Clubcatalyst. Gender - the new paradigm

MITHULA NAIKINDUSTRIAL DESIGNER Updated - August 08, 2014 at 05:35 PM.

Developing products and services that women appreciate and identify with demands an overhaul of the entire design process

Gender bender How often do you notice women in airports, railway stationsand bus stops, struggling with their luggage?

American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson, the brand synonymous with masculinity, recently announced the introduction of its very first bikes specifically designed for women. No, not in hot pink or with flowers on the body but a ‘little black number’ focused on serious performance with her needs right up front. Here in India, women comprise 15 per cent or over 7 million of approximately 48 million two-wheeler riders.

Updated research by The Boston Consulting Group shows the overall size of the Indian female economy expanding fast; in 2010, some 134 million working women earned $280 billion. By 2020, there will be 158 million working women and their earnings will have more than tripled to some $900 billion. Globally working women will drive an increase in earned income from $12.5 trillion to $18.5 trillion.

It’s 2014 and the new female consumer is contributing in an unprecedented measure to the economies of the world, yet the discussion of gender in design practice and research is in its infancy. Women have changed a great deal and despite cultural and economic shifts, products and services have failed to keep up. Why is there such a disconnect with this sizable segment?

A process of product development often informally referred to as ‘pinking and shrinking’ indicates superficial adjustments for a perceived female taste, usually a stereotype. This phenomenon reflects a traditional gender bias, forcing women to adapt to products that were not designed with them in mind. The creation of new product concepts, design of user experiences, materials, shapes, and aesthetics are not independent of a gender dimension. Every designer’s subconscious actions conforming to the norms of society affect the formation of everyday environments, products and their usage.

The gender system Central to how objects were conceived, design history has held the view of man belonging to the public sphere and woman to the private sphere. With women contributing to nearly 100 per cent change in family income during the past decade in the US alone, a shift in the design approach is inescapable. Design historians have described the concept of a gender system to explain the power structure between the sexes based on two principles: Separation and Hierarchy. The Separation Principle means the behaviours and tasks are divided into ‘male’ and ‘female’ as opposites, such as blue vs pink gendered toys and clothes appearing at an early age for children.

The Hierarchy Principle considers the male as the true standard of human values, superior to that of a woman, signifying he is the norm and she the exception. Examples like home appliances for men being called ‘power tools’ and ‘gadgets’ because she is associated to them.

With the onset of the Internet of Things the gender challenge seems more explicit in complex technology. Designed mainly by men, technology is already defined at the conceptual stage as challenging and complex. This view is fundamentally not about the technological object in itself, but about a way to view the action carried out by the object’s intended user; man or woman.

And although personality differences between the sexes have been widely recognized, their inner desires, hopes and expectations are not always natural attributes rather due to social experiences. These inferences gradually lead to a more ‘constructed image’ of what is male and female.

Conventional market research has habitually relied on this ‘typically female image’ in order to simplify the amount of processing and make our diverse world easier to accept.

Today such gender standardisation and marketing is considerably outdated and impact is negative. A recent survey indicated women worldwide influence at least 64 per cent of all purchases in a variety of categories such as consumer durables, consumer electronics, healthcare, education, home services, travel and financial services. What’s the future of these services if she’s thinking “You don’t know who I am and what I care about!”

Lacking identity Consider, for instance, regular travel gear. How often do you notice women in airports, railway stations and bus stops, struggling with their luggage? Of course, there is a physical limitation. Her body is different, but not just in size and strength; her body is built differently and therefore functions differently. Consider the ergonomics of travel backpacks; on average, she has wider hips so perhaps a better hip belt can take the weight off her narrower shoulders, her shorter torso could use an adjustable length and where exactly are the chest straps supposed to sit?

To focus on target groups, product marketing resorts to highlighting the differences between men and women whereas practical considerations such as context, functionality and human aspects of gendered products are ignored.

Unisex design, on the other hand, lacks any strong identity and in reality is not gender-neutral either. So who’s responsible to see the world through her eyes, to listen, to observe and to study her needs? Who’s trained to understand her nature of seeking real value by being the major consumer spender as well as the primary saver? Whose job is it to know that she faces simple frustrations with everyday products while balancing her family duties, household chores and a fulltime job! Designers and ethnographers who bring qualitative research – analytical methods sensitive to social context, complexity and detail are the need of the hour to the product development process. And here’s where organisations need to evaluate their Design Strategy to enable a healthy collaboration between research, design and business, for products that go beyond the conventional.

Developing products and services that women appreciate and identify with, and are willing to pay for demands an evaluation of the entire design process. To begin with, here are some guidelines:

Provide value: With a full-time job at work and at home, women are busy people with no time to spare. They are intolerant of technology that further complicates life by adding features and frills. Maintain clarity showing her real benefits.

Holistic approach: Men often walk into stores knowing exactly what they want. Women walk around thinking of the entire household and keeping in mind how it fits with their lifestyle. While products and technology are meaningful in themselves for men, women are motivated by their relationship to the product.

Define context: Women’s approach to technology is motivated by their context; while it may be required of them at work they need to be convinced of its potential benefits in the home environment, else they might reject it. Understanding her changing roles from professional to leisure, executive to wife is important to connect with her total personality.

Her body: Understanding her physical ergonomics is critical. Women’s bodies undergo lifecycle changes from childhood to puberty and motherhood. Her body is constantly growing, products need to consider when and how they interact with her.

The design that surrounds and mirrors our lives is a powerful tool for change. The road ahead in business and innovation lies in addressing this significant need-based opportunity. Organisations that consciously work towards connecting with women to create inclusive, impactful design solutions will reap the rewards of their foresight.

Mithula Naik is an industrial designer pursuing her Masters in Strategic Foresight & Innovation in Toronto

Published on August 7, 2014 13:15