Designing Experiences for Women
Women have become the digital mainstream. In the US market, women make up just under half of the online population, but they spend 58 percent of e-commerce dollars. Women are online gamers, shoppers, bloggers, and social media consumers. And yet, we still don’t know how to design for them.
The immediate impulse when designing for women is to “shrink it and pink it,” meaning products are splashed with the color pink, and content and messaging are dumbed down. But women want what’s relevant to them. They want products and online experiences that are intuitive, not insulting to their intelligence. They want function, not frills.
This session reviews the historical and contemporary landscape of designing for women. We’ll review misguided, yet well-intentioned designs based on assumptions and stereotypes that have flopped. Likewise, we’ll review success stories of well-designed products and experiences that truly meet women’s needs. We’ll also look at when gender should factor into your design and when it shouldn’t. Ultimately, when designing for women (or men, or both), you’ll want to get it right.
Presenters
I have been practicing User Experience Design for the past 4 years. During that time I have helped clients in the financial, health care management, public utilities, and pharmaceutical management industries. I've provided them with deep insight into their customers and users, and designed engaging experiences that were catered directly for their customers and users.
As a User Experience Consultant at Perficient, I perform a variety of UX activities that allow me to build an empathic link to a variety of people that directly informs the designs I create. These activities cover the full spectrum of research, modeling, design, and testing.
My passion in User Experience Design is centered around the modeling of data gained from user research and the creation of interactive prototypes and wireframes. I've mentored and presented on these two aspects of User Experience Design to people around St. Louis, MO and across the country.
When I'm not writing and presenting on User Experience Design, I spend my free time playing around with my toddler son, Tristan. He constantly reminds me not to take too much for granted and the best way to learn anything is to get down and dirty with it.
I'm a senior experience designer for Happy Cog. I'm interested in the intersection of gender and technology. I've spoken about designing for women at multiple conferences and events. My interests also include nutrition, wellness, and the occasional glass of red wine.
Saturday, March 10
