Maya Wynant is a graphic designer and art director who is passionate about creating impactful and thoughtful work. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Since joining The Miller Group, she has had the opportunity to create work both internally and for a number of clients including 911 Health, T.H.E. Health and Wellness Centers, and The Salvation Army.
Speaking about building a more equal industry for all, she expounds on the strengths to advertising that is properly representative of society.
In what ways can women in advertising pave the way for or support younger women hoping to break into advertising?
The most impactful way to support younger women hoping to enter the industry, in my opinion, is to listen to them and allow their ideas to be heard. Often, as women we refrain from sharing ideas and taking risks to reduce the chances of being seen as unintelligent in the workplace. The best thing my female mentors have ever done for me is allow me to voice ideas without the fear of judgement. Many of those ideas were scrapped or improved upon, but regardless of the result I came to understand that it is better to suggest ideas that don’t go very far than to not speak up at all. Nurturing the confidence of young women, and all women, in advertising is vital to experiencing the best work our peers have to offer.
How can we close the gap created by ageism, especially among women, in the industry?
We must remember that everyone brings their own expertise to the table. The information and learning I get from my superiors – who often have decades of experience - is priceless. Their lived experience in the industry is more valuable and relevant than anything I could learn in a classroom or through research alone. On the flipside, I bring my own unique skillsets born out of being a digital native, as well as having a different educational background and relationship to advertising itself. This acknowledgement and acceptance of different skillsets can only improve the quality of our work, and strengthen the relationship between advertisers, particularly among women in the industry. There is a space and need for all of us.
How does your experience as a woman in marketing inform your work?
I think ultimately what informs my work is not just my experience as a woman in marketing, but as a woman in the world. To experience firsthand the hardships, joys, and community of being a woman, and then to see those experiences misrepresented, overlooked, or trivialized in advertising, has been disheartening. That alone is enough to put extra thought and care into everything I create, to ensure that I am accurately representing whoever the target audience is. There are very few feelings as powerful as feeling understood. Due to being part of a population that until rather recently was very misrepresented, reaching true respectful understanding drives all of my work and creative decisions.
Gen Z is a generation of digital pioneers and has shifted the framework of many industries. How have this new generation of young women impacted the advertising industry and where do you anticipate they will improve the workplace going forward?
Some of the digital solutions my peers are coming up with are brilliant, combining innovation and creativity with recent technological advancements. Many of the AR and VR experiences I’ve seen are incredible. Additionally, my generation grew up with the exponentially growing technology and digital landscapes, which I believe contributes to extreme adaptability given the speed at which everything is changing these days. This, along with increased connectivity and information about other people is resulting in empathetic and creative work that pushes the boundaries of what is possible. There is a lot of desire for tangible change amongst my peers. Hopefully, this will positively impact the workplace and industry moving forward.