Female Designers in Spanish Transition to Democracy, 1982-1992

Abstract

In Spain, the historic period that we know as Transition (1982-1992) is marked by the lack of women involved in the industrial design, although their gradual inclusion in design studies and their full entry into professional practice. The key turning point for this inclusion was the end of the Franco Regime and the political, social, legislative and cultural changes brought about by the transition to democracy. In this context, a new generation of female designers contributed to the advancement in the edition, manufacture, distribution and dissemination of beautiful and useful objects that make our lives more comfortable. However, the historiography was focused in this period on the figure of the male as creator, with such well-known references as Cruz Novillo, whose career has been reflected in a documentary entitled "The man who designed Spain." This article will provide female names who made outstanding contributions to industrial design in Spain throughout the democratic transition. The aim is to claim for women' space, a collective that has been repeatedly forgotten in historiography.