Abstract

Nowadays it is still a bit of a taboo to state that women and men are different, but different they are. By making use of the relative differences, without falling into stereotyping, a fresh new way at looking at design is born. In this study it becomes clear that this way of design can break open a whole new market, by making use of the fact that nowadays, 80 % of the consumptive expenditures are made by women. Important is not to forget that there are differences between women. By taking the differences and the personal way people react on a product personality as starting point, guidelines are created and tested on a specific case. The case: redesigning an electric Philips Sonicare toothbrush, for a specific target group. Answering the question: Is it possible to design products with more congruence with a specific feminine or masculine consumer, by making use of the relative differences between and within the sexes and also including guidelines for design for emotion and experience? First the research is done in the field of Gender and Emotion, these findings are tested on a case and the paper finishes with conclusions and recommendations.