Condoms for the ladies

Check out this interesting condom concept. It is designed by Philip Skinner from the UK. The idea is to create a fun and exciting relationship between condoms and females. This is what Philip has to say about the project:

"Casual sex has traditionally been considered a masculine trait. Evidence shows that more and more women are enjoying 'no strings attached' sex. However many single women assume it is the men's responsibility to provide protection, and therefore do not carry a condom. My response was to create a range of condoms that will appeal to women and encourage them to buy their own condoms and carry one - 'because you never know'."

Skinner's concept focuses on fantasy and creativity. Cheeky and classy...Well Done!

To check out more photos and projects go to: www.philskinner.co.uk

Breathing the right type of air

Recently, I have noticed a trend amongst my health conscious female friends, especially those who have or are expecting babies. This trend is buying air humidifiers and purifiers. Breathing clean air with the right consistency is what all of us want. But those of us who live in cities, know just too well, that this is close to impossible. The air is either too dirty, too humid, too dry, the list keeps growing according to the season. That's why designers came up with air humidifiers and purifiers, to make breathing air, indoors, a bit more enjoyable. Though if you talk to folks who have bought them or those who have decided not to, you will realize that their no. 1 complaint is the bulkiness of the design. Lets face it, they are just not that appealing to look at. That's why consumers have to think about where they can hide it while the product is not in use and this subsequently results in storage issues in the home. A couple years ago Naoto Fukasawa came out with a great humidifier design that was simply beautiful, those using it claim that it functions as home decor as well (left images). But if you haven't been able to purchase Fukasawa's design because of the high price, soon you will be able to purchase your first lead free, ozone safe air purifier, AirMD. Apart from its green approach another applause goes to its design. (right image)

“You are just paying for the packaging”

Growing up shopping with my mom, I would pick up cosmetics in beautiful colored paper or uniquely shaped boxes and she would tell me, “You are just paying for the packaging.” before pulling me away from the shelves. As it turns out, this comment subconsciously stuck with me. I find myself constantly admiring how lovely the packaging of a product can be and admitting how special it can make me feel. I even find myself buying products just for the packaging. And I’m not the only one! Over dinner recently with girl friends we found ourselves confessing our willingness to pay more money for a preciously wrapped product and gushing over the details of good examples. Par example, get your hands on the soaps by MOR cosmetics. Each scent is wrapped in the most beautifully colored, textured and patterned paper and finished with a ribbon and wax seal. Or pick up a bottle of Boylan’s MASH soda, which has an especially bulbous, playful shape and great colors of both soda and graphics. It seems clear that really successful packaging will encourage women to pick a product off the shelves and bring it home. Maybe its time product designers and packaging designers get together and make sure the greatness of the packaging matches the greatness of the good inside.

Some Thoughts On Wallets

This piece was sent to us by one of our readers:

As a female designer I tend to over-analyze everyday objects and the many compensations that I have had to invent in order to deal with shortcomings of these objects. Some of these objects are specifically designed for women, and yet, they tend to make our lives more difficult as opposed to streamlining them.

One such piece is the wallet. Have you ever felt a slight envy for the slim wallet your male friends and co-workers effortlessly flip open and then slip back into their pants' pocket while you have to find a purse, to not only fit your wallet in, but also coordinate it with your huge self- defense-ready lady-wallet? Where does this behavior come from? Did the monster wallet come first or was it the need to carry all of our worldly possessions with us at all times?

I struggle to break free every day, only taking the "essential" with me. And still I find myself sans gift card at a store. I wonder how smart it would have been to already have it in my wallet right then and there.

Wii-Fit

First there was the Wii that made video games more interactive and exciting for women. Now, there is the Wii - Fit, which brings working out at home to a whole new level. The Wii-Fit comes with a balance board that looks like a scale but reads real movement and translates that movement on screen. This board is so much easier to store and looks much more slim and friendly then all the previous fitness equipment you might have bought. It's a good design for storage problems and fitting into the home environment.

Wii-Fit gives you an option of different types of fitness activities, such as yoga, mountain climbing, weight lose etc. The program monitors your practice and shows how much you have progressed in terms of workout intensity and burned calories after each session.

Most importantly, its universality is especially appealling to women, who tend to buy products for all members of the family. The Wii-Fit is designed with everyone in mind; young, old, male, female. It really works with the whole family and creates interactive fun at home.

Also, since females are so busy all the time with families and work, they usually don't have the time to go to a gym. The Wii-Fit creates alternative solutions for working out.

Instant Snapshots

Remember Polaroid's instant - developing snapshot cameras? They were so straight forward. You shoot the photo and, voila, you have it right in your hand. Well, as you probably know, they are out of production and are too old school for today's digital age. But now, they offer the Polaroid PoGo printer. It allows you to print photos instantly from your cell phone or digital camera - their interpretation of instant photography for the digital age. The PoGo is super light and is small enough to fit in your pocket. No transferring to computers, just shoot and print. Its good for those of us who procrastinate or just don't have time to get our digital jpegs printed. Its also a help to the family photographer (usually mom) who is always trying to capture small meaningful moments and share it easily with family and friends.

How about a personal touch?

I personally get excited when I see handmade items. I guess it's the idea that someone took the time to make that piece individually. Handmade products seem to be a trend of their own. Perhaps we are tired of buying and living with generic products that have been mass-produced far-far away. Owning something with a personal touch is one step closer to leading a more personal, meaningful life.

Etsy, an online marketplace, is trying to bring back this personal touch by dedicating commerce to all things handmade. Their goal is to enable people to earn a living making things and to reconnect the craftspeople to consumers. You can find deals on clothing, music, furniture, jewelry and even robots.

Etsy realized that a product's face value is not everything. They encourage designers and manufacturers to think about the whole experience and how that experience reflects on the product itself. Etsy has started to question the idea of a products life and how it lives and relates with the user. So, check out their website and see all things interesting, including scarves and rings with moss.

www.etsy.com

"Finally"

I was sitting with a colleague, Kirsten, as she casually flipped through a fashion mag and enthusiastically and sarcastically said "Finally" when she saw this ad. I think that she had been waiting to see women more realistically portrayed in the media. Curvation certainly delivers on realism...Check out that belly! Mine looks just like that! Did you see all that back fat? Yes!!

Sexy television

It seems that LG is thinking a lot about women lately. But not quite in the way we expected... Their new HGTV is well-endowed with the latest and greatest technology. That's great, but I am more focused on its sexual undertones!!

Has anyone else noticed that LG is going after a male audience? The combination of a seamingly useless hole and Scarlet, a sexy spokeswomen, may appeal to a man's basic instincts. And the fact that the hole glows red, well, enough said...

5 Points in Action

Point number 3 of our white paper, "Consider her Lifecycle", is represented in full effect in Curél's Life Stages line. This is the first skin care line that pays attention to a women's ever-changing needs over time. They offer 3 products, one for early signs of aging, one for pregnancy, and another for menopause. Curél hit on very sensetive changes in a women's life and turned using lotion into an emotional and personal experience! Bravo!!!