In web design or development in Seattle? Worth checking out than is Refresh where speakers from leading agencies and firms discuss the trade. The list of upcoming speakers below looks quite promising. I’m rather interested in what Davidson might talk about what with the new launch of Newsvine just last week.

Upcoming Events

• Monday, May 21st – Lee LeFever, Common Craft
• Tuesday, June 19th – Eric Meyer, Complex Spiral Consulting
• Tuesday, July 24th – Ross Olson, Planar
• Tuesday, August 21st – Mike Davidson, Newsvine
• Tuesday, September 25th – Paul Ingram, Ingram Labs

Tonight sees Tom Watson of Blue Flavor talks about web development.

As Zeldman and Kottke have well pointed out, a sad fact, as you can see if you’ve ever gone to a conference, is that there are not that many women in the field of web design and development or IT at large. Why is this a fact is completely unknown, as many of the best in the field are women who can produce cutting edge code, FA, IA, and design. While times are seemingly not changing anytime soon, my team is doing what it can when it can by hiring the best in the business, which if you look, prove that woman are a force in the industry, you’ve just got to poke around to find them. My team at work has some of the best DBA’s, FA’s, desigers and PM’s that I’ve ever worked with. These woman are smart, technically savvy, and passionate about their work and products. They are out there, actively working day to day in the trenches.

This said, its shocking to see results like this from an a independant study of woman in the IT workforce:

• Men outnumber women in this workforce by over three to one.
• The percentage of women employed in the field is declining instead of growing.
• Women who participate in the field may not be promoted as often or as high as their male colleagues.

This paints a dim picture.

This study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) finds that women and most racial minorities remain significantly underrepresented in today’s U.S information technology (IT) workforce. By examining data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Surveys, this report, like previous ITA diversity studies conducted in 1998 and 2003, documents the percentages of women and minorities in BLS occupational classifications that comprise the IT workforce in 2004 and compares them to previous years to determine the progression and regression of diversity. The data presentation is followed by a discussion of possible barriers to entry for underrepresented groups and solutions to overcoming those barriers. The report also highlights successful public- and private-sector groups that encourage more diversity and support women and minorities in IT.

The news here is not good: The percentage of women in the IT workforce has declined by 18.5% since 1996, from a high of 41% in 1996 to 32.4% in 2004. This is true even while the percentage of women in the overall workforce remained relatively unchanged. Women are also far less likely to return to the IT workforce….

The declining representation of women is due largely to the fact that one out of every three women in the IT workforce fall into administrative job categories that have experienced significant overall declines in recent years. When those categories are excluded from the analysis, the percentage of women in IT drops from 32.4% to 24.9%. The figures represent no progress in the numbers of women in the professional or management ranks from the relatively low 25.4% mark achieved in 2002. At best, the data suggest that the number of all women in the IT industry is dropping substantially; at worst, these statistics illustrate a situation in which women are failing to advance in the managerial and professional ranks and the IT industry is failing to draw on a critical talent base.

There are great women out there in IT. If you’re in a position, track them down if they don’t come to you. Consider Digital Eve if needed but whatever you do, do you’re part to reverse this trend.

Here is our new office product – by ElevenForty.

Waves. Without question, the poet of our times is none other than Ze Frank. This, ladies and gentleman, is pure genius.