Designing for women. Five principles.

the beginning of the end for unisex objects?

Truth be said there are clear-cut benefits for me when the designer takes the female gender into account. The product generally weighs less. The technical products are simple, more intuitive. I like both neutral and wildly fun colors. However, my issues usually involve color and endorse gender-neutral color schemes.

The following principles belong to The Femme Den:

1. emphasize benefits over features: Rather than touting feature sets and specs (how fast or big or slick something is), make the product’s benefits clear. Who can it connect her to? How does it make her life easier? How will it save her time?

2. learn her body: Women have different bone and muscle structure: Simply shrinking products leads to injury and frustration.

3. craft a cohesive story: Women consider more than just the product itself. Design the whole experience with them in mind, from advertising and packaging to the retail environment and customer service.

4. identify a spot on the spectrum: For some tasks, women want to feel girly; for others, not at all. Nix the hyperfeminized stereotype and consider where on the spectrum this product should land.

5. remember her life stages: Are you designing for a 25-year-old or a 65-year-old?

above: fiskars florist bypass pruner note: probably would fall in the unisex category but this tool is lithe and nimble.

above: k2 lotta luv women’s ski

above: nespresso essenza d90

above: oralb pulsoni — quieter and smaller than other brands