Products for women

[charllejane]

Hi all,

I'm a third year Industrial Designer studying at Loughborough University and will be heading into my final year in October.

For my final major project I'd like to design a product in the 'FemTech' space - a product designed for women for periods of their life cycle such as puberty, pregnancy, post-pregnancy and menopause.

I would love to hear any issues or problems you have struggled with that I could possibly develop a solution for, and gaining real insight from real women will be immensely helpful for me, as I myself haven't gone through all of these stages yet.

It could be absolutely anything, even if there is something already there but could be made better, more intuitive, more accessible or more convenient. For example, moving a product into the 'at home' space so that women can use it within their own time and at their own discretion. Or as another example, I've been exploring the condition endometriosis and the possibility of developing a discreet and portable product women can use to help alleviate pain.

Any advice would be really helpful! Thanks all.

@charllejane

Have you read Invisible Women? It's an excellent book that might also give some ideas.

www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1113605/invisible-women/9781784706289.html

charllejane
Definitely agree with the need to talk to the users.
Human-centric design often overlooks the female 51% and this is often accepted as the norm in spite of a greater need in many cases. Public toilets is one that springs to mind.

I would like to add that women are more comfortable discussing their issues when they are amongst other women.

The presence of a man can completely change the course of the conversation.
This aspect would be very relevant in the decision making process of design teams.

Women can be so self conscious.

Invisible Women is great. I am 5ft tall so I really notice the problem of things being designed for the average male body as I am considerably smaller. I had general anaesthetic for the birth of my first child and it took me two days to properly come round. I'm sure this is because dosages are designed and tested on men. My similar sized friend had the same issue after day surgery. Everyone else got sent home a couple of hours later, she had to be kept in overnight as she couldn't stand up without fainting.

@OvaHere I haven't, another I must read! Thank you for that, very helpful

@WrathofFaeKIopp You're absolutely right, every aspect of our lives are derived from the anthropocentric data of men and it is absolutely accepted as a norm and overlooked, even now in 2020!

I agree completely about women discussing their issues more openly in the absence of a man. I think men really struggle to empathise and ignore the extent of female problems. It certainty will be interesting when I return to University to see if my (very male dominated) lecturers see the value in these ideas.

I'm currently on my placement year and I feel very lucky that the design consultancy I work for has a female CEO (this is super rare in the design industry) and we also have many female employees across other sectors like engineering, human factors, as well as design. It makes it much easier to make decision making more balanced!

@TooMinty
That's shocking! Sorry to hear about your experience, it must feel very confusing to be in that situation. I'm sure you're right though, everything is tested on men - it really is an under addressed topic.

Whole woman website run by Christine Kent has some insights how female posture can help bladder weakness.
www.wholewoman.com

She explains about the natural curve in the lower back of females helps to 'kink' the urethra and holds the bladder in its natural place, ie belly out, slightly forward. You can observe this in young females, it is a natural posture for them.
Whereas we are generally told to tuck our bottoms in and hold our tummy in for 'good' posture. This straightens the urethra and can cause bladder leakage as we age.

OTH males young and old tend to have a ramrod straight lower back with less curve.

With my last post in mind..
Men tend to have their car seat tilted right back, is this to support their lower back?

And women like to sit up, with the seat forward, maybe not just for height difference but for better back support? ie sitting upright, like riding a horse. It allows the bladder to naturally sit forward.

Might be the same with office chairs.
Men sit back, women sit forward.
Just a thought.

Glad my post was useful OP :) Please come back and let us know what you decide to work on and how your male colleagues treat your project.

@WrathofFaeKIopp I've just started trying a menstrual cup for the first time. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is wonderful not having to fiddle with pads and tampons. But what's been more surprising is I haven't had any cramps which would normally be quite bad on my heaviest days. Is that a thing?

Thats very true Wrath. My DH has the car seat so reclined I wonder if he's practically comatose at the wheel!

I'm guessing it's mostly about accommodating long arms and legs for the optimum driving position. Like you I'm straight up, seat pulled in close to the wheel.

Another one that I noticed when i was living in Paris was that the rails & straps for holding on when standing in the metro were always too high - suited most men, but very hard for women to use !

Z0rr0
I didn't seem to get the cramps either, it all felt a bit cleaner too. It took me a couple of months to get the hang of it though.
Those days have past now

OvaHere
I always assumed car seat position is down to height but today I have realised it might be that a lean back seating position is better for men's posture, not womens.

I have only ever seen women use those office chairs that make you sit upright in a kneeling position. Men don't seem to have the need to be so upright.

I was thinking the other day (before I ordered 6 pairs of Period pants!) that sanitary towels just aren't long enough. I am nearly 6 foot and I think that's my issue. I leak without fail every night. Even with the longest I can find

nahnonever
That is one of the many problems that are quite difficult to resolve.
As in awkward to share, I mean.

Yes to colostrum harvesting - it needs three hands and a tiny syringe and is fiddly and hard to do when exhausted post birth. And you’re usually doing it because the baby is unwell, so it’s also stressful and high stakes. Something that did it for you would be amazing.

So, I'd like a fit-bit sort of thing that could track my temperature with a view to really, properly track my menstrual cycle?
Especially now I am possibly in peri-menopause. Being able to look at my wrist, and see some display letting what my hormones are doing would help so much.

I could wonder why I am crying at a cat food advert, look down and see that I am at the 'high levels of this, plummeting that' and that's why I am crying. Or maybe even stop the endless sugar consumption because I can see it's just hormone X doing me dirty and I don't need the sugar.
Women are mugged of with 'its just hormones' from all sides, but they rule our lives for many, many years.

Wrath I have recently seen menstrual cups in a shop but I cannot for the life of me remember which shop. Most likely either Sainsburys or Tescos. Our Sainsbury's is a massive one though with far more stock than some of the smaller ones.

This is an interesting thread. I don't have much to add and I don't know if this is the sort of thing you were interested in but I found it very hard to lift my babies in and out of their cot. Not when they were tiny and had the mattress on the highest setting but when they got big enough to fall put and we had to lower the mattress to the bottom. Of course this coincided with them also being heavier! Most annoying when they had fallen asleep on me during a night feed and I woke them up trying to lower them into the cot! Dh being taller and stronger didn't have this problem.

If you can find something that tackles all the symptoms of endometriosis you'll be rich and famous. I'd concentrate on that

Hell yes. My niece started her period when she was 9 and has suffered terribly. She is 24 now and is facing the possibility of a hysterectomy as there is nothing they can help her to alleviate the horrific symptoms.

And after all the previous suggestions could you work on useful pockets in womens clothes.
Ta and thank you.

And follow The Man Who Has It All for the point made in a humorous fashion 😁

This post has really got me thinking about why I can never get a seatbelt to feel comfortable! For me it's a height thing. I'm a few inches shorter than the average woman (so clearly lots shorter than the average man) and I have a proportionately very short torso. Even when there are slidey things to move the belt down it's usually too high and really cuts in!

Added to that, even if I have my seat the highest it can go I often have to sit on a cushion when the sun is low as sun shields are not low enough for short torsoed people (presumably mainly female by the time they get to driving age). I doubt some male family members, even being short by male standards, have ever had that issue although I am going to ask! My tiny grandmother has had to sit on a cushion for years despite driving a car that is popular with women.

My OH has the boob issue but is taller so not the height thing.

I had never thought so much about how car seats and seatbelts are made for men before today!

Sainsbury’s has menstrual cups

Dancingkittens my dh actually has the opposite problem. He is too tall for the sun visor in the car so if he puts it down he can't see where he is going at all. It is perfect for me though. I think unfortunately it would be hard to make that suitable for people of all heights due to the need to see the road.

My request is pretty basic compared to most here: a decent work backpack that combines looking nice & professional with functionality, that fits the female shape. There’s a handful of women backpack makers but they are invariably crap quality or pink/purple/embroidered with twee logos.

Somehow men get YKK zippers and other durability extending niceties on their tech bro bags, but they’re too big for me.

Yes to work backpacks! Ladies packs rarely have wider, padded shoulder straps, and so are agony on my upper back and shoulder pain, almost never have a sternum or waist strap, and are made of flimsy materials that don't protect your stuff. Laptop rucksacks are designed for men, so fit me really badly (short, fat, busty) and are not stylish at all.

Anything even remotely like what I'm after is three-digit expensive, out of my price range.