Practical design idea

From the research conducted for the creative writing piece and for skincare products, the best idea and the most logical is to create a product for each skin type which are: dry, normal and oily. All genders do have the same/very similar skin but we all have different skin types. Finding your skin type is the basics towards finding a skincare routine therefore, to design this, it would be easier for consumers to find and use a product that is suitable for them.

As I want to reinforce the importance of finding the right product for your skin type, I had an idea to create it so that the design of the packaging and bottle will be of a prescription label as it makes it feel more tailored and unique to the consumer. It would also give a sense of trustworthiness as the design looks medicinal.

Branding name
I wanted the brand name to be about skin or similar as it would fit into the concept of skin types and the prescription label style design. The only words I found that could fit was derma or dermis. Even though it is what I am looking for, it seems too obvious and Derma is an existing brand. It would be better to have something a little more ambiguous.

I looked into words associated with nature and natural skincare and I found the word Bloom means flourish, beauty, renewal and revival. The word sounded honest and made the brand sound organic in which it is ethical because it is a gender-neutral brand. There are many more words associated with 'Bloom' so when the consumer buys the product, they can find their own interpretation of the word and the brand.

Existing gender-neutral skincare designs

From researching into existing gender-neutrally design products from the case studies and other skincare brands, they all share the same elements when designing for all genders:

• Simple solid colours (maximum 3 colours used) - white seems used on all/most designs
• basic packaging shapes
• very minimal/clean design (mainly featuring logo and product description)
• brands seem to focus more/make consumers aware of the products and their benefits rather than having it gender-focused

Research on skin types

https://www.eucerin.co.uk/about-skin/basic-skin-knowledge/skin-types

Consumers that are knowledgeable about skincare would be able to find specific products/ingredients for their skin concerns however, when people do not know much about skincare and only know their skin type, it would be easier to recommend products that are most likely going to work. It would be easier to market products that are suitable for skin types rather than having to read up on ingredients to see what it helps.

Characteristics of each skin type

Dry skin (Xerosis):
Almost invisible pores - produces less sebum
More prone to have wrinkles and fine lines

Normal (Epidermis): 
Fine/small pores - well-balanced sebum production
No or a few imperfections

Oily skin (Seborrhea):
Large pores - produces more sebum than necessary
Greasy/shiny skin

CoP Practical Crit

When I briefed the group about my critical writing essay question, I had asked them if I should re-design existing skincare packaging or create a new brand. They all said that I should create a new skincare brand, as gender-neutral products may affect their existing products being sold. I also preferred the idea to create a new skincare brand as it allows me to produce items that I believe skincare products should be designed for rather than gender.

The other questions I had asked are:

What do you consider as gender-neutral?

• Streetwear - trainers
• Gender-neutral skincare
• Gender neutral/unisex clothing
• 'Simple' skincare

What colours would you associate with gender-neutrality?

• Green
• Natural colours
• Earth tones
• Nude/beige

Do you think packaging shapes influence a certain gender?

• Shower gel/bath products seem to be tall for women like the Imperial Leather or manly like the Lynx shower gel, it looks alien-y.
• Maybe stick to the nature theme again. Create something unique like a leaf shape bottle.
• I think you have to have it so it is a really basic shape with a simple logo.

From the group crit, they have advised me to create something that is simple and plain, using minimal colours or earthy colours.

Skincare survey

Do you use skincare products?

• Yes
• Not really - I clean my skin with face wash
• Yes
• Yes I have a routine
• Sometimes
• No
• I apply cream occasionally
• Definitely 

How do you find the right product for you?

• I research into products, brands, reviews because I don't want my skin to break-out with spots.
• I just go to the shop and look at the skincare section and read what it says and if it sounds good, I'll buy it.
• Research and recommendations mainly.
• I like to read blogs, experiment with skincare and diagnose what skin issues I may be having at the time. If not, I usually buy products to test and if I like them, I keep them as part of my skincare routine.
• I look at what is on offer or what claims to be good for my skin concern at the time.
• I don't really buy or use products but sometimes I will ask to borrow something from my sister.
• I buy whatever is available.
• I like to research into products beforehand and then also look a real customer reviews before I buy.

What do you think about skincare products in retail shops?

• It is an easy option and I think they are really basic in terms results. They also can sell you lies.
• They're helpful and they work so I guess they are good to use.
• I feel like brands try to over-sell consumers.
• I used to buy skincare from Boots and Superdrug but now I can find better and cheaper products that are less harmful for my sensitive skin.
• They are convenient and easy to find.
• I don't like to spend too much time in the skincare section so I would just pick something up or I will ask someone to find me something.
• Easy to find and locate products that are suitable for me.
• Overwhelming. There is a lot and they all claim different things so it is hard to choose sometimes when you can't look online.

What do you feel about the design of skincare products?

• Sexist and stereotypical.
• Polar opposites in terms of colour for male and female products.
• There is so much more skincare for women than there are for men and it is a lot to take in.
• I think it's unnecessary and a little sad.
• The products I have are very dark and masculine which I would say is very stereotypical.
• Very colourful.
• I don't mind it but I understand why it can be problematic.
• It's obvious that it is all about marketing and advertising because men and women's skincare is so different and very sexist.

Would you ever buy skincare products that are designed and marketed at the opposite gender?

• Yes but I do feel a little silly when I do.
• It depends on how it is designed and what it claims to do and if it works.
• I'm not sure. I would if I knew it helped with my skin but I would feel weird about buying it.
• I would if the product worked and if it was cheaper than products aimed at women.
• No, it will make me feel emasculated. 
• I'm not sure if I would buy it but like I said, I do use my sister's skincare products occasionally.
• I don't want to be judged so no.
• Yeah, I wouldn't mind but it will make me feel a little weird.

What do you think about gender-neutrally designed skincare products?

• I think it's a smart and wise idea because I think society is moving into that direction anyway because there gender-neutral in shops like Zara so it's good. It lets people pick up a product and not have to feel judged by what they buy and have to feel like they have to feel a certain way.
• I haven't seen many around and I don't know what it would look like but I wouldn't mind it because skin is all the same anyway.
• Gender-neutral/genderless design is a 'trend' which I think will fit into society really well. People may be confused at first but it's becoming the norm now.
• I think it's a great idea! I already use gender-neutral products so to see them everywhere will be a big leap for society!
• It makes sense because I don't see the difference in skin for men and women.
• The way that society is right now, gender-neutrality is something that should be taken more seriously and I think by designing products to be genderless will be helpful to society.
• I think it would make me feel a little more confident in buying products that are gender-neutral because I don't like the heavily stereotypes that male and female products give off. 
• It should've been brought into society a long time ago. I already know of some gender-neutral skincare brands but they're not the sort where I could nip out and buy it, I have to buy them online. 

From the survey, it shows that consumers believe that existing skincare packaging design is over-done and gender-heavy. Some people are afraid to buy products that are marketed outside their gender therefore, feel like they do have to conform to gender stereotypes. When asked about the opinions of gender-neutrally designed products, everyone agreed that society is moving towards the direction of genderless skincare products and that they would consider buying it.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Books and Journals

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Andreasen, A. (2001) Ethics in social marketing. Washington: Georgetown University Press.

Arnold, C. (2009) Ethical and the new consumer. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Coltrane, S. and Adams, M. (2008) Gender and Families. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Dines, G. and Humez, J. (2003) Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. 

California: SAGE.

Dyer, G. (2008) Advertising as Communication. Abingdon: Routledge.

Helgeson, V.S. (2016) Psychology of Gender: Fifth Edition. Abingdon: Routledge.

Kirkham, P. (1996) The Gendered Object. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Klein, N. (2001) No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. New York: HarperCollins.

Murphy, M. & Ribarsky, E. (2013) Activities for Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the University Classroom. Maryland: R&L Education.

Shaughnessy, A. & Bierut, M. (2009) Graphic Design: A User’s Manual. London: Laurence King.

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Websites

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Case Study: Aēsop

Aēsop was founded in Melbourne in 1987 and is now a worldwide brand. They offer luxury products for beauty, haircare and toiletries. They use the finest ingredients to make sure that their consumer gets the best experience and result from their skincare.

They design their products with a modernist approach and all their stores are unique where they make sure that their consumers have an exclusive and one-of-a-kind experience.

Case study: SAMFARMER

Sam Farmer created his own brand that is targeted at teenagers of all genders. He said that after trying to find products (deodorant) for his children to use, he was appalled by the heavily gendered products and the connotation behind the use/ideals of the product. He didn't think it was right that young teenagers have to buy a product that would have sexual/stereotypical messages.

SAMFARMER's skincare range is very basic and offers a standard product for everyone to use.

Case Study: The Ordinary Skincare

The Ordinary is owned by a larger company, DECIEM, which also specialises in health and beauty. They have their own in-house lab which allows them to test and develop products for their other brands and range. The brand was created to help ordinary people develop their skincare routine by using ingredients to target skin concerns at a low cost. They usually use ingredients that are non-harmful and do not use potentially harmful ingredients that may be found in other skincare brands.

They do not test on animals and try to be as ethical as possible in their brand and in their products.

The Ordinary have become a brand to watch out for as they have affordable and good quality ingredients. They have been mentioned numerous time by bloggers, in magazine and articles. They have also accumulated 12 awards so far for their products.

Triangulation

The changing society (in the UK) has allowed non-binary genders to live freely and openly where they are more accepted. There is still a long way to go in terms of getting rid/blurring the stereotypes but it is an issue that younger people in society are trying to eradicate. Especially now, there are a lot of movements, protests, people speaking out about gender stereotyping as we fight to be seen as equals in society.

Triangulation

The younger generation have been born into a more accepting society and therefore they hold different values and ethics than the generation before them. This means they are less impacted by traditional gender stereotypes. Non-binary designer Kate Moross said in an interview with ‘It’s Nice That’; 

‘“There’s so many different types of expression that those things aren’t necessarily grouped into subcultures or countercultures anymore”’ (Moross cited Thompson, 2017);

Moross continues to say that people’s views are changing and are moving towards a more diverse outlook on ethical issues. The younger generation are more aware and involved with politics that outline the key issues of society and ethics and raises issues such as discrimination and prejudice. Moross also says that designers and brands are in a key position where they have the power to lead the changing ethics of society. An article published by The Guardian supports Moross’ viewpoints on the political stance of younger generation which says;

‘Whether you realise it or not, young people are not disengaged from politics…We have opinions about the country and the world we live in, and we know what we’d like to see done about it. We are getting involved in campaigns, whether they’re for gender equality, affordable housing or criminal justice reform. We are creating social enterprises to tackle the issues facing our communities and wider society. Youth activism over the past two years has shown that there is an appetite for social change among our generation.’ (Imafidon, 2017);

Like many, more and more people want a change to happen and are ready for everyone to be and feel accepted in society and not be categorised by a certain aspect of themselves. Slachmuijlder, agreeing with Moross and Irmafidon says that we should; 

‘Value gender-sensitivity and include gender sensitisation within the curriculum of the education and training.’  (Slachmuijlder, 2000, p.g. 100) By educating, acknowledging and accepting that the world is changing and new beliefs are expanding, it would teach people that we need to be unbiased and willing to embrace new ways of thinking. 

Case Study: Lush

Lush is a brand that is known predominantly for their good ethical concerns and practice in their products. Their practice is to be honest, supports fair trade, cruelty-free, gender-neutral, sustainable and use fresh products.

Lush actively campaign and protest against ethical issues, sometimes controversially. One campaign against animal testing involved displaying naked volunteers in an existing popular Lush shop window and showed what happens to animals during testing.

As my Critical Writing piece focuses on gender-neutral packaging, I had emailed to ask more about their ethics concerning their packaging. The simplicity and monotone of their packaging appears to be and/or support gender-neutrality as it does not conform to gender stereotypes.

Their response was:

'At Lush our packaging is gender neutral as all of our products are gender neutral, none of them are targeted specifically to men or women or certain demographics. Certain products may be slightly more useful for people of one gender than another but they are there for everyone to use. So no this is not to conform with social issues (although we are glad to see that other companies are finally starting to recognise this as a current social issue). This is something that has been one of our policies since the company was founded. So they are a result of the ethics behind the brand yes, as we believe everyone (no matter of gender, race, culture etc.) should be able to use our products.

So every year at Lush we partner with/run various campaigns to tackle ethical issues across the globe. So currently we have partnered with Humane Society International to tackle the use of real fur in the clothing industry that is incorrectly labelled as fake fur. As this is quite a topical issue that we want to clamp down on. We also link some of our products with fighting ethical issues, for example with our Charity Pot body lotion, all of the proceeds from this go to small grassroot organisations across the world. Then our 'New' shampoo bar has a set of hashtags on that we use to in online petitions to get involved with the conversation of being 'Cruelty Free'. See more about some of our campaigns below: 

https://uk.lush.com/tag/campaigns.'

In-store research

Apart from Lush's limited Christmas collection packaging, all of their in-store labels, packaging and 

products are gender-neutral. They use simplistic, monochrome, standard packaging to promote and display their products.