With the development of consumerism and feminism, the influence of female consumers in the market has steadily increased, prompting the capital market to continuously launch products aimed at women. Feminist writer Caroline Criado-Perez (2019) even called on brands, “It’s time to start designing women in.” However, she also noted that many products marketed as being designed specifically for women—or claimed to meet women’s needs—have experienced dismal sales or been discontinued. This phenomenon is puzzling: Why does “considering women’s needs” fail to win over female consumers? Is it that “designing for women” is inherently unnecessary, or do brands and designers misjudge women’s needs? Alternatively, might it be that these products do not align with consumer preferences? This essay will explore the necessity of “designing for women” by reexamining some of the biases and stereotypes underlying the approach adopted by certain brands. By studying female consumer preferences—for instance, the emphasis placed on brand, aesthetics, reputation, and functionality—this paper aims to summarize the factors that attract female consumers and thereby promote better “designing for women” in product planning among brands.
ZHAN et al. (Thu,) studied this question.