I’m always on the lookout for people and products who are designing differently (and consciously) for women. I’m not talking about products that women use, I’m talking about products where the designers have taken an approach where they’re placing the woman truly at the centre of their design.
This list includes some of my favourites. They range from actual products to design studios and research. They’re all inspiring.
- The Tampon Book Project: A project by The Female Company in Germany challenging the tampon tax and advocating for menstrual equity. Website: https://thetamponbook.com/
- MotherxMother. A project run by Ideo.org with The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) and leaders in refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) communities to improve vaccine confidence and uptake. https://www.ideo.org/project/mothers-x-mothers
- Baymatob: A company based in Sydney led by a woman who had a traumatic birth experience. Being a mechatronic engineer, she completed a PhD in medicine to develop a product to identify women who are at risk of developing postpartum hemorrhage well before giving birth. Website: https://www.baymatob.com/
- XYX Lab: A research group at Monash University in Australia creating solutions and resources that address the gendered and intersectional dimensions of urban spaces and technologies. Pick any of their projects. Website: https://xyxlab.com/
- Verve Super: An Australian superannuation fund providing financial services and investment options that prioritize the needs and values of women. Website: https://vervesuper.com.au/
- Ovira: A Sydney-based company creating wearable pain relief devices for menstrual cramps and endometriosis. Website: https://www.ovira.com/
- Madami: A purpose-driven advisory and innovation agency specializing in women's health and wellness. Website: https://madami.co/
- Unconform Studio: A design studio in India creating products and services that prioritize the needs of women and marginalized communities. Website: https://www.unconformstudio.com/
- Ceer Medical: A company creating medical devices and technologies that address the unique needs of women's health, such as the Nella NuSpec speculum. Website: https://ceekwomenshealth.com/
- Program Design with the Chroma Collective from ideo: https://www.ideo.org/perspective/a-playful-tool-to-design-more-gender-inclusive-programs
I’ve been thinking of building a list of women-centred design examples and businesses. Have you come across any we should add to the list? Let us know and we’ll get going!
