Bridging the Gap: An Action Research Pilot Study on Confidence Building for Women Design Students in Higher Education

Women are significantly underrepresented in the design industry globally, particularly in tech-driven industries like industrial design, despite an increasing number of women design graduates. While there are various factors that influence this underrepresentation, recent studies identify a general lack of confidence among women as a major contributing aspect. Women students tend to have lower self-assessments compared to their male peers, leading to limiting behaviours and barriers to pursuing opportunities in tech-based fields, which thus perpetuates gender disparity in design fields and STEAM. To address this disparity, the Industrial Design department at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa launched the “Wom+n in Tech” initiative. This experiential, interdisciplinary programme aims to cultivate confidence among women design students by leveraging the technology, equipment, and expertise available within the faculty to host seminars, mentorship hubs, and practical workshops and training sessions in various tech-related areas. The goal is to encourage women students to engage and experiment with unfamiliar tools and technologies, thereby developing competence and confidence. This paper presents a trial project that uses reflective action research methods that evaluate the initial response to the initiative through qualitative reflections of participating students, mentors, and staff. The findings indicate a positive adoption of the programme, with participants reporting increased confidence and seeing much value in the initiative. The evidence-based methodology that led to these results affirms the continuation and expansion of Wom+n in Tech. Based on the initial findings, the programme aims to scale its impact through further practical workshops, experiential learning, personal development, collaboration, cross-disciplinary learning, and industry connections.