Jessica Walsh : What the launch of ‘&walsh’ means for graphic design
What the launch of โ&walshโ means for graphic design (2019) โฃโฃ
Following 10 years alongside Austrian designer Stefan Sagmeister, Jessica Walsh announced her step back from the NYC creative agency ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ & ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฉ in July of last year. The duo have an extensive list of celebrated clients, ranging from Silicon Valley juggernauts Snapchat and Apple to the musical likes of Jay-Z. Though the two continue to collaborate & remain friends, Jessicaโs departure and the launching of โ&๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฉโ marks an intriguing point of transformation for the design industry, magnifying major gaps within gender equality at the corporate level. โฃโฃ
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Walsh studied graphic design at the private Rhode Island School of Design before meeting Sagmeister in 2010. The duo bursted onto the design scene in notable style 2 years later, announcing their alliance through a naked portrait of them standing side by side. The multi-talented illustrator has made her name a staple in the graphic design community through her brilliant ability to fuse eye-popping colour palettes with award-winning typography. Aside from her various accomplishments in graphic design, Walsh is also behind the popular project โ๐บ๐ถ ๐๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จโ, a social experiment she created that went viral and has since had its cinematic rights purchased by the Warner Bros. With a growing list of accolades, the birth of Walshโs independent agency โ&๐ธ๐ข๐ญ๐ด๐ฉโ acts as a powerful statement in the realm of design. Gone are the days of a female artist or designer depending on a male counterpart to direct or embody their vision. Walsh would expand on this idea in an interview with De Zeen, pondering the fact that though 70% of design students are female, less than 5% of CEOโs at creative agencies are female. โฃโฃ
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In her quest to combat the above sexism in the industry, Walsh has founded the โ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ & ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏโ initiative to connect & empower creative women. She also delivers regular lectures/talks across NA & Europe shedding light on the issue. โฃโฃ