Designing for Gender: Products for Mass Market Consumption

The purpose of this analysis is to draw upon academic discourse to analyze a series of visual images representing products designed specifically for men and women. The products selected are taken from four categories: razors, watches, cell phones, and cologne or perfume. Images of these products accessed via a Google keyword search, largely from Google itself or from company websites, are presented in Appendix A. The argument to be advanced in this analysis is that Kirkham and Attfield (1996) are correct in stating that the dynamics of gender relations do operate through material goods and that objects are affective and are among the most significant bearers and conveyors of meaning in our society. The attached images illustrate the differentiation of the putatively "masculine" and "feminine" in a selection of four object categories in the mass market consumer goods arena.

The first two images in Appendix A are safety razors designed by Gillette Company to appeal respectively to women (Image 1, the Venus razor) and to men (Image 2, the Fusion razor). A key element in differentiating the designs is the use of color. The softer, pastel or bright colors used in the Venus are distinct from the more aggressive reds and blacks used in the Fusion. While the designs are relatively similar, a greater degree of curvature is evident in the head of the Venus than in the head of

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At its most basic, a watch is little more than a functional object designed to serve the basic purpose of tracking time or, in some instances, provide other functions similar to those of a calendar or a chronograph. However, as Boydell (1996) suggests, watches, like training shoes, come in all different price categories and styles and Rolex is one of the most readily recognized premier brands in the world of watches. Whether designed for men or women, Rolex watches emphasize quality, durability, style/design, and performance. At the same time, when one compares the image of the gold and diamond encrusted ladies' watch in the image series to the larger and less heavily ornamented men's watches it becomes clear that gendered design is at work. Rolex does in fact make 18 carat gold or platinum jewel encrusted watches for males but most men who wear a Rolex watch are unlikely to purchase one whose face is covered with Pave diamonds. As much as these watches are gendered, they are also packaged and designed in such a way as to signify class and status more authoritatively than gender. Partington (1996), in an analysis of perfumes and post-modernity, makes the point that many kinds of knowledge can be mobilized in consumpt
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1976
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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