Women Supporting Women: cards that celebrate women in design

IWD has become more and more visible over the years; and naturally, both commercial enterprises and designers are marking it more than ever. Online greeting card platform thortful says it wants to "acknowledge all the amazing entrepreneurial women within their design community," and asked four of those talented creators to design a card based on the women who "inspired them on their journey to success". The campaign is based around the campaign #womensupportingwomen.

Kyleigh Orlebar, who works in typography, created her designs based on musician Lizzo, saying that she "epitomises self-care and the act of unapologetically being yourself while protecting your mental wellbeing. Be yourself! Be the queen you are! And while we're at it – remember to polish everyone else's crown too, and not just your own, to feel GOOD AS HELL!"

Artist, illustrator and designer Phaedra Peer was also seduced by music, creating her pieces as a mark of her admiration for Destiny's Child. She says they inspired her to be "unashamedly badass (bootylicious) self," and "taught girls to be survivors, to buy our own diamonds and buy our own rings." Indeed.

It was Malala who Dina Mistry, the designer who works under the pseudonym Playful Indian, took as her female icon. She said she has long admired the campaigner's stance on education, and how she "spoke out in public when she was denied" one. Mistry adds, "Today, she fights to get girls an education by building schools, raising funds to educate them and giving them access to these resources by eliminating discrimination."

Veronica Dearly, known for her playful, light-hearted design work, also looked to activism in her choice. Her cards show British activist and feminist Caroline Criado-Perez, and Dearly speaks of her admiration for the way Criado-Perez "made gender bias and inequality infuriatingly tangible with the incredible book Invisible Women. I feel Caroline should be celebrated and the book required reading for, well everyone."

You can view the whole International Women's Day card collection at thortful.com.