Designing for women on the move

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Designing for Women on the Move: An Insight into Progressive Product Design

As the world continues to evolve, product design must adapt and cater to the ever-changing needs of the consumer. In this blog, we’ll discuss how one designer, Simon, took the concept of designing for mobility and applied this to a product that has largely remained unchanged over centuries – The Handbag.

Designing for Mobility

Often, people use interfaces while on the move. Simon discusses various scenarios of this mobility – from running in the park, scooting through cityscape, to driving on the highway. In all these cases, the interface demands minimal time and attention. Key points include usability with one hand and average concentration. The designs have to be crisp, clear, quick and must not distract the user from their primary task. This principle, often applied in designing navigation systems, can extend to other facets of life.

Underlining the Concept

Noticing common patterns in different products, Simon observed that most interaction with devices happened while people were on the move. Underlying this concept was the idea that these users had limited time and attention to devote to their devices. This realization led to the thought of applying this ideology to a product used ubiquitely by women on the move – The Handbag.

The Birth of a New Era Handbag

Despite several variations and styles, the essence of a handbag hardly changed since it was first used in the 13th century. Drawing from this, Simon saw the opportunity to redefine the handbag to better meet the requirements of the modern woman. His focus was to create something practical, flexible, and elegant, catering to the active roles women play in today's society.

A great example of the need for redesigning existing products is the infamous Birkin Bag, known for its elegance as well as its impracticality. Jane Birkin, the bag's namesake, has been quoted as saying, "It busts your arm and they're bloody heavy." This statement provided the motivation to design a bag that encapsulates elegance without compromising comfort and functionality.

The Research and Design Process

To understand the user's needs better, Simon carried out research, asking women trying to locate a pen in their bags. The exercise yielded useful understanding about the problems women commonly face when using a handbag – from difficulties in finding items to inconvenient bag-opening mechanisms. These insights laid the foundation for the design.

Introducing 'Meanwhile'

Incorporating these insights, Simon created a new handbag design, christened ‘Meanwhile,’ crafted to embody the three pillars of elegance, practicality, and comfort. The handbags featured a simple, elegant design with a single adjustable handle for convenience. An innovative lighting system illuminated the bag's interior, making it easier for users to locate their items quickly. The bag also incorporated modern technology, such as a USB port for charging devices and wireless charging for the bag itself.

The Impact of 'Meanwhile'

The launch of 'Meanwhile' saw immediate success, garnering significant media attention. Beyond the media coverage, the success of ‘Meanwhile’ highlighted how women appreciate beautiful gadgets and contributed to challenging the stereotype that tech accessories are designed exclusively for men. This affirmation further fuelled Simon's belief in observing users 'in the wild,' incorporating physical objects during prototype stages, designing beyond screens, and involving women in tech-focused design processes.

Conclusion

As designers and entrepreneurs, we must adapt and align our thinking with users' requirements. Designing for mobility, as seen in Simon's 'Meanwhile' handbag, is just one way of doing this. In this fast-paced, ever-evolving world, it is essential to go beyond traditional methods, incorporate users' needs, and take advantage of technology to make products more user-friendly, comfortable, and practical. Afterall, great design is all about solving problems, making lives easier, and weaving functionality into the fabric of daily life.


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