World's Design Leaves Women Behind, Industrial Designer Argues
An industrial designer highlights how the built world is often designed for men, creating disadvantages and safety risks for women. She calls for more inclusive design practices to address these issues.
The tangible world, from public restrooms to personal garments, is frequently designed with men's needs and experiences as the default, creating significant disadvantages and safety concerns for women, argues an industrial designer.
These issues manifest in everyday situations, such as the difficulty of reaching all keys on a phone one-handed, long queues for public restrooms, lack of adequate pockets in clothing, and challenges navigating uneven terrain or poorly lit areas. Commuting, in particular, often requires women to plan routes more meticulously, avoiding less safe or convenient options that men might use without a second thought.
Despite women constituting over half the global population and influencing a significant portion of purchasing decisions, the fields of industrial design, architecture, and engineering remain male-dominated. This imbalance means products and environments are often created based on stereotypical assumptions, failing to meet women's actual needs. The designer points to the low percentage of women in leadership roles and the high attrition rate in design fields as evidence of systemic issues.
The author contends that this exclusionary design comes at a cost, both economically and physically, leading women to disengage and limiting their access to opportunities. She advocates for a fundamental shift towards inclusive design, asserting that the world can and should be designed to be hospitable, safe, and comfortable for people of all genders, needs, and sizes, recognizing that 'one size does not fit all'.