When it comes to products that we use in our daily lives, would you ever think thatgenderplayed a role in the way we use them? Interestingly enough, it does, and the problem is that we aren’t thinking enough about gender when we design products. From PPE kits to button-down shirts, women all over the world are struggling to use things that have been predominantly designed for men.
Of course, all of this might seem oversimplistic, but there’s a popular phrase used in the product creation world called ‘Shrink it andpinkit’ that shows otherwise. It’s commonly used when designing products for women. What it means is that women often receive scaled-down and pink-colored versions of things that were actually designed for men.
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Abortion laws
Someone PLEASE put more belt loops on my work pants!Oh, and NORMAL pockets, please and thankyou
Most women’s shoes are shaped to be long, thin and pointy.My feet are not long, thin and pointy, they are foot-shaped, and shoe shopping is a*s.
Every single gyno procedure and lack of pain meds given for it
Button down shirts that don’t account for breasts and if you CAN button it all the way up you have these huge gaps and stretching between the buttons.
Ok, this is niche, but I hate it whenever I go to sit at a bar and there are no hooks under the bar. Double points if the stools don’t have a back where I can loop my purse/coat over the seat back, and I am stuck piling my purse and/or coat in my lap. Same for public restrooms - pleaseee put a hook on the door so I’m not precariously balancing my purse on my lap or worse on the floor.
Women are 73% likelier to beinjured during a car crashcompared to a man. You might be shocked to know that this is also because of poor product design and testing. It’s because male dummies are predominantly used as the “victims” during car crash tests. Yes,female dummiesexist, but again, they are just scaled-down versions of the male dummies. They don’t represent the bodily differences that women have, such as broader hips or wider pelvises.Most car crash innovations aren’t safe for women. Like the design for airbags, which isn’t that safe for smaller women and children. This isn’t to say that these inventions shouldn’t exist. Instead, what it means is that more women should be included when these products are being designed and tested. Let’s take a look at some other instances of things that just weren’t designed for women.
Women are 73% likelier to beinjured during a car crashcompared to a man. You might be shocked to know that this is also because of poor product design and testing. It’s because male dummies are predominantly used as the “victims” during car crash tests. Yes,female dummiesexist, but again, they are just scaled-down versions of the male dummies. They don’t represent the bodily differences that women have, such as broader hips or wider pelvises.
Most car crash innovations aren’t safe for women. Like the design for airbags, which isn’t that safe for smaller women and children. This isn’t to say that these inventions shouldn’t exist. Instead, what it means is that more women should be included when these products are being designed and tested. Let’s take a look at some other instances of things that just weren’t designed for women.
Car seat belts. Mine slips up all the time, and I have it on the lowest setting. I am 5'4" tall. So uncomfortable.
Razors. I just buy the regular man-version if I wanna use a razor…
All obgyn vaginal procedures. BARBARIC.
Product design that doesn’t take into account women’s bodies isn’t just odd, it’s also dangerous. In the military, females have a 2.22 times higher risk ofpelvic ring fracturesthan males. This is because of a number of factors ranging from the design of their military boots to even their backpacks.When women use products that were designed as an afterthought, it can affect their safety. These real-life examples show that it isn’t just a matter of style or preference. Does it really make sense that half of the population is excluded in favor of a one-size-fits-all approach to productdesign?
Product design that doesn’t take into account women’s bodies isn’t just odd, it’s also dangerous. In the military, females have a 2.22 times higher risk ofpelvic ring fracturesthan males. This is because of a number of factors ranging from the design of their military boots to even their backpacks.
When women use products that were designed as an afterthought, it can affect their safety. These real-life examples show that it isn’t just a matter of style or preference. Does it really make sense that half of the population is excluded in favor of a one-size-fits-all approach to productdesign?
Women’s power tools. They are just a pink version of the men’s tools, or they are just a less powerful version.No redesign of the weight, shape, or grip size to make them easier to hold for our body shapes, just a pink tax.
There is a patent for labia glue that dissolves when you pee on it do use while on your period to hold the blood in. A male chiropractor invented and tried to sell it. So that.
When you get a needle biopsy, you have to lie on a cold formica table with a sharp edged hole w yr breast dangling through it. The first time I had to do this, we (me, women docs and nurses) all commented on the terrible design of the thing.When I has another needle biopsy a few years later, the table had been redesigned. It was now pink. ❤️
Another minor instance that can have a huge impact is the design of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare. TheWomen in Global Healthsurvey found that only 14% of women wore PPE that was well-fitted. The problem with male-oriented PPE is that poorly fitting masks, goggles, or gowns can expose women to viruses or infections.These items also don’t take into account different body types or face shapes. Although the concept of being “gender blind” might seem like a great idea, it doesn’t benefit women when it comes to designing useful products.
Another minor instance that can have a huge impact is the design of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare. TheWomen in Global Healthsurvey found that only 14% of women wore PPE that was well-fitted. The problem with male-oriented PPE is that poorly fitting masks, goggles, or gowns can expose women to viruses or infections.
These items also don’t take into account different body types or face shapes. Although the concept of being “gender blind” might seem like a great idea, it doesn’t benefit women when it comes to designing useful products.
Wasn’t there some guys on shark tank or something like it that made gloves for women to use to change their menstrual products? They were single use and pink or something?
Toilet cubicles - never enough room for sanitary bins
Clothes - hardly any pockets, if they do, it’s rare they they a a decent size that actually holds the items in.Handbags - many are too small and useless for any woman carrying more than 1 card and a little bit of cash.Seatbelts - they don’t fit right because they were designed for breast-less people apparently.
Lastly, here’s one example that might shock you! Female firefighters have a four times greaterrate of injurythan male firefighters. Now, you might be wondering how product design fits into this. One of the reasons for this alarming statistic is their ill-fitting protective equipment. Equipment that isn’t designed for their bodies can expose them to toxic chemicals and even liquid, chemical, or heat exposure.So this brings us back to the question of the lack ofwomenin product design. There are many challenges that can limit workplace entrance and performance, which add another layer of complexity to why women don’t move ahead in this field. It’s important, therefore, to provide more encouragement for women to become designers and pursue careers that are still considered “male-dominated.”
Lastly, here’s one example that might shock you! Female firefighters have a four times greaterrate of injurythan male firefighters. Now, you might be wondering how product design fits into this. One of the reasons for this alarming statistic is their ill-fitting protective equipment. Equipment that isn’t designed for their bodies can expose them to toxic chemicals and even liquid, chemical, or heat exposure.
So this brings us back to the question of the lack ofwomenin product design. There are many challenges that can limit workplace entrance and performance, which add another layer of complexity to why women don’t move ahead in this field. It’s important, therefore, to provide more encouragement for women to become designers and pursue careers that are still considered “male-dominated.”
Anything that is just a pink or purple variation of the men’s version.
PPE. Unisex fit my a*s😂
Most pharmaceuticals, unfortunately.
I’m pretty sure cars? Last I heard, most or all crash tests are used with a male model, but that might’ve changed semi-recently
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Whoever designed auto-flushing toilets. The damn thing is throwing sewage water on the back of my thighs before I can get my pants up. Wtaf?!?!
Speculum
Body armor for soldiers. This was (is?) an issue for military members stationed in the Middle East.
Sports shortsSearch for it on google and add men or women and see the difference
any female outfit in mmorpg
hiking backpacks with a breast strap
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“Chick cars” that still don’t have anywhere to put your handbag if you have a passenger.
most lingerie
Tampax (and possibly other brands) tampons. It swells in length instead of getting wider when expanding. It’s pushing you in spots nobody wants to ever feel pressure imo, it’s just not correct anatomically speaking.Apparently, many got genuinely sick from using them due to this (I haven’t seen any official reports tbf, just reading it up on the internet and some anecdotal evidence) and it’s causing pain for others, including me. It hurt like hell, and definitely was not comfortable at all at any point. You just cannot not feel it.When I lived in the UK, I either had to spend a smaller fortune on buying OB tampons from various sites on the internet or ask someone to bring me some when they were visiting a country that had them, as they’re not being sold in the UK. I tried several other brands, including Lidl and drugstores' own brands, and while OB was the best in my opinion, most were not as uncomfortable as Tampax was besides a few. I do apologise for not naming more, but Tampax is the most common as far as I’ve seen and I’ve tried so many brands I just can’t remember their names.Edit:typo
Not quite what you were looking for but skincare and cosmetics. It was still a largely male dominated industry up until the 90s. In many countries the key decision makers in “big beauty retail” is still men. Men still hold most of the purse strings in the industry people just don’t know it or are too lazy to recognise it.
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