In the first two parts of this series, we reviewed the science behind women’s design preferences as well as a detailed approach to designing better digital products for women. Here, in the third and final part of this series, we’ll see how to practically apply our learnings to real-world conversations.
The last step in designing for women is convincing your stakeholders, whether they be clients or creative directors, CEOs or product managers, that designing for women is not about leveraging aesthetics that are typically thought of as “feminine.” …
In the first part of this three part series, we looked at the science behind women’s likes and dislikes as well as the importance of context and perception. Here, in part two, we’ll look at a clear, five-step approach to designing products that better meet the needs of women. Used in combination, these steps could drastically improve the digital products we design for female audiences.
Step 1: Diversify your design team
There are (sadly) a plethora of examples of gendered design choices out there that tell us a lack of representation in product design is problematic.
Have you ever been asked to design a product that specifically appeals to women? How about “working women” or “mothers.” Well, as Director of Production at Fantasy Interactive, a boutique design agency in San Francisco, I can tell you this is a common request from clients the world over. But what does “designing for women” actually mean?
I’ve heard everything from “Make it red, if it’s red, women will buy it,” to “We’re using photos of babies and dogs because women like babies and dogs,” to “Women want softer interfaces with round, organic shapes.” …
