Let& #39;s talk gatekeeping in design https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👩‍💻" title="Woman technologist" aria-label="Emoji: Woman technologist">

I started out in 2008 with no prior design background, and no access to design resources or mentoring. I grew up in a particularly patriarchal state, and worked in a male-dominated industry. It was a slow start.

Design conferences and events were expensive and elitist. They were intimidating to no-name designers like me.

It took me 10 years to find a place for myself. I& #39;m 34, I& #39;m an IC. I stuck around only because I knew no other skill to make a living. I know designers who fell off.

Plenty of successful designers played into this narrative, because they directly benefited from being the only go-to people in the industry.

I once asked a https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="〰" title="Gewellter Querstrich" aria-label="Emoji: Gewellter Querstrich">rockstarhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="〰" title="Gewellter Querstrich" aria-label="Emoji: Gewellter Querstrich"> designer for design feedback, and was rebuffed: “You’re too pretty to design”.

I’m not new to the industry anymore, and I know my privilege.

It& #39;s on us to build a design community that& #39;s welcoming to new designers. It’s on us to make design resources open and learning events affordable.

(And I’m really grateful that #ConfigEurope is one of these events.)