It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. However, when it comes to products for women, a lack of understanding or empathy might be the absentee father. From the awkward fit of clothing to the impracticality of everyday items, many products on the market scream “designed by a man” in their disregard for women’s needs and bodies.
Here are fifteen glaring examples where design fell short of meeting women’s lives and bodies, revealing a male-centric perspective.
1. Slim Fit Button-Down Shirts
Slim-fit button-down shirts might look chic on the hanger, but their design blatantly ignores the anatomy of anyone with breasts. The struggle to button them up without creating gaping holes or unsightly stretches between buttons is a testament to a design process that didn’t prioritize women’s bodies. This oversight highlights a lack of consideration and a missed opportunity for inclusivity in design.
2. Sports Bras With Removable Pads
The existence of sports bras with removable pads is a puzzling design choice that ignores women’s preferences for functionality and ease. The constant battle to keep these pads in place during washing and wearing is a nuisance, suggesting that the designers—likely men—overlooked the simple solution of fixed padding, favoring manufacturing convenience over user experience.
3. Cycle Glue
Perhaps one of the most bewildering inventions is the patent for labia glue intended to contain menstrual blood. Invented by a male chiropractor, this product overlooks the comfort and practicality of use and raises questions about the basic understanding of female anatomy and the nature of menstruation. It’s a glaring example of innovation gone awry, detached from the realities of its intended users.
4. PPE Overalls
The term “unisex fit” often translates to “designed for men,” as evident in the fit of many PPE overalls. These garments frequently fail to accommodate the different body shapes of women, leading to discomfort and a lack of safety, which defeats their primary purpose. This oversight underscores a one-size-fits-men approach in design.
5. IUDs
The Intrauterine Device (IUD), a revolutionary contraceptive method, was invented by Richard Richter in 1909, with significant updates by Ernst Gräfenberg. IUD design and implementation processes have historically been male-dominated, leading to a lack of consideration for the user experience from a female perspective, particularly in early models.
6. Seat Belts
The design of car seat belts often fails to consider the variance in women’s height and body types, leading to discomfort and, in some cases, safety risks. For many women, adjusting the seat belt to the lowest setting is still insufficient to ensure comfort and proper fit. This highlights a gap in automotive safety design that skews towards the average male body.
7. Crash Test Dummies
The standard for automotive safety testing has long relied on crash test dummies modeled after the average male body. This male-centric approach in design and testing overlooks the physical differences between men and women, potentially compromising the safety and efficacy of automotive safety features for female drivers and passengers.
8. Toilet Cubicles with No Sanitary Bins or Purse Hooks
The absence of sanitary bins and purse hooks in many toilet cubicles is a glaring oversight that disregards women’s needs. This lack of consideration in design inconveniences women and reflects a broader issue of spaces not being thoughtfully designed with women in mind.
9. Pointy Heels
The design of women’s shoes, particularly pointy heels, often prioritizes aesthetics over ergonomics. Ignoring the natural shape of the foot, these designs can lead to discomfort and long-term foot problems, showcasing a disconnect between the design of women’s footwear and the physiological needs of its wearers.
10. Women’s Power Tools
The trend of creating “women’s power tools” by merely coloring them pink or reducing their power is a superficial nod toward inclusivity. This approach neglects the ergonomic needs of women, such as lighter weight, shape, or grip size adjustments, illustrating a lack of genuine understanding or consideration for women’s physical diversity in design.
11. Hiking Backpacks
Many hiking backpacks with breast straps fail to accommodate the variety of women’s chest sizes, leading to discomfort and impracticality. This design flaw indicates a lack of input from women in the product development process, resulting in a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t fit all.
12. Pinky Gloves
The invention of “Pinky Gloves” by two men, designed to dispose of tampons, exemplifies a profound misunderstanding of women’s needs and preferences. This product, stemming from a male perspective, overlooks the practicality and environmental considerations, highlighting a disconnect from the real-world experiences of women.
13. Birth Control
The development and side effects of many birth control methods reflect a medical and pharmaceutical industry historically dominated by men. The burden of side effects and the responsibility of contraception often fall disproportionately on women, indicating a need for more gender-inclusive research and development.
14. Bras
The design of many bras prioritizes aesthetics over comfort, leading to issues like poor support and painful underwires. This disconnect suggests a design process more concerned with appearance than women’s actual wearability and support needs, indicating a need for a more female perspective in design.
15. Kitchens
The standard kitchen design, with high cabinets and shelves, often fails to consider the average height of women. This oversight makes kitchens less functional for many women and reflects a broader issue of spaces not being designed with all users in mind.
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