His & Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Societ

The United States is typically the leader in modern living and lifestyles. Melissa King wrote an article about implementing gender-neutral designs not only in an individual’s personal space but now they workplace. During this age of revolution, traditional masculine and feminine roles are not as finely divided as they once were. Due to advanced technology and continuing changes to cultural acceptances, the differences between genders are becoming more of a grey area. Fewer situations in the world are being defined as male or female as sexuality is being removed from categorical groups.

The article focuses on textile designers evolving their workplace and creations into gender-neutral designs and atmospheres. History has shown than the male perspective has always been the leading drive of societal views from job positions to designs of those said job offices. Even today masculine views continue to have a leg up but the gender view gap is slowly closing. Along with gaining equality between gender designs, feminist are becoming more vocal around the world for men to join in support of gender equality. Of these supporters, the LGBTQ community has joined the fight and made great progress.

When it comes to the workplace, women are making strides to make their presence know in the hierarchy of job positions and visual art in the physical office space. Incorporating the outdoors and light into the workplace has led to designers adding softer interiors, open floor plans and overall more inviting feelings to the space. The time is major right now for add gender sensitivity to the workplace which helps the workers as well as any guest that visit. Due to the obscurity of gender lines occurring rapidly, fashion and beauty are the first areas that welcome the mixing of masculine and feminine views followed by the interior design world.

For example, King points out fashion designer Alexander Wang who created a women’s coat with a male military look. Or a makeup company that created a line to appeal to male buyers. In the past women’s coats would only have a feminine design point of view to separate a woman’s body from a man’s. In modern day society it is becoming visually more difficult to distinguish girls from boys and boys from girls. Because of this, designers are embracing the children who decide against identifying their as a particular gender on forms and institutional documents. Included in this growth of unspecified gender identification, transgendered people are fighting to end any and all sexually labeling barriers.

Because of these points of views being brought to light, companies directed their attention to the public bathrooms in their office space and inviting gender-neutral or unisex bathrooms. This helps to eliminate individuals having to choose between male or female and feeling uncomfortable about it. Apparently complaints to human resources have brought on this solution to accommodate employees and guest. We have to become more open minded and sensitive to everyone’s uniqueness and personal likings. Respect for one’s personal needs is the next step in the post-gender society.