Tradespeople

Tradespeople profiles electricians, plumbers, plasterers, painters, builders, composting gurus, upholsterers, and many other tradies with a point of difference: all are businesses with women or gender-diverse people at the helm. Tradespeople was founded in 2021 to transform the trade industries by celebrating and normalising women and gender-diverse people within it, and to build a safe and inclusive space for everyone—both people delivering and people buying trades services.

I started Tradespeople after my own frustrating, intimidating experience of hiring tradies. An experience that was for me very annoying, but for others potentially quite frightening. Tradies are in your home, and are invariably people you don't know. And now they know where you live. I reflected on two questions: surely there is a better, more respectful way; and also, where are the women in these industries? This project is the outcome of that query.

Tradespeople is purposefully counter to what many of the other directories in this industry look like. Peace of mind is delivered through restrained use of type, grid and colour-blocking, visually expressing the experience and adding playfulness. It’s typographically led—and ultimately all about “the list”.