MICHELLE NIEDZIELA
VP of Research & Innovation, HCD Research

Work gear such as boots, gloves, pants, helmets, and other essential workwear items are termed unisex, but are designed with only men in mind, not accounting for female measurements. While this bias is important to recognize not only because ill-fitting workwear is a safety hazard; it also undermines the morale and confidence of women working in male-dominated occupations, making them feel like outsiders and excluded from the field. Product design can not only influence consumers’ beliefs about a product’s characteristics such as its value and worth, but also shape how consumers feel and ultimately how they behave.

Inclusivity in consumer research should be a vital part product development to meet the diverse needs and preferences of people from different backgrounds. This is especially true in beauty and cosmetics, where recent studies have shown a bias toward Caucasian needs (1).
While some parts of the industry have become more divers, Naomi Campbell became the first black woman to cover Vogue in only fairly recently 1989, progress in diverse and inclusive products has been slow. Fast forward to today, Fenty Beauty has pushed the boundary of ...