Hi Anya, Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.
- How many years have you been working in web design?
Proud maker of the Internet since1999! When I was starting out, Wired Magazine was really excited about the fact that HTML lists could now display bullets. It’s amazing how the technology has evolved. Now there are people walking around who don’t remember a world without the Internet - What currently are your main areas of specialization?
Digital design and communication. The Internet is an incredible tool. I see design and communication in terms of storytelling, and telling a story online is the richest way I can think of doing it. Seeing how far the online medium can be pushed is one of the biggest thrills I know. Aside from coming up with creative ideas, I also love learning more about the technical side of things, and solving techie brain teasers – it’s a very different challenge than thinking about communication strategy, but it is a lot of fun as well. - What are some of the significant changes you have seen in technology over the past few years – are there any that stands out for you?
What really stands out is how the technology has transformed every aspect of our lives. I am not surprised that people working in IT and digital communication come up with innovative stuff all the time – one of the things I love about the industry is how many brilliant people I get to work with. What astounds me is that this technology has become a part of the fabric of our lives to a degree I honestly did not anticipate when it was in its early stages. From using a smartphone GPS to navigate an unfamiliar city in real time to live reporting on world events via Twitter, it’s become everything we take for granted about our daily lives. It’s redefined the music industry, media and publishing, retail, work, socializing – everything. I am watching what’s coming next with great anticipation! - You are currently studying in Los Angeles – what program are you studying?
In addition to being a professional and passionate web nerd, I am also a fine artist. Right now I am taking something of a sabbatical and studying classical painting and drawing at a couple of LA schools: the Art Center College of Design and the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art. I never realized that aside from being a shopping, partying and fashion mecca, LA is also a hotbed of incredible art schools and world-renowned teachers of drawing and painting. This is because of the presence of animation and film studios, where concept artists and character designers are in serious demand. In LA, drawing skills are a thing of prestige on par with a really impressive car. - How would you say your current profession and current path of study intertwines or contributes to one another? By this I mean do you find that one benefits your perception of another?
I see some similarities in the work culture of the LA art students and the world of web design – everyone is driven, determined to be the best and passionately in love with knowledge and with what the medium of choice can do. Basically, I traded one nerd circle for another!Having a balance between my art and design passions enriches my work in each of them. Art nurtures creativity that is essential in being a good designer. And design has taught me a professional attitude towards my work and pride in my skills – and importantly, the knowledge of how to market myself online, which I can’t wait to apply now that I have a window of time to do it. - With your many years of work experience within a technology based field – have you ever felt that challenges do exist there for women working in technology or business? Have you ever encountered such challenges and if so how?
Absolutely. On one hand, the technology field is great in that skills and experience trumps everything – the key thing is to be able to get the work done, so prejudice often has to take a back seat to the simple realities of meeting a deadline. On the other, even though we have come a long way, we still have a way to go, in terms of resolving problems of male privilege in the developed world.
The power players and decision-makers in industries using IT services – big business, advertising and government – are men, by a huge majority. This scenario tends to be one where the big cheeses don’t mind using women’s skills and labour, but are not willing to share the driving seat with them. I have seen women groomed and promoted for positions of power, but it is not a given the way it is with male workers, and the higher you climb, the fewer women you’ll see. A woman who wants recognition in the form of power will have to fight against a general tendency of exclusion.
My own personal strategy has been to support my women colleagues as much as I possibly can, whether it’s in the form of encouragement, sharing my networking connections and leads, or help with a technical problem. Banding together is a very powerful tool.
Thanks again Anya, enjoy your time in LA and let us know when we can welcome you back in Toronto.
