We are the 1% : Why Authentic Voices Matter in the Creative Industry

In a country where women drive up to 85% of all consumer purchases, one statistic stands out : less than 1% of creative agencies are owned by women.

Even fewer exist in fields like industrial design or the tradeshow exhibit industry - spaces where form, function, and fabrication often intersect with legacy systems built by men.

At a time when people respond to authenticity and inclusion more than ever, who is in the room matters. When women lead creative design studios, they don't just bring a different perspective - they help reshape the culture itself.

Representation isn't a Trend.

It's a responsibility.

The creative industry thrives on contrast - on the tension between ideas, disciplines, and lived experience. Yet historically, its leadership has been led by a narrow demographic.

Women change that.

Not through tokenism or performance,

but through perspective, empathy, and intent.

Empathy isn't gendered,

but it is transformative -

it connects brands with real people, not abstract target markets.

Every product, campaign, brand identity, and "insert creative project here" reflect the people behind it, and people want to see themselves reflected in the brands they value.

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Less than 1%

Women-led design studios prove that leadership can look different - that success doesn't require fitting into a traditional mold. In fact, there may be no mold at all.

That absence creates space - for new standards, new definitions of good design, new expressions of what authentic means in industries that once prized polish over truth.

The era of "shrink it and pink it" is fading - but traces remain.

It's a phrase that lingers like an echo of an older industry - one where products for women were treated as afterthoughts : smaller versions of men's designs, diluted with unnecessary embellishments, and coated in predictable shades of "feminine." The result? Products that don't fit, feel uncomfortable, and sometimes aren't safe - because they ignore the realities of the people they're meant for.

Remember 2023, when Barbie turned the world pink with a $150 million marketing campaign? That wasn't just marketing - it was cultural design at scale. The difference was intent.

When brands rely on lazy gender tropes, the result can be more than ineffective - they alienate the audience they claim to understand.

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Authenticity is strategy

People today are much better at spotting inauthenticity - and they're not afraid to call it out. If a product or brand doesn't align with their values, they'll disengage - or worse, turn it into a viral critique, up for discussion online.

Authenticity is a strategic advantage, and the only way to build authentic products and campaigns for real women, is to have real women working on them.

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TL ; DR

Representation isn’t just about fairness - it’s about making the work better.

As the next generation of women-owned agencies continues to rise, that less-than-one-percent figure should be a wake-up call, not a limitation - not as a marketing angle or DEI effort, but as a symbol of what’s possible when creativity is truly inclusive, reflecting the world it serves.

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Axam Design is proud to be part of the one percent.

A creative agency 100% founded and owned by a woman, for now.

While we champion diversity, we do base our decisions on merit and integrity - believing in great ideas and execution over politics.

If you're looking for the kind of creative insight and intuition that only lived-in female perspectives can bring to the table, get in touch to start your next project.