It’s tough — but sparks fly.
Typography
We chose the font Authentic Sans, mostly because of its beauty, but also because it’s about “...expanding and redefining the visual and cultural boundaries of default systems.” Perfect for us 💕.
Website
Built in Webflow by Jamabuck, our site features a neat automation built by the brilliant Spyros Tsoukalas, showcasing a new affirmation on the homepage every week.
Resources
In collaboration with the beautiful Floxies Community, we created a four-part series on designing your personal portfolio, covering vision, values, competition as peers, what not to include, and more. Access the free resources here and watch the sessions here.
What’s Next?
We're brimming with ideas: think... a Chrome extension for weekly affirmations... Ooohh!... A deck of 52 affirmation cards for your desk... Ahhhh!... Weekly guided meditations... Ooh!?
🤝 Get Involved If you're inspired, great! This is a caffeine-and-passion-fuelled side project, and your support can help bring more of these ideas to life. Buy us a coffee to keep the caffeine supply going ☕️
