Every single one of the points in this article was a complete "DUH no clue" for me but I realized that it's not widely accepted to specially target users that are women with tech. I won't go into the boring stats that show women are the one's in that control more of the spending. One thing here did surprise / offend me:
"For our mobile shopping app, we chose a name and color scheme that was decidedly feminine. We had men complain that they didn’t feel comfortable using the app, or posting in a community dominated by women."
Do I ever bitch that a site is blue or gray steel and designed for men? I'd like to chat with the men that gave this feedback. HELLO. Sometimes companies WANT to appeal specifically to women. Get over it.
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TechCrunch | Don’t Be Afraid To Go Pink: Designing Great Tech Products For Women
When it comes to fashion, women have embraced products that were originally designed for men. Flip through any J.Crew catalog and you’ll encounter the Boyfriend Jean, Boyfriend Blazer, unisex ankle bo…
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Hi Lynette : I let you know letter, thanks &have a nice chat w ur app.
And yet the headline was Don't Be Afraid To Go Pink…
+Jessica Ivins does an amazing talk where she talks about 'shrink it & pink it' (I think I got the order right!) – she's at South by Southwest next week as well with the talk.
+Eoghann Irving 'pinking' something is generally considered a term to make the design of something desirable (and hopefully functional) for women. It's not just about the color.
OK, everyone knows I'm all for women and tech, but I'm against segregating us in tech. I'm not offended by the don't be afraid to go pink, as much as I'm offended by point #2- KISS. To me, it implies that you have to simplify things specifically for women. Why single that out to just women? Everybody, men and women, are busy and can stand to have things simplified. They didn't have to make that women-specific.
And to point #5, I'd LOVE to have women on my team for a new project I'm working on. Unfortunately, I've put out the call and so far NO WOMEN have responded. Men have responded, but not one single woman has. Perhaps that's on me for not specifically asking for women to inquire, or perhaps I wasn't looking in the right place. Or maybe my project is boring as hell. Who knows. But I do know I want more women to step out front.
We need to stop this segregation within tech. It's similar to the race conversation. Instead of complaining there aren't enough * fill in the blanks * we focus on increasing our visibility.
Sorry for the rant. 🙂
Perhaps we need to do a live discussion on this.
Real Woman dont fear Pink
+Adrienne Graham it's not tech that is getting singled out, in this article they are discussing how an app was designed FOR women shoppers. Men shop differently than women. Even if some men shop the same as some women, there are differences (or so the research goes). When an app is 'masculine' I don't really hear women complaining (unless that includes pin up girls…) but when something is designed for the specific traits or habits of a woman, some men freak out.