There's a great piece in USA Today today about a new vehicle from Volvo designed by women for women. It's about time that car companies got serious about designing products specifically for women. Can we all agree that women buy most things or at least have majority decision-making input? This is especially true for cars.

Maybe Ford will learn a thing or two from their Volvo unit. The death of the nostalgic "Thunderbird reheat" combined with what is sure to be a success of the women designed concept from Volvo might teach Ford that, yes, it is all about design, but it's design in a woman's world not a man's world.

Men design cars to go fast and look cool. Women design everything to solve problems and meet needs. That's why men dig up the whole "retro" thing. It's often easier to rehash what looked good and went fast in the past than to make something that looks good and goes fast now. (Of, course Ford forgot to actually make it go fast) The problem was that the new Thunderbird wasn't relevant to either the ageing boomer set who may have fond memories of the original or younger buyers who are at a life stage where a two seater sports car(sort of) would fit their lifestyle. You don't believe me? Take a woman of either age group to the showroom and ask her if she'd buy one.

USA Today today mentions two great features of the new concept vehicle. A vertical channel in the headrest that can accommodate a woman's ponytail and a fill port for window washing fluid that is adjacent to the gas cap represent a radical and appropriate approach to vehicle design. They both represent a car designed from a problem solving point of view. A woman thinks 'I have two things I need to put in the car-gas and washer fluid. Why do I have to open the hood and mess with the stuff I choose not to bother with to add washer fluid? The fill ports for gas and washer fluid should be next to each other where you I get at them easily.' The headrest that accommodates ponytails is not only practical but a symbolic design statement that says to women that the designers of this vehicle really do "get it" and understand what problems woman have with cars and what needs they want their car to meet.

Again, men design cars that they think are cool cars. Women design cars that solve problems and meet needs for those who drive them whether man or woman. The article even mentioned the collaborative consensus building communication process that women use and how that was a superior process for developing a concept car. The auto industry like every other industry is slow to wake up to the fact that women by nature have a superior communication style that allows them to be excellent managers. Perhaps Tom Peters will make some progress in creating some understanding of this.

Update: For the latest Thinking on the YCC Concept car click here.

Comments

[Joe]

Have you ever seen a woman get really excited about a hot looking fast car? They tend to mimic men's phrases and take on the alpha-dog trope. They want to ride free.

Putting problem solving on ones' sleeve is for station wagons.

What's frightening is that the article cites womens' needs that look like bad stereotypes - of the helpless kind. What is gained by making the design move of making the hood inoperative? Institutionalizing the idea of helplessness.

I'm 35. Most of the women i know in my age group pop their own hoods to check the fluids.

It really looks like Volvo is pandering a market sector with cost free advertizing.

[Mira]

I'm a 28 year old professional woman and I'm not helpless. I just don't want to involve myself with the hood of my car. I also don't clean and for that reason hire a housekeeper. I don't mow my lawn because I can think of a million other things that are worth my time. I hire someone to do that too.

While I realize that most americans feel the car is their lifeline (notice that most american homes proudly display a huge garage in the front of the house as if the living space is secondary), I just view it as a safe and fun way to get from point a to point b. I have a million other things going on and don't care to piddle with the inner-workings of my car. Again, I'm not helpless, I just don't find it interesting.

If volvo is going to make it easier (and cleaner) for me to take care of the two most important things to make my car "go"-- more power to them. I'll handle the gas and the wiper fluid and my dealership handles everything else. Keeping it simple!

For many, working on a car is fun. For many others its a hassle and a sure way to get grease on your clothing. I'd rather not even see what's under my hood. I could care less as long as the car "gos" like it should.

ps--plenty of men in my set are also completely uninterested in messing with their cars. With work, travel and other obligations, they too would rather deal with the gas and wiper fluid only and leave the rest to the professionals.

[Mira]

I'm a 28 year old professional woman and I'm not helpless. I just don't want to involve myself with the hood of my car. I also don't clean and for that reason hire a housekeeper. I don't mow my lawn because I can think of a million other things that are worth my time. I hire someone to do that too.

While I realize that most americans feel the car is their lifeline (notice that most american homes proudly display a huge garage in the front of the house as if the living space is secondary), I just view it as a safe and fun way to get from point a to point b. I have a million other things going on and don't care to piddle with the inner-workings of my car. Again, I'm not helpless, I just don't find it interesting.

If volvo is going to make it easier (and cleaner) for me to take care of the two most important things to make my car "go"-- more power to them. I'll handle the gas and the wiper fluid and my dealership handles everything else. Keeping it simple!

For many, working on a car is fun. For many others its a hassle and a sure way to get grease on your clothing. I'd rather not even see what's under my hood. I could care less as long as the car "gos" like it should.

ps--plenty of men in my set are also completely uninterested in messing with their cars. With work, travel and other obligations, they too would rather deal with the gas and wiper fluid only and leave the rest to the professionals.

[Peter Davidson]

Mira, thanks for your comments. I think you are proof positive of the point I was trying to make. Plenty of women (and men) have better things they choose to do than work on their cars. I certainly don't mean to imply that women are helpless. To the contrary, I think women are excellent at picking and choosing how and where to use their limited time and energy.

[Adam Simms]

Firstly, this is not a car designed by women for women, in fact it is a car designed by women for everyone. The way this car is marketed in general the PR suggest its by women for women, but check the Volvo site/PR it clearly states that it is a car designed by women for everyone... hence the quote "When you meet the expetations of a women, you exceed the expectations for a man."

Second... this car is a concept... it will never be put into production, it's just a car to think of concepts, create and question cars, etc. They suggest that they would never even be able to produce this car if they wanted till another 10 years because the technologies within the car are far advanced... The reason that the hood does open is bluntly because there is no hood... but to answer your point more, is because the engine within the car is a "newer" technology that the average person is not aware of yet, therefore the reason it does not open is not due to the sterotype of women and engines, because in fact most men wouldn't know what to do with wants under the hood anyways, so it must have a trained professional for repair...

Okay :)

[Adam Simms]

that should be:

The reason that the hood does NOT open is bluntly because there is no hood...

sorry

[martin]

how do you change the oil? or check it manually for that matter or change a battery on the road if you cant open the hood. That alone is a fatal design flaw as far as i am concerned