This news story is a few years old, but it’s so great that we thought it was worth retelling.
In 2016, an issue of Girls’ Life magazine hit the stands with the cover seen here on the left. The website womenyoushouldknow.net ran an article about it, showing this cover next to the cover of Boy’s Life magazine, which featured the headline “Explore Your Future” along with images suggesting the myriad career paths boys might be interested in. It was a harsh reminder of the limiting, sexist marketing messages still being directed to girls.
Graphic designer Katherine Young was incensed. She had the perfect response: redesign this magazine cover with messages that she felt should be directed to girls. She replaced stereotyped headlines with inspiring, empowering messages, and replaced the cover model with Olivia Hallisey, the 2015 Google Science Fair Grand Prize winner. How cool is that?
“I hope this sparks conversation with both girls and boys,” said Katherine. “They all need to know that girls are more than a pretty face.”
Hats off to this intrepid graphic designer who used her skills to make an important social statement — one that, fittingly, went viral once again. For this female-led design firm, it’s a story worth cheering on once more!
