Have you ever felt devalued for being too “feminine” in the design world?

Hello graphic design Reddit,

I’m a senior graphic design student and I’m writing my thesis about why femininity in design is often devalued, or not taken seriously.

For many of my portfolio reviews, I’ve been told that my work was too “girly” or “whimsical” to be taken seriously when looking for a job. Not all of my projects are girly or feminine, but the ones that are often get called frivolous or less “professional” for being so. One of my professors was told at the beginning of her career that she “designs too much like a woman”, which caused her to completely change her design style, which she regrets now.

And I want to hear from other female designers, or anyone who enjoys stereotypical “feminine” design (Ie: stuff that’s pastel, floral, cute, etc) if you’ve also had experiences where you felt devalued or not taken seriously as a designer for making more feminine things.

I personally love seeing feminine design out in the world, especially in the realm of package design. Brands like loveshackfancy and flower knows fascinate me because of how unapologetically pretty they are. But at the same time, so many people are put down for wanting to design things like that, even though it is very popular. I always hear it being called frivolous or even worse, unprofessional

Sorry for the long winded post! TLDR: what are your experiences with womanhood or femininity in the world of graphic design?