Thought leadership piece from Emily Friedman at BrainXChange
Is Digital Transformation for Men? Female Factors in Wearable Tech Design
One of the AREA’s long standing members, BrainXChange, who oragnize the Enterprise Wearables Technology Summit (EWTS) regularly publishes content on enterprise wearables. A recent piece by Emily Friedman entitled Is Digital Transformation for Men? Female Factors in Wearable Tech Design is well worth a read. It looks at sexism in the workplace and specifically in design of wearables and other tech products that put women at a disadvantage. This well researched and written piece is surely worth a read by all designers, producers and enterprises to increase awareness of bias.
Friedman writes: “My main point then was that wearable technologies – the body-worn sensors being integrated into organizations’ EHS efforts, exoskeletons taking a load off workers’ backs, and VR headsets being hailed as the future of job training – exhibit coded patriarchy and risk further alienating the female workforce. Wearables that are replacing or supplementing traditional PPE(personal protective equipment) cannot succumb to the same biased or negligent design as have automobiles, office buildings, etc., for the future economy and growth of the workforce depend upon improving job prospects and working environments for women.”
The author takes us through the history of man, why this is more than product ergonomics, the data gap at the heart of the workplace, PPE in the workplace, how designing needs to change in future, and how uncomfortable lead to unproductive which ultimately impacts everyone in the enterprise.
The 6th annual EWTS will be held September 17-19 2019 in Dallas, Texas. Events page here.