What’s the key to creating a landmark product for women? Giving them the power to design it.
When it comes to the design of any product, no matter its use, creative output improves when people with diverse perspectives collaborate. Of course, this includes women — and when it comes to products made for women, it just makes sense to go straight to the source.
Still, as a consumer, that’s easier said than done — most products are designed by men, and as a result, we’re often left with choices that often don’t authentically articulate, or improve upon, the female experience. Thankfully, women-designed products are on the rise and disrupting the status quo by truly taking into account what it feels like to be in the user’s shoes.
Thoughtful approach to design ultimately leads to innovation — whether it’s THE NEW STRONG™️ collection from ASICS, wellness tracking from Bellabeat, or period health from The DivaCup — because no one understands what it’s like to be a woman in this world better than a woman herself. Ahead, six companies championing women-led design — and getting it right.
ASICS
Exercise is, at its core, all about self-care, and that means your clothing should play a key part in the process. Whether you’re constantly in motion or pausing to recenter, a successful workout relies largely on what you’re wearing — and what better way to ensure appropriate design than to put it in the hands of an all-female design team? In the same way that sports require teamwork, innovation in activewear comes from true collaboration and partnership. With that in mind, ASICS created THE NEW STRONG™️ collection, for women, by women. Simply put: Shaping the world we live in starts with design — and when that process includes women, we all benefit.
ASICS VIVID IN MOTION Strappy Seamless Bra, $35, available at ASICS
ASICS VIVID IN MOTION Seamless Legging, $68, available at ASICS
ASICS GEL KAYANO 26, $160, available at ASICSDesigned by Seeta Kanhai.
Bellabeat
Does adopting a fitness tracker into your daily wardrobe mean sacrificing style? Not anymore. Designed by artist Urska Srsen alongside her business partner Sandro Mur, the Bellabeat Leaf Urban is a women’s health device that goes beyond what you would traditionally expect — in both form and function. Considering every aspect of a user’s health — like fitness, sleep, menstrual cycle, and even stress levels — the Leaf Urban also happens to be beautifully designed, subtly nodding to its name with a silver or gold leaf (your pick). Wear it as a necklace or bracelet, or simply clip it onto your clothing when you’re on the go.
Designed by Seeta Kanhai.
Evelyn & Bobbie
I’d bet half my closet on the fact that most women reading this article have been told they’re wearing the wrong bra size at some point in their life. But why does finding the *perfect* bra always prove to be so difficult? Perhaps it’s rooted in the fact that many bras aren’t actually designed by the people wearing them. Enter Evelyn & Bobbie, founded by Bree McKeen and Stephanie Muhlenfeld: the bra that’s backed by female-led, data-driven research, not assumptions made in corporate boardrooms. The difference is all about comfort and flexibility; the Evelyn & Bobbie bra prioritizes mobility and ease, rather than stiff, outdated assumptions about what a woman’s body should look like. Sign us up.
Designed by Seeta Kanhai.
Exit: The Game
An escape room is one of those wholly unique experiences you probably thought could never be replicated in another form — until now. From husband-wife duo Markus and Inka Brand comes Exit: The Game, a board-game rendition of all the best escape-room-inspired scenarios you could think of. The world of gaming is still a place very much in need of gender equality, and Inka’s presence in it as a leading game creator couldn’t be a better example of how to disrupt norms and pave the way for more diversity in design. Also important: There’s at least half a dozen versions of Exit to keep you busy (and spooked), including The Secret Lab, The Pharaoh’s Tomb, and The Abandoned Cabin.
Designed by Seeta Kanhai.
The DivaCup
If you’ve ever stopped to consider how bad disposable period products are for the environment and your body, this one’s for you. The DivaCup — founded by mother-daughter power duo Francine Chambers and Carinne Chambers-Saini — was created out of the pair’s frustration with tampons and pads and the lackluster experience that they gave women, who, instead of embracing their cycles, kind of just dealt with them. Made from silicone, free of toxins and BPA, and offering up to 12 hours of protection, The DivaCup checks all of the eco-friendly period-care boxes.
It should come as no surprise that a product made specifically and exclusively for women works best when those same women are in charge of designing it. Thus, The DivaCup’s appeal is two-fold: recommended for those of us who are both sustainably minded and ready to overhaul their relationship with their period.
Designed by Seeta Kanhai.
Beautyblender
It’s been more than a decade since Rea Ann Silva launched her hot-pink Beautyblender and essentially rewrote everything we thought we knew about makeup application in the process. Since then, she’s also created a makeup line that includes primer, foundation, and a setting spray, constructing a one-stop shop for all things related to that little egg-shaped applicator we all know and love.
Why has the Beautyblender experienced so much success? Because Silva’s initial insights were grounded in conversations she had with real women (via 20+ years as a professional makeup artist), and the design of her product directly reflects that. She’s also conscious of the fact that we want more; stay tuned for even more makeup from the founder, coming soon.
Designed by Seeta Kanhai.
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Source: Refinery29 – Emma Banks