his&hers

Suzanna Tick, the author of the article, “His & Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Society”, explains that “traditional masculine and feminine roles are being challenged through advances in science and technology, and by cultural shifts stemming from the evolution of sexual politics and media depictions of gender”. She states that designers in landscape and architecture should be more considerate of the changes in gender dynamics in society.

She discusses how throughout time, the workplace has been male dominated. Tick uses Emma Watson’s speech on the He for She movement calling men to join the movement for gender equality. These dynamics have started to change with the increasing prominence of women in the workplace. With this advancement of women, the designs of workplaces include more “sustainability, emphasis on windows, daylight, softness in interiors, and emphasis on tactile and textural materials like carpeting and textiles”. She discuses how modern-day fashion has challenged gender roles in society.

 

woman in suitFor example, “Alexander Wang’s women’s coat from Fall 2015 has masculine tailoring with a military look, while Annemiek van der Beek’s Primal Skin makeup line has been designed to be appealing to the male buyer”.  Tick mentions that because we are living in a time where children as young as twelve years old are asking to have there sex changed, designers also have to take this shift into consideration. She also talks about companies re-designing their bathrooms so that everyone can feel comfortable in the workplace.