Teaming up 4 Girls Sports
Sports equipment designed for women, by women
Much of the equipment and apparel used by female athletes could use an update. Tampon design hasn’t changed much since the product debuted in 1931, despite many women reporting discomfort wearing one while on the field. Female runners resort to any number of strategies to mitigate the lack of support in sports bras, from wearing two at the same time to undergoing top reduction surgery. Even locker rooms don’t take into consideration how scary a lack of privacy can be to a young girl beginning puberty.
Increasing the number of women in sports research and product design is a way to jump-start some much needed innovation in this space. That topic was explored at “Inclusion by Design: Women in Sports,” a Harvard Grid panel that recently took place at the Science and Engineering Complex at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).
View our published Harvard Gazette Article: Sports equipment designed for women, by women
Stakeholders
Harvard Athletics
Skills
Product Design Software Engineering Mechanical Enginieering
Domain
Technology, Women's Sports
Date
Present
Figure 1: I lead panelists Jamie Mittleman, Lauren Scruggs and Christine Yu at “Inclusion by Design: Women in Sports.”
Overview
This is an overview of the project & text 0…
Step 1: Learn
Research and Discovery
User research methodologies (e.g., interviews, surveys, user testing)
Competitive analysis
Market trends and insights
Key findings and user pain points
Step 2: Design
Ideation and Conceptualization
Brainstorming techniques used
Initial sketches and wireframes
Design thinking workshops or exercises
Early prototypes or concept designs
Design Development
User flow and information architecture
Visual design evolution
Iterative prototyping process
User testing and feedback incorporation
Design system or style guide creation
Step 3: Refine
Final design iterations
Collaboration with developers and stakeholders
Design handoff process
Quality assurance and bug fixing
Step 4: Implement
Final product showcase (screenshots, mockups, or prototypes)
Key features and functionalities
User feedback and testimonials
Metrics and KPIs demonstrating success
Business impact and ROI
Lessons learned and future improvements
Describe your initial thoughts or feelings about the experience.
[Analysis]: Delve deeper into why you reacted this way. What aspects of the experience triggered these thoughts or emotions?
[Insight or Learning]: Explain what you learned from this experience or how it changed your perspective.[Application]: Discuss how you might apply this new understanding in the future or how it relates to your broader life experiences.
[Concluding Thought]: End with a final reflection that ties back to your initial reaction, showing how your thinking has evolved.