Mansi Gupta

Today, there are numerous “Women in Design [or another industry]” initiatives working hard to diversify the industry. However, I often wonder if these are serving women or the industry itself? A key reason behind diverse teams is to make sure that the world we live in, and the products & services we experience, aren’t built for a specific type of human. But, even with a growing number of diverse teams, why aren’t we seeing enough of a shift in the way this world is designed? This talk will explore: * The importance of acknowledging the difference between Women in Design and Design for Women * Why Design for Women is imperative for the success of Women in Design * What a Design for Women practice looks like This talk will take attendees through the Design for Women framework – which by cross-learning from different industries, provides a starting point for any team to be intentional and inclusive of women in their design processes. The framework was created by interviewing several experts who had already been designing products, services, communities, and experiences for women. For example, in speaking with women community leaders, we learned that successful female communities have built in elements of reciprocity, transparency and ensured a safe space. When we spoke with teams creating finance products for women, we learned that relationships, information, and safety played a role in their design too. What does this overlap show us, and why does it matter? In this talk, attendees will learn similar key insights from the research of the framework, and how the insights can be applied in their everyday work.