Mothers in Industrial Design

The past 13 months remain hard to fathom. The utter devastation of COVID. The terrors of racial injustice. Vast, global wildfires. The U.S. caught in a political tornado. And, among all this, women disappeared from the workforce - slipping away by the millions. 

After centuries of fighting for equal rights, it is again searingly clear that disparity both at home and in the workplace continues to leave women openly vulnerable in moments of crisis, even within the largest global economies.

level is proud to be an industrial design studio led by mothers. As we juggled ourselves, our families and our work through the turmoil, we decided to reach out to a few incredible women and mothers who work within industrial design to hear and share perspectives. 

These women are leaders, innovators, activists, and mothers all at once. They drive design within Google, Microsoft, Teague and Fuseproject. We not only asked about the realities that COVID inflicted, but of their own paths to motherhood within design and where they have found strength.

Our goal in sharing these stories is to give courage to those of us who might have reached a tipping point, or already bowed out. 

This glimpse inside the journeys of female leaders within design we hope will inspire and reassure women that one can live life to its fullest in design and in motherhood.

If you like what you read here, please join us for a live panel discussion hosted by IDSA’s WID-SF team on Thursday, May 27. RSVP here.

The Voices…

“KM” - Katie Morgenroth, Nest Industrial Design Manager at Google. Two children, 7 and 4 years old.

“LM” - Lindsey Maxwell, Vice President at TEAGUE. Two children, 11 and 13 years old.

“NR” - Nicola Ralston, Senior Director, Design at Windows and Surface Devices Group, Microsoft. Two children, 3 and 6 years old.

“Q” - Qin, VP of Design at fuseproject. Two children, 16 and 11 years old

“NRL” - Nichole Rouillac, Founder and Creative Director at level design sf. One child, 7 years old.

“VB” - Vicci Baigrie, DesignOps at level design sf. One child, 2 years old.

The Questions…

1. How has COVID impacted your workday?

KM: BEFORE. The mornings started early - 6:30 at the latest. I would get up, shower, prep a french press and then hustle to organize lunch boxes, backpacks and negotiate the day's outfits before getting both boys to school by 8:30. Typically I would arrive at work around 9:15... I never sat at my desk for very long... Our design studio is a unique space, filled with life, inspiration and sunshine. I loved bringing teammates into our space to share all the beautiful work we were cooking up... DURING. March 2020 felt like I had entered the “upside down” in Stranger Things... I was in a completely foreign place. I was suddenly a home-school teacher and felt an extreme responsibility to support my team and programs in a world that was anything but predictable... We had to completely reinvent the way we collaborated... On my direct team, we prioritized more space for connection to stay mentally and creatively afloat... Remote learning meant plugging through anywhere from 6 to 10 assignments a day. Lots of snacks, body breaks and walks around the neighborhood kept our kids feeling optimistic. Inside, I felt like I was falling behind... Over time, our children’s teachers figured out how to optimize for remote learning, our team figured out how to make working from home - work. Little by little I gained back time to focus on design... I can go into the office when I need to and have learned to love my little wood paneled home office. My boys interrupt our “team cheers” and base jump off of my office couch every chance they get. There’s no façade, it’s all out there.

LM: BEFORE. You would hardly find me at a desk. I would often be jumping from meeting to meeting and driving from different locations at TEAGUE or visiting clients. DURING. You will find me in one spot, in one room and on the computer in virtual meetings constantly. On top of that... I am now the one who handles most of the household appointments and needs.

NR: BEFORE. Typically leaving the house early to beat the am traffic, missing out on the kid’s morning routines, immersing in the workday, fast paced, hands on. Racing back home with rush hour traffic with the aim to sit down with the kids for dinner and be part of the evening routine, spending time with them and my husband.

Q: BEFORE.  Being a working mom means always juggling the priorities between family and career. I was usually up early and making different types of breakfast meals for my kids. My daughters attend different schools, so my husband and I each take one for school drop-offs. I take early meetings with our European clients, so that can sometimes mean taking that call in the car on the way to the studio. Occasionally, my older daughter would take the bus to meet me at the studio so we could drive home together after work. It takes planning and communication in our family to make sure everyone’s taken care of. DURING. My oldest daughter is 16 and can manage most of her responsibilities. It’s also about that time in her life where she’s seeking more independence so we rely on communication to build that trust. Most of our focus during COVID was on the younger one, who is 11 years old. She needs help getting ready for school and signing into her Zoom sessions still. Whenever I can catch a moment, I check in on her to see if she needs help with homework or an activity. Outside of managing school and their homework, we’ve also made changes to our home to make it more dynamic now that we’re all spending so much time there. We fixed the swing in the backyard, built a ladder up to our tree, and set up painting stations for weekend arts and crafts. We realized quickly how important it is to keep them engaged and interacting throughout the past year, so having fun activities around the house gives us all space and time to do what we need to do. 

NRL: BEFORE. On a good week, I would wake up early 2-3 days a week for a workout. That meant getting up at 5:30am... Then I’m home by 7am to start getting my daughter ready for school. My husband and I would switch off the drop off and pick up. I would usually get to work between 8:30-9am... I spend my day wearing a lot of hats but regardless of how busy my schedule was, I always start with a good coffee. I love being able to chat with the team so that we spend time together away from screens or design reviews. I would spend my mornings planning out urgent deliverables, checking on the latest ideas calling clients and answering emails. We all sit around one big table so we’re constantly talking throughout the day. Late afternoons are usually when my creative juices are at their best so I would try to be involved in creative reviews and brainstorms or even getting my hands dirty building mock-ups. I typically left work at 6pm-ish ... go home to be with my family for the evening routine of homework, dinner, bathtime, story time then off to bed for my little one. After it was lights out for my daughter, it was back to work for me... nighttime opens up my mind so I would often go back to the studio for some “alone time” enjoying my creative solitude. DURING. I wake up with the family and we get ready together... I prioritize the team bonding time, starting the day all together with coffee. virtually and ending our days with design critiques. My day is split between pitches and impromptu calls, broken up by family walks, a lego build session, or playing with our new puppy... Just before SIP, my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and at 7 years old, she is learning crucial skills like reading and writing that were nearly impossible to get her to focus and learn through a screen... Beyond her learning challenges she is also a very social creature and being away from classmates made her especially unwieldy... While all of this was happening my mother was going in and out of the hospital, after two open heart surgeries and my 87 year old grandfather contracted COVID and was dying through a slow 3 month struggle with the virus. I had never before been hit with so many life challenges on so many levels all colliding at the same moment in time… I had so many people relying on me that giving up never seemed like an option. After carrying all of this for so long, I’m exhausted. It’s a compounded exhaustion. No amount of coffee or wine seems to fix... 

VB: BEFORE. I live in Oakland, so on a workday my husband and I hustled ourselves and Otto out of the house to deliver him to DayCare by 8am. We then braced ourselves through bridge traffic into San Francisco - after 8 months of new parenting the commute became a welcome moment to be alone. My day was then spent immersed in whatever the studio needed. I joined in January 2020, so a lot of it was absorbing the needs of the business and then actioning whatever was required to keep cogs turning. At 4pm I had to leave to beat bridge traffic back to fetch Otto by 5pm. DURING. Initially I switched into an as-needed contract for urgent issues only - handling a then 11 month old was a full time job. This naturally evolved and escalated as my input was needed more regularly. Now I work whenever I am able with Otto at my ankles or while he is sleeping, with my husband covering me for urgent meetings. It has been exhausting to have to be a fulltime, stay-at-home mum and be working part-time all at once. It is frustrating and demoralizing to not be able to tackle as much as I would like. Anxiety about work, parenting, partnership and life piles up.

2. As you navigated pregnancy and early parenthood, did you have peers within your workplace who had done the same before you?

KM: My mom has been an incredible role model in my life. She’s a UX director at a publishing company. Growing up, she was a Mac fangirl, Photoshop expert and school art teacher. She was also an amazing Mom. She boldly wore many hats and wasn’t afraid to blend her layers of responsibilities... I knew I always wanted children and I wanted to have an amazing career. My mom had done it. I could too. As for direct peers, I had a few female UX teammates that had small children... They were so supportive, sharing hand-me-downs, furniture and tips. As time went on, I found that my children’s daycare and preschools made the introductions to some of the most amazing fellow moms / creatives. 

NR: I’ve always been surrounded by peers, colleagues and friends who have families with young kids... I remember folks speaking openly about prioritizing work life balance, what this was and what this looked like. Working predominantly for a time with Nokia, a Finnish company, and having lived in Finland – this really set the benchmark for me of how work and family balance should be.

Q: fuseproject was a small studio at the time. We still have this in some ways, but it was a start-up culture when I first became a mom. I don’t remember having many colleagues or peers who had traversed the new mom landscape before I did at fuseproject, not to mention there weren’t as many women designers. Parenting will always be a balancing act of sorts, but it certainly was in the very beginning. 

NRL: I had absolutely no one to look up to in my company. I was the first woman to ever get pregnant and have a baby while working at that design studio. In fact, when I started, I was the only female designer on the team. 

VB: I fell pregnant while working at a different company... A few of the men on the team had had kids. Only one other woman had worked through pregnancy in the studio - she is a strong, talented individual who did so with grace. She was OOO on maternity leave as I fell pregnant and I was laid off at 3 months pregnant.

3. How did your peers impact your journey through maternity and motherhood?

KM: I feel really lucky to have a few peers that I’ve transitioned through multiple roles and companies with. Our relationships feel like a blend between peers, siblings and friends. I definitely leaned on this group to support my projects and responsibilities while on maternity leave across multiple companies. I’ve been able to do the same for them as they’ve grown their families. 

NR: I’ve always been inspired and energized by the working mums and dads around me, the journey of parenthood I feel is interwoven in the fabric of our culture here at Microsoft and just as equally at Nokia. I only have ever felt stronger as a woman being a mum in the industry that I’m in. It offers you different perspectives, gives you a different strength.

NRL: I was lucky to have a really supportive team and especially supportive bosses. They went above and beyond to make the whole process as comfortable as possible for me. Everyone worked hard to make me feel like an equal and still important to the design work. I was even given a promotion just before my maternity leave... I was given the freedom to tell them how long I wanted to take off and the company even accommodated my request to return part time initially. When I was back in the office, they had set up a beautiful nursing room, newly furnished with designer decor. I felt so lucky to be so cared for... after the first year my boss, who had been unbelievably supportive, left the company. I no longer felt the protection and care I had prior. I was having to work a lot of late nights often on calls with Asia until 1-2am in the morning. The hardest part was the pressure to travel a lot... requests to stay in Asia for 2 week stints. It’s so hard on a mom to be away from a 1 year old for so long... While it may have saved them a bit of money, it cost me a ton personally and was ultimately the reason I left. 

VB: My maternity period was a whirlwind. In September 2018 my husband and I bought our first ever home - a fixer-upper in Oakland, a new city for us. That October I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant, and in November I was laid off from a position I had held for 6 years, building a team and company, 2 days before I was planning on officially telling everyone. So! My maternity ended-up being a strange thing impacted by many situations, which had a knock-on effect on my health. However, it was during that year I connected more with Nichole at level, and it was her perspective of motherhood and flexibility around working that enabled me to return to the workforce with confidence in 2019. Her adaptability has kept me buoyant throughout these first crazy years of parenthood.

4. What has been most challenging in balancing work, home and parenthood through COVID?

KM: I live by airplane emergency rules when challenges arise. “Get your mask on before helping others.” ... we made the decision very early on to split our days between home and work. Similar to pre-COVID, I took on the morning childcare responsibilities and my husband took the afternoon. I blocked my calendar, met with partners to establish a new cadence of connection and aligned on any responsibilities that needed shuffling. This part was very hard. Having to step back a bit, to admit I needed help. 

I was very thankful, especially in those early months to have strong support from my manager and VP. They gave me the space to establish the rhythm I needed to make this new world work. 

LM: ... blending of work and home. It is not just interruptions by children because they know you are home, but also I now find myself picking up many more of the household chores previously shared by my husband... Prior to COVID and my working from home, my husband and I would consult our schedules to see who could take the kids to the doctor, dentist, orthodontist, etc. Now I do it because it is easier for me to run out of the house... When you have two kids in braces this can really stack up! It becomes difficult both in the interruptions and appointments to constantly shift focus from work to the needs of the home. It can feel like you are constantly being pulled in multiple directions while also being very aware of the mental health of your children. This is a rough time for them too, after all!

NR: ... giving time to finding a new balance, working out a new daily rhythm and flow. Assessing how each of my roles needed to change and working over the first months to really craft that and have it continuously adapted around the needs that other people have. It’s been quite an amazing journey, that I feel has strengthened all the roles that you have.

Q: When they were younger, the most challenging aspect was managing their schedules. Children rely on structure, so when you have a set time to drop and pick them up, your entire day--as a professional--is beholden to that. There can be something huge happening at work, but you just have to drop what you’re doing and know that you’ll have to pick it up later in the evening when they’re off to bed. You do it happily because they are your children but the truth is, fitting everything into your day is something unavoidable and hard. 

NRL: I was torn between the two things I love deeply, my one and only daughter who I love with all of my heart and my business that I put everything into building the last few years of my life. COVID put both in such a fragile state and I worked tirelessly to keep both of them afloat. There’s no book in the world that could have prepared me for how unbelievably challenging that time was. There is not a word capable of describing the stressful state that I was in. 

VB: Managing the household... The "mental load" is a term often used about women and motherhood... the thinking, researching, planning, adjusting, organizing, booking. It consumes endless bandwidth. My husband would be described as hands-on by anyone's standards, however the reality is that generally the mental load still lies heavily with women or primary caregivers.

5. If you have sought support, who have you gone to and how have you redistributed or shared responsibilities?

LM: One of the best things I did during COVID is start a POD at my house. I banned together with some neighborhood mothers to hire someone part time to come in the house and keep our kids on track. In total it was three 10 year olds and three 13 year olds 3-4 days a week. This was huge in taking the education burden off of me so I could focus more on my job. It has not been easy to be the manager of the POD both in running it and the financial burden, but has been critical for me paying attention to my own needs and mental health. 

NR: ... I share much more responsibility at home with my husband, spend much more time with my kids, I invest in me much more than I ever did, carving out time to work out daily, building routines that are consistent and coherent both for myself and for us as a family. The education and childcare aspect have been huge, getting to know the kids through this lens intensely, understanding better their needs during this time and making changes to their education and childcare approaches to also invest in them and their wellbeing.

NRL: In January 2020 I decided to hire an Au Pair... my daughter was needing extra schoolwork support due to her ADHD and I had just finished a business “divorce”. As I took on my new role as a solo business leader, I wanted to ensure I had consistent quality childcare. The decision became the lifesaver for our family, my business and my sanity.

6. Have you experienced, or been witness to, discrimination based on pregnancy or parenthood within a workplace?

KM: Unconscious bias is all around us. I believe everyone has the responsibility to speak up when they sense patterns or behaviors that are at odds with inclusion or equity. It’s the only way to break the cycle. Personally, I’ve had a very positive experience blending my career and motherhood...That said... I was nearing the end of my first trimester with my second child, (when) my then design studio closed... The advice I had always been given before that phase was to “time it” so you are between projects... After seeking advice from several mentors, I made the personal decision not to disclose my pregnancy during the interview process unless explicitly asked. I didn’t try to hide it but I also didn’t think it was appropriate to share such personal information at a time when I knew I was being assessed for my professional competency in design. When I landed my dream job, I promptly shared my pregnancy news with my then manager. I was terrified of this moment. To my surprise, I was met with nothing but support. The strange part about this era was... my feelings of frustration with the well intentioned working moms who gave me that early advice “to find the right time.” We don’t always have this luxury - sometimes we get thrown a ball that seems impossible to catch or see coming. 

NR: I’ve not. I’ve always chosen to and been part of a working culture that embraces family values and has diverse leadership teams. 

Q: Many people don’t believe a single parent can work as hard simply because there is the added responsibility of raising children on their own. Rather than thinking of it as a comparison between parents and non-parents, we should consider the way an organization can better support people through this universal phase of life beyond the bare minimum of medical leave. People everywhere want to have children, families. It’s time that businesses recognize the imbalance of responsibility in the early stages of raising children and create initiatives to support not only the transition into parenthood but back into the workforce as well.  

NRL: While I had been well-treated at the firm I was at when I had my own daughter, there are agencies I  worked for previously that we’re far less accommodating... a studio I worked in for a number of years had an unwritten rule of “No babies allowed”. There was one women who had a child while I worked there and she never returned. Even my male manager hid the fact that his wife was pregnant. The first woman who ever had a child and attempted to keep working for the firm was let go the day she returned from maternity leave. She filed a major lawsuit against the company. They were forced to settle. I hope lessons were learned... Unfortunately stories like this are often silenced but I believe it’s important to have awareness so that others know that this type of discrimination is not acceptable and also for women to know to stay away from those type of work environments.

VB: I decided to interview for new roles regardless of being pregnant - I had been working towards an exit from the studio I’d been in and it felt important to remain true to this personal goal. I believed that the people I would want to work with would hire the right person despite a pregnancy. Two of the companies I met with I decided to pursue, and in both instances I went through weeks and months of numerous interviews including in-persons with various team members, often verbally referred to as if I was part of the team. In both instances, as I reached 7 months (recruitment processes take time and my bump was small!), I decided to let them know I was pregnant. And in both instances I had glowing congratulations from everyone. I never heard from one of those companies again, and the other informed me a few days later that they'd be continuing their search. Equally, I had recruiters head hunting me during this period, and as soon as I mentioned pregnancy their tone dropped. In addition to all this, when Otto was first born I joined a few “new mum” hangouts. Time and again 1/3 or so of the woman in any given gathering had been laid off during their pregnancy. My career has spanned 15 years and multiple global recessions in the UK and US, and never have I ever been among groups of people with such high rates of layoff. The numbers of women who lose jobs during maternity screams of a prevalent issue.

7. Are there ways in which we can adapt culturally to mitigate the risk of future discrimination during pregnancy and parenthood?

KM: I think we need to talk more about how all our roles are connected. The quote "it takes a village" is so real. Figuring out childcare, back-up childcare and how to travel when there's a baby at home are not tasks that we can't handle, but they require creativity and coordination. Company benefits, flexibility and supportive partners are crucial. My husband and I both work full-time and split responsibilities at home.  His colleagues know to expect that he may need to step-up more when I travel. At work, I don't feel any conflict when I need to ask for flexibility because my sons are sick or have a school event I need to attend. My manager and her manager are both mothers (which is incredible and rare), so I know they understand. I'm extremely thankful for the layers of support I have. I know this isn't the same experience for many.

Q: The journey through parenthood is different for everyone. We do not all have the same privileges and level of help so the first step is to develop understanding and empathy for others who may be going through parenthood for the first time. While having children is a choice, it is also universally experienced so the more commonplace and understood the reality of motherhood is, the better off we all are. Discrimination in the workplace begins by shifting the make-up of leadership. Leadership teams need to resemble the body of employees to which they lead, meaning it should be made up of diverse individuals across gender, nationality, race, sexuality, and of course, lifestyle choices such as being a parent or having no children. Taking care of your employees, supporting them through different phases of life, and helping them adapt and evolve as individuals are all key to creating a sustainable business and healthier workplace culture.

NRL: I believe that it all comes down to leadership. When the bosses set a good example for work life balance and show they care about their team on a personal level this often manifests itself in good policy for mom and families... I also feel lucky to live in a state like California. Having benefits paid by the state and laws that protect mothers and fathers when they take time off for a new child is essential to making this work for businesses. Access to quality and affordable childcare is also something that needs work from our government. It is appalling to me that we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world yet nationally we provide zero paid time off for new moms.

VB: There needs to be a wide, honest acknowledgement of the human toll of being a working parent. Allowing parents time with their children only makes them happier, and in turn raises happier people, which means stronger familial units for generations to come and more committed employees. All of which strengthens economies. This is already modelled with success by many other countries. Let's try harder!

8. What are your feelings around "flexibility" in the workplace?

KM: Flexibility in the workplace is a fundamental need. It’s not just about women or families, it’s important for everyone. We have aging parents, we have DMV appointments, we have our health to look after… it’s no longer a debate. It’s also critical for us, as teammates and leaders to remain flexible in our mindsets... This has helped me establish stronger relationships and design better products. 

LM: ...Prior to this I had a more traditional view of needing to be in the office during typical work hours. The pandemic has proven very talented and motivated employees can work around new constraints to get their work done when it works for them. We have Figured out a new rhythm that works for us, them, and the needs of their families... the opportunity is not to return to 'normal' but to return to what works best. This will take much more iterations as we learn what a hybrid approach of working from home and in the office will look like. 

NR: I’ve always believed in a flexible workplace culture... what you learned very quickly during this journey has been that everyone has a unique home situation, and you must embrace and build empathy for those differences, support one another, become a team stronger than before... 

Q: Organizations need to be responsible for creating a culture of transparency. Understanding what your employees are going through, new parenthood among the most life-altering, helps an organization create programs and initiatives that allow employees to be flexible. Everybody needs support and flexibility at some point in their lives or another. Parenthood isn’t the only demanding phase we go through in life; flexibility benefits us all, including the business itself.  

NRL: I am happy to offer flexibility to the moms on my team and to myself as I navigate raising a child and being an entrepreneur. While starting my own business wasn’t an easy path... I am in ultimate control and can make my own schedule so when there are important events at school or in my family life, I can schedule work around it and I love that flexibility. It also means I have all the pressure and responsibility, which can be a lot, but I still think it’s the right path for me. 

VB: Women and men should have the same options around flexibility. Having this aimed at one caregiver inherently assigns the weight of responsibility to a single parent, which is damaging to that person's goals, let alone the stresses it puts on family relationships.

9. Do you feel your personal perception of success has changed in any way?

NR: In terms of balance, yes... I feel better for my roles and my day being more blended in a way – not rushing between one role and another. I have become stronger in that sense and more confident ...

NRL: As a young entrepreneur, pre-pandemic I had been determined to be able to play alongside other preeminent industrial design studios. COVID forced me to reflect on what matters. I no longer feel as driven to be the biggest, or for a need to be recognized. What really matters is making sure I can work with good people - my team and clients - and be a part of meaningful projects that are positively impacting our society. Preserving good studio culture and work life balance are far more important measurements of success.

VB: I've let go. A lot. This process began a long time ago, but it was compounded by the realities that motherhood during COVID forced on my career and myself. Before I had a child I used to run a design studio and a business. Now I do what I can to support one.

10. Are there any thoughts you might share with women who are considering leaving, or who have recently left, the workforce?

KM: ... When days fly by and I can’t remember what I appreciated or learned - I know I’m moving too fast. When I feel like I’m not being heard, I try a new approach. When I want to give up, I try to slow down, reflect on how far I’ve come and all the things I love about design. For anyone considering a change, I’ll share one piece of feedback I’ve received and hold close to me: Don’t run away from anything, run towards the people and projects that give you energy. 

NR: Life is short, get after what you want and embrace it, adapt, and change with the journey, whatever that journey may be. Don’t be judged through the success lenses of others, be clear on what your lenses are. Have fun! 

NRL: I beg for you to make your way back in. The industry needs you. There are already too few women and we can not afford to lose more... consumers will be underserved if we don’t have a diverse group of creative voices. 

VB: Motherhood is brutal, devastating and absolutely extraordinary. So, listen to your gut and you do you. Whatever decision you make, you will be able to find a path back to your dreams, even if they’ve evolved a little.

11. Is there anything you would choose to maintain or adapt once shelter-in-place is alleviated?

KM: On the home front, we started a tradition that I love. We go around the table and share our “peak” and our “pit” - the highlight and lowlight of our day. These small regular reflections have been so therapeutic...

LM: ... Due to not having a commute, I am now able to exercise more regularly which greatly improves my energy and attitude. I will need to be firm in my commitment to this carving out time to exercise as equal to all the other demands on my time. 

NR: ... I feel we have a deeper respect and empathy for one another and the culture that we want to foster. It will be a new part on this journey, one that we all need to approach with the right pace and adapt yet again to with new flows and rhythms. Exciting!

NRL: my top priority is to continue to allow for the flexibility and independence my team has proven they can handle. We will however have to balance that with the reality that we are a hardware company. In our world, a screen can never replace our need to hold our creations or experience them in physical space. There is also no replacement for the energy felt in the sketch room together.

12. What are your positive takeaways from the last year?

KM: ... The air is cleaner... my team has more personal time to exercise, read and form hobbies outside of work. I’ve seen my boys for dinner almost every night this year...

NR:  ... the sense of community at home. It's the first time that I have felt part of a community here, being someone that has moved to the US from Europe into an area where most folks have lived their whole life, been to the local schools, have family all around. How the community came together to help one another, support one another, has been a huge warming experience for me, one that would have taken a lot longer to build or even missed out on with my daily, weekly commutes to work pre COVID.

NRL: ... midday lego sessions or walks in the park. Learning to look up from the computer more is a good lesson. a puppy... I’m grateful for that. 

VB: Time with our boy. He has had both parents loving and informing his growth everyday. That’s golden.

13. What do you look forward to most once COVID is contained?

KM: One word. Hugs. 

LM: ... Ask for what you need. This includes at work and at home. Building up resentment is not going to help you to manage through motherhood and working in a healthy way. As far as being a designer and mother, learn what to say not to and what is important to you. There will be times where you can’t ‘do it all’ and that is ok. For example, being as involved as you would like to in the design community or volunteering at school. Also, work on changing the culture of your workplace to be a place where parents can thrive. Talk to your project teams about the fact that you have multiple jobs you must do. And if that doesn’t work, find a place to work that supports working parents. When people start to leave cultures which no longer work, the culture will start to change for the better for the parents who come after you. 

NR:  An even richer balance, greater fulfillment and a studio, culture and environment that empowers everyone.

Q: After more than a year, I think we can all agree that there are definite benefits to working from home. And as designers, we will always love the studio dynamic and the energy. It’s in our DNA from university days, but there is something to be said about the balance of working in the comfort of your home and coming into the studio. I look forward to seeing what lessons learned we can take from this past year to help us grow as individuals, as designers, and as a studio. 

NRL: Having coffee time with my team in real life. Laughing and small talk during brainstorms. Impromptu check-ins and raw on the fly mock-ups that lead to amazing ideas. 

VB: Travel! That first breath of air in a different place... I get to say that because I have to travel to see friends and family, so two birds with one stone!

14. Final words of encouragement for future women and moms in industrial design...

KM: This year has been a rollercoaster. Our journeys and experiences have all been very different. I saw many friends get let go from their jobs. I saw neighbors struggle. I cried with teammates as we felt the pain of a culture and country divided by politics, systemic racism and gender inequality. I’ve read the statistics about the groups that have been hit the hardest in this pandemic. I’ve always believed that you have to work hard, listen and be kind - but this isn’t enough. We need to stay curious, keep learning, question ourselves and others. We need to do more to feed our pipelines with diversity and encouragement - reaching out and making ourselves available as mentors. Getting involved in our communities, our high schools. We need to keep peeling back the layers. And, if you choose to start a family and you have those beautiful babies in your arms, give them your time. Remember that our careers should unfold over decades. Snuggle the little ones close. Put down the phone, close the computer. There will be time for that. AND - smile...

NR:  Really think about the culture and environment that you thrive in, what makes that so for you and have that at the forefront of the decisions you make and questions you may ask when choosing paths to be on. 

NRL: ... I did not know how it would be possible to be the mother I wanted to be and still be able to do what I love with passion. I’ve found that you just have to put your mind to it and you can make it happen. That’s not to say it’s easy... I feel that sticking it out through the challenges of entrepreneurial parenting is beyond worth it and I hope this influences a future full of confident women that know no limits. 

VB: It’s a long road. As I look at friends and family with young daughters it is glaring that we need to keep forging forward. It is exhausting but we will only get there together - this includes men!

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