16 Products Designed by Women That Are Changing Their Industries

Women designers are transforming industries with products that prioritize inclusivity, functionality, and innovation. These 16 examples—spanning automotive, travel, sports, and technology—show how female-led design is addressing gaps in sectors traditionally dominated by men.

Automotive and Travel: Designing for Inclusivity

Tisha Johnson, Head of Design at Slate, is challenging gender norms in the automotive industry. According to WIRED, she is shaping the look and functionality of Slate’s Fastback SUV, an electric pickup truck starting at under $25,000—the cheapest in the U.S. Johnson’s design emphasizes approachable features like rounded headlamps, moving away from traditional, hyper-masculine aesthetics to create a vehicle that appeals to a broader audience.

In travel, Away has disrupted the luggage market with products designed by women for women. Co-founders Jen Rubio and Steph Korey, both former Warby Parker employees, launched the company in 2015. Their Aluminum Carry-On—featuring a 32-liter capacity, dual TSA locks, and an internal compression system—helped the brand generate $12 million in sales and sell over 100,000 suitcases in its first year.

Sports and Apparel: Tailoring Design to Women

Jelenew, co-founded by six-time cycling world champion Marion Clignet, focuses on apparel specifically for women. The Mont Blanc Ultralight Long Windproof Jacket is part of a line crafted from recycled materials, addressing the lack of high-performance cycling gear tailored to female athletes.

TaylorMade’s Kalea Gold Driver was developed with significant input from female engineers and golfers. Michelle Penney, Principal Product-Development Engineer, led a team that ensured the club’s design matched women’s swing profiles. The driver features a 44-inch length, a lightweight 47-gram shaft, and lofts optimized for women’s gameplay.

IDA, co-founded by Laura Youngson, designs high-performance soccer boots specifically for women’s feet. The Helia Pro includes female-specific flex zones and a unique stud pattern for firm ground and artificial grass, a rarity in an industry where most boots are simply scaled-down versions of men’s designs.

Technology and Wearables: Innovation with a Female Focus

Natural Cycles, co-founded by physicist Elina Berglund Scherwitzl, offers an FDA-cleared birth-control app powered by data science. The NC° Band, a wearable that tracks temperature, heart rate, and movement during sleep, syncs with the app to provide daily fertility guidance. The company claims 93% accuracy in its predictions, filling a critical gap in women’s health technology.

Adafruit, founded by Limor Fried (also known as Ladyada), is a 100% woman-owned company specializing in open-source electronics. Fried started the company in her MIT dorm room in 2005 and has since built it into a leader in DIY tech, empowering creators with accessible hardware and educational resources.

The Dreame Miracle Pro hair dryer uses AI to automatically adjust temperature and airflow, catering to diverse hair types and reducing heat damage. This innovation reflects a growing trend of tech products designed with women’s needs at the forefront.

From Musical Instruments to STEM Education

Musician and designer Annie Clark (St. Vincent) collaborated with Music Man to create a signature guitar shaped for comfort against a woman’s torso. Inspired by midcentury retro-futurism and the androgynous aesthetics of artist Klaus Nomi, the St. Vincent HHH challenges traditional guitar design norms, which have long ignored female musicians’ ergonomic needs.

KiwiCo, founded by chemical engineer Sandra Oh Lin, makes STEM and creative projects accessible and engaging for all ages. The company’s subscription boxes deliver hands-on kits designed to spark curiosity in science, engineering, and art, addressing the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields.

In cycling, Liv, founded by Bonnie Tu, addresses the lack of bikes designed for women’s biometrics. The EnviLiv Advanced Pro 0-AXS is engineered specifically for female riders, reflecting a broader push for gender-inclusive design in sports equipment.

What this means

LazyFounders analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

These 16 products are more than just innovations—they’re a testament to the power of diverse perspectives in design. For decades, industries like automotive, sports, and technology have operated under the assumption that a one-size-fits-all approach works, often defaulting to male-centric designs. The products highlighted here challenge that assumption, proving that female-led design isn’t just about inclusivity; it’s about unlocking new markets and improving functionality for all users.

For founders and operators, the implications are clear. First, inclusivity drives growth. Companies like Away and KiwiCo didn’t just create products for women—they redefined entire categories by addressing unmet needs. Second, traditional industries are ripe for disruption. If established players like TaylorMade and New Balance are only now realizing the value of female-specific design, there’s still plenty of room for startups to fill gaps in other male-dominated sectors.

Finally, this trend underscores a broader shift in consumer expectations. Today’s users—regardless of gender—expect products that consider their unique needs. Brands that fail to prioritize inclusivity risk alienating customers and falling behind competitors. The question for founders isn’t whether to embrace diverse design, but how quickly they can integrate it into their product development process.

Key takeaways

• Women designers are driving innovation in sectors like automotive, travel, sports, and technology.
• Female-specific design often addresses unmet needs in ergonomics, performance, and accessibility.
• Startups like Away and KiwiCo achieved rapid success by focusing on inclusivity and functionality.
• Traditional industries risk falling behind if they ignore diverse user perspectives.
• Inclusive design isn’t just ethical—it’s a competitive advantage for founders and operators.

FAQ

Why is female-specific design important in industries like automotive and sports?

Female-specific design addresses ergonomic, functional, and aesthetic gaps that have historically been overlooked. For example, women’s swing profiles in golf or biometrics in cycling require different equipment than men’s. Products like TaylorMade’s Kalea Gold Driver or Liv’s EnviLiv Advanced Pro 0-AXS demonstrate how tailoring design to women’s needs improves performance and user satisfaction.

How can founders identify opportunities for inclusive design?

Founders can identify opportunities by:

1. Listening to underrepresented users: Conduct interviews or surveys to understand pain points in existing products.
2. Building diverse teams: Include women and other underrepresented groups in brainstorming and prototyping phases.
3. Analyzing market gaps: Look for industries where products are designed primarily for one demographic but used by many.
4. Testing with diverse users: Ensure prototypes are evaluated by a representative sample of end-users to uncover blind spots.

What challenges do women designers face in male-dominated industries?

Women designers often face skepticism, limited access to funding, and industry norms that prioritize male perspectives. For example, Tisha Johnson’s work at Slate challenges the automotive industry’s traditional focus on macho aesthetics. Additionally, female founders may struggle to gain credibility in sectors like technology or engineering, where women are underrepresented in leadership roles.

How can companies measure the impact of inclusive design?

Companies can measure impact by tracking:

1. User feedback: Surveys or reviews that highlight improvements in usability or satisfaction.
2. Market performance: Sales data, market share, or customer acquisition rates in previously underserved segments.
3. Retention rates: Whether users of inclusive products return for repeat purchases or upgrades.
4. Industry recognition: Awards, media coverage, or partnerships that validate the product’s innovation and inclusivity.

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