Primary Research
Quantitative & Qualitative Questionnaires
ETHICS
Participants were made aware of questionnaire subject and gave permission for their answers to be used as findings. They were informed that any questions they did not understand or feel comfortable answering could be left unanswered, and that their identities will be kept anonymous.
METHOD
A questionnaire was conducted to quickly gather large amounts of data on the topic of gender inclusivity and the aforementioned in the creative industries. It gave a fast and efficient path into understanding the different perspectives and preferences from the range of participants, and by utilising both open and closed questions the data obtained is both quantitative and qualitative.
For the closed questions rating scales were used to measure the different participants' views on inclusivity in a numerical form. This was in response to the three areas of fashion, branding and UX. This allowed statistical analysis of the answers.
Participants were then able to expand on these numerical scales in following open questions, which ensured that detail and scope for the respondents' true feelings on the topic would not be limited. This enabled more in-depth analysis and understanding around the topic from the diverse range of participants.
Simple terminology was used so that participants from all backgrounds (including those not from a creative area) would be able to understand all questions. Terms that may not be understood were paired with additional explanations. It was also ensured that there were no leading questions to guarantee genuine independent responses.
McLeod, S., 2018. Questionnaire: Definition, Examples, Design And Types. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/questionnaires.html#ethics> [Accessed 25 November 2020].
Rowley, J. (2014), "Desinging and suing research questionnaires", Management Research Review, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 308-330 https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-02-2013-0027
PARTICIPANTS
Participants were recruited from a utilisation of peer groups who met the participant research criteria. All individuals were chosen based on producing a group of participants with diverse gender orientations. This also includes diversity in their background, class, ethnicity and sexuality. Such diversity ensured understanding from all perspectives and therefore a well rounded scope into the gender inclusivity topic.
4 participants were involved in this foundation level of research of standard questionnaires:
Participant 1
Cis-male, heterosexual, white, middle class.
Participant 2
Cis-female, bi-sexual, white, middle class.
Participant 3
Non-conforming gender, queer, mixed race, working class.
Participant 4
Transsexual, queer, white, working class.
PROCEDURE
Questionnaires were emailed to each participant individually for them to complete independently and in their own time frame. This ensured they were comfortable and under no influence from other participants to allow full, honest responses.
FINDINGS
Gender
Most participants responded in similar ways when commenting on attitudes towards gender today, asserting that all people should be able to identify how they feel and like, and that there have been large improvements in mainstream attitudes towards gender. They also note however that the growth in positive conversation around gender has also caused an influx of toxic gender ideologies and discrimination, and that there is a lot of work to be done. Participant 4 however asserted that "attitudes towards gender is regressive". It can be assumed that due to their gender orientation they may have a more difficult experience with other peoples' attitudes and behaviour towards them as an individual, and as a result are very much the affected group of people in a society, that although has progressed, sees hate crimes and discrimination continue and possibly worsen. Other participants show more positivity from a privileged perspective as individuals with more traditional gender orientations of cis-male and cis-female.
Most participants place emphasis the importance of removing the gender binary and an embracing of gender fluidity, which can be created through the educating of young people and children for change towards greater inclusivity. They also all comment on ensuring greater representation in the media, marketing, government and workplace and the importance of better support for trans* folk and fair treatment towards all genders and their needs.
Numerical answers towards levels of inclusivity in the areas branding and fashion respectively were generally around the same for all participants, ranging from 4 to 7 out of 10 for each creative industry area. Both areas individually had an average score of 5 to 6 between all participants, reflecting their collective perspectives that while there has been progression, there is still a way to go for true inclusivity in both industries. Participant 3 comments however that "intrinsically fashion [as an industry] would always be more inclusive as it is rooted in self-identity". While people buy products that appeal to them for different packaging and branding reasons, as consumers push for more diversity in clothing so that they can accurately present themselves to the world, the inclusivity in fashion will accelerate more than other creative industries.
Branding
Participant 1 comments that the beauty industry has seen product marketing open up to a larger demographic than just women, which is successful progress for gender inclusivity. The rise of inclusive branding is also agreed on by other participants, but participant 3 notes the prominence of gender binary stereotyping in children's products, which he comments "is the worst place, as it deeply internalises these ideas of gender within children and can imprison their sense of self in ideas of how they think they should act."
Participants were asked to choose the brands and packaging they preferred from a collection of images. All participants placed Aesop as an appealing brand, referring to the products' quality and how the minimal packaging feels like a reflection of such. This suggests a gender neutral aesthetic which prioritises the function of the product over gender stereotyping is a successful direction for brands to take when appealing to an inclusive audience. Most participants also note the use of earthy, neutral tones as an appealing factor when looking for quality, premium products. Participant 1 asserted that less 'feminine' aesthetics felt more premium to him as a consumer, which may imply straight men may not invest as customers in products that are outside stereotypical 'masculine' or gender neutral aesthetics. Participant 3 also showed strong dislike towards Kiehl as they felt it has strong traditional masculine branding. This suggests that strong 'feminine' or 'masculine' branding has the ability to deter different groups of consumers, while the neutral, earthy toned approach is acceptable, if not appealing to a large range of consumers with diverse gender orientations. It was noted by participant 2 however that a lot of this branding direction can be a form of tokenism in attempt to cater to the masses, and as a result it cannot be assumed that all brands who adopt this aesthetic direction are producing genuine gender inclusive branding.
Fashion
All participants placed comfort and confidence as central to their choice of outfit, with emphasis on baggy clothing to achieve this feeling and look. They also present very different style choices, with participant 1 wearing monochrome black clothing while participant 3 shows preference for bright, bold colours and prints. The individuality within this group is important to note; this target audience have a shared understanding of gender fluidity and a desire for progression, but as individuals they are all very different. Producing truly inclusive fashion and branding for such a group therefore needs attention to such individuals, rather than attempting to group them together through broad terms such as gender.
Participant 1 and 3 highlight the need for more gender neutral clothes and brands at high street level so that it is accessible to more people. He also notes that in high fashion that "there is a certain build that looks good with the clothes" which means those who are not this build feel excluded from having accessibility to these lines, suggesting that there is a need for more diversity in the build of clothing to make it inclusive at every level. Participant 3 also mentions the need for garments to be made for everyone in all sizes, and that "the product should just speak for itself". Participant 1 also comments that "male fashion is more inclusive of women than female fashion is inclusive of males", and participant 3 reiterates this in asserting more interesting silhouettes for masculine individuals are needed. This suggests that there is more of a gap of inclusivity within the male fashion industry than the female fashion industry. Participant 4 argues that there should be a removal of all gender from clothing in general.
Participant 3 also mentions that while we see less pink and blue stereotyping in adult branding, many high street fast fashion brands still produce products and clothing that are branded with a 'hyper feminine' aesthetic, seen in for example Missguided. Overall most participants assert the need for high street fashion to catch up with the non-binary inclusivity ethos they want to buy into as customers.
Structured Interviews
ETHICS
Participants were made aware of questions before the interview. They were informed that any questions they did not understand or feel comfortable answering could be left unanswered. It was agreed that their identities would not be made anonymous and that their answers and names would be used in the essay as advocates of and professionals in the creative industries and LGBTQ+ Inclusivity community.
METHOD
The interview questions created for experts and advocates surrounded general questions around gender, gender inclusivity in branding and fashion, and their personal practices. As participants were unable to provide their interview responses face-to-face or through a digital alternative, these were emailed to them, in which each individual answered the questions within their own time frame. This ensured the sensitive topic of gender could be done in private and therefore make them feel more comfortable when answering them. These interviews did therefore take a more questionnaire based direction than initially intended, however with open questions the answers were broad and in-depth and allowed large amounts of data and analysis to made from each participants' individually made interviews.
As participants could not deviate from the questions or be probed to expand on answers received, the interviews took on a semi-structured interview format. With the large number of participants within this second stage of the research, doing it in this way meant each interview could be completed quickly and results could be obtained at a faster rate. Unlike a structed interview however, most of the questions asked that were specific to each individual and their practice did not use closed-ended questions.
There was a lack of flexibility in this method used, however with the vast amount of questionnaires conducted and the diversity of participants in each primary research stage (including those involved in the questionnaires), the data obtained and findings made were sufficient for understanding the different views on the subject and how it permeates in the different creative industries.
McLeod, S., 2014. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/interviews.html> [Accessed 25 November 2020].
Whiting, L., 2008. Semi-structured interviews: guidance for novice researchers. Nursing Standard, [online] 22(23), pp.30-40. Available at: <https://web.a.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=00296570&AN=30051376&h=xI%2bY3QMLlgvqHJ2VPIjnTGVw9IcjUWZf8AKvntTC%2bPLMD3asFr0Noc5Dn70gmNJqge1RRxewNejj37Fy5SCa5Q%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d00296570%26AN%3d30051376> [Accessed 25 November 2020].
McIntosh, M. and Morse, J., 2015. Article Menu Download PDF [PDF] Open EPUB Accessing resources off campus can be a challenge. Lean Library can solve it Lean Library Full Article Content List Abstract What Is the SSI? Situating SSIs A Typology of SSIs Constructing the SSI Using SSIs Results Conclusion Acknowledgements Notes References Figures & Tables Article Metrics Cite Share Request Permissions Related Articles Situating and Constructing Diversity in Semi-Structured Interviews. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, [online] Available at: <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2333393615597674> [Accessed 25 November 2020].
PARTICIPANTS
These participants were recruited through scouting on social media platforms, particularly on Instagram. Messages were sent to these individuals' accounts, from which emails were exchanged if they showed interest and interviews were scheduled or questions were sent.
This stage of research involves 5 individuals from different areas within the different subject areas:
Charlotte Carbone
Cis-female, Queer, Asian
Ben Pechey
Non-binary, Queer, White
Jannike Sommar
Female, Gay, White
Jasmine Mckenna
Cis-female, n/a, Black
Noreen Calalang
Cis-female, Queer, Asian
FINDINGS
Charlotte Carbone
Branding
"few mainstream companies that do take a gender inclusive stance, have done so for a limited period, often to capitalize during Pride Month".
- Showed preference for branding that is "clean, simple, and organized" however noted that most gender neutral design is "conservative" and do not "challenge or disrupt branding or graphic norms"
- These "conservative" designs do appeal to the majority of target audience however, whereas once a product becomes more unique it has the possibility of deterring customers
Fashion
- Clothing that makes them feel confident is ones they have made, or clothes with a "good story attached to it"
- With smaller entrepreneurial businesses taking charge in genuine, honest inclusive fashion and branding, making your own clothes pairs with this notion that the smaller more close to heart the product is the more successful it will be in having the customer's interests and values to heart
"What I want is the radical shift of the cultural conscience, that makes fashion consumers and creators disrupt traditional systems of power and inequality. Truly inclusive fashion does not play respectability politics, but instead challenges and disrupts the gender binary".
"Queer people are creating for queer people, while mainstream corporate companies will only pander to queer people when it is profitable".
UX
"UI/UX upholds the gender binary in other ways such as with graphic design, wayfinding, and verbiage"
Ben Pechey
- Ben Pechey wears clothing that presents this sense of rebellion, which is a positive remark regarding the direction of the illustrations as rebellious in tone
- I like the comment on knowing when to speak and when to be silent to allow others the space to talk: this could be translated nicely into the editorial video: what if in moments of bustle of everyone was still to allow a moment of focus on one individual, their style and how the brand relates to them
Branding
Their comment on the clean cut and working aspect of the product branding they liked shows the focus on functionality eg. Glossier is a brand that focusses on gloss in make up, and so a light more 'femme' approach is practical to the brand
- Pechey also points out that there are a lot of neutral natural brands that although are more inclusive, are also boring
Fashion
- They point out with clothing that it should be approached not as gender 'neutral' but as items specifically made for target audiences within the femme and masculine
- Perhaps as 'femme' and 'masc' are what people recognise as the two opposing aesthetics, the way Pechey uses these words are not to bind the creative direction towards categories but as a way of making it clear a 'neutral', baggy look isn't the only way of approaching gender inclusive clothes
- They mention they don't like baggy/oversized clothing, but the large jackets I bought were with the intention of fitting all the people modelling and in the knowledge that larger suit jackets with power shoulders was a strong fashion statement in 1980s as a feminist move
"It lets other people know that I am a safe queer space, and that I don’t take myself too seriously. These are key themes in queer culture"
- It's interesting they pointed out Gucci doing a lot of work for inclusivity, whereas other interviewees felt the bigger designer brands were simple engaging with this issue in a surface level way for the publicity
- Their point on inclusivity not yet being mainstream is a collective opinion however of all the interviewees
Jannike Sommar
- Similar responses to others in the beginning section of general gender inclusive questions although there has been mixed responses between whether fashion has progressed the most or needs to progress more
- Lowest ratings compared to others however on each section of how inclusive they are. As expected those who have had difficulty with their gender in society give lower ratings than those who have never faced hardship around the topic (eg. white cis straight male gave 6/10 compared to jannike who is trans women who gives 2/10)
- There is a priority on comfortability when talking about clothing choices by all participants who answered these sets of questions (including in the first section of research in questionnaires)
- The comment on online platforms for brands that produce gender neutral and inclusive clothing being divided into male and female still shows how important it is that throughout the whole brand's ethos and outputs it reflects this inclusive ideology (essential that with the outputs in the branding stage this is done)
Jasmine McKenna
- Similar answers and opinions to other participants on the need for more inclusivity and diversity at all levels, and that inclusivity should be led by directing designs for individuals rather than gender.
"We grow up being told boys wear “boys clothes” and girls wear “girls clothes"
"Certain silhouettes like skirts or pants, should not be subject to one gender."
"there are silhouettes some genders may not be interested in"
- Mention of Weslah and Telfar, two different gender inclusive brands: Former makes corsets for all genders whilst latter makes more loose fitting clothes. The models used communicates to the customer that it is available for everyone of all genders to wear. Reiterates clothes should be made for those who want 'femme' and those who want 'masc'
"use of models in their silhouettes is a big selling point and tells consumers that these garments are not for one gender".
"steer away from the monotone looks and bring colour into everything"
"When creating a gender inclusive garment... it comes down to who the target customer is"
- Ensures in their line of work with Social Media platforms for Fluide that they are "posting images of individuals I make sure that everyone of any gender, race, height, weight, etc. is seen as beautiful".
Noreen Calalang
> Interior Designer that has done projects on gender inclusivity within spaces
- retail giants’ shop floor plans (i.e. H&M, Primark, Topshop/Topman), not only is there signage directing people from what is ‘Men’s’ and ‘Women’s’; however, there are also gender-orientated mannequins (that that have the application of body parts, hair and make-up); the materiality and furniture dainty, pale and lighter in the women’s section, which contrasts the tough, dark and athletic aesthetic for the men’s section; and some stores may go as a far as to enforcing gender stereotypes with colour palettes and photograph imagery.
- forcing those to go to either a men or women section can cause body dysmorphia
- those who never see themselves represented can also have worsened mental health
Co-Design Focus Group
ETHICS
All participants gave permission to have pictures and notes from this focus group made public. It was also agreed that their names, gender, sexuality and ethnicity would be disclosed. Any drawings or ideas generated within this focus group could be used in the branding of On The Loose with their permission.
METHOD
This method was used as a way of checking design concepts with the audience before proceeding, and to create a space for designing the branding with the target audience so that the branding is as appealing and as successful as possible. Involving the end-users in the design process can also make them feel more ownership over the end product and therefore have more engagement and loyalty to the outcome and its continuation. By involving both creative and academic individuals from the target audience as participants, this brings different points of view that inform design and innovation direction.
As this brand is all about inclusivity and understanding and community, it is essential that both those involved in the creative and production side (collaborators) and those involved as models, participants in research and as the general target audience are included in some part of the design process. As a cis-gender individual it's also essential to get this more diverse perspective and opinion on the branding from those in different places on the gender spectrum.
Naranjo-Bock, C., 2012. Creativity-Based Research: The Process Of Co-Designing With Users | UX Magazine. [online] UX Magazine. Available at: <https://uxmag.com/articles/creativity-based-research-the-process-of-co-designing-with-users> [Accessed 26 November 2020].
Simone Taffe (2017) Who’s in charge? End-users challenge graphic designers’ intuition through visual verbal co-design, The Design Journal, 20:sup1, S390-S400, DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2017.1352916
PARTICIPANTS
7 participants were recruited to model for the photoshoot for the brand On The Loose, who reflect the brand's target audience of an inclusive and diverse group of young people. 2 participants with contrasting academic backgrounds, interests and styles within this group were chosen to be involved in a co-design focus session.
Aria
Cis-female, Bisexual, Asian and Italian
Academic student, with no ongoing personal creative hobbies or interests
Passion for fashion and style
Leon
Non-conforming gender, Gay, Mix-race
Creative student, with strong understanding of graphic design
Passion for fashion and style
PROCEDURE
STEP 1
Ice breakers to make everyone comfortable and break down the barriers between me as the designer and them as the end-users
STEP 2
Visualise how they want to look and feel in a new brand, with reference to other brands they engage with
STEP 3
Provide reference materials of existing logos/branding for gender inclusive brands (eg. Phluid, fluide, Hayley). Discuss thoughts and associations on branding and how these compare to their visual brainstorm from step 2
STEP 4
Present existing logo designs by me and discuss collection of these against
> brands they engage with
> existing gender inclusive brand examples
> their visual brainstorm (values)
STEP 5
Develop existing ideas/ produce new ideas with participants together through sketches and digital means
FINDINGS
Both participants individual styles are similar and yet contrasting. They both agreed that their style depends on the mood, and that they both like to adopt a range of styles - statement looks that serve an aesthetic. They want individual, unique clothing and accessories that they can play around with themselves.
The term unique came up frequently, as did the notion of adapting and customising either to present an interesting or expensive look.
While Aria asserted a preference for more illegible, hand-made, abstract logos, Leon showed a preference for simple bold, graphic logos. Despite this contrast, both participants agreed that the logo should not have inclusivity as its main aesthetic, such as a rainbow effect, and that the clothes should speak for themselves.
Two main ideas the participants agreed on for a successful appealing logo for On The Loose:
Evaluative Feedback Focus Group
ETHICS
All participants gave permission to have this focus group recorded and transcribed for public use. It was also agreed that their names, gender, sexuality and ethnicity would be disclosed.
METHOD
Focus groups are a common research method used to gather feedback and opinions from target audiences about products, services or concepts. At this stage of the production process on On The Loose, this focus group was used to validate the designs and approach on a gender inclusive fashion brand. As the participants involved in this focus group were comfortable and friendly with each other, this enabled the responses to be honest and in-depth, and both personal individual perspectives and a collective discussion were generated. Their comfortability with each other being in peer groups also meant each participant was unlikely to be swayed by the opinions by more dominant members, which can be a criticism of focus groups.
Young, N., 2020. What Are Focus Groups? | Experience UX. [online] Experience UX. Available at: <https://www.experienceux.co.uk/faqs/what-are-focus-groups/#:~:text=Focus%20groups%20provide%20a%20valuable,a%20good%20spread%20of%20demographics.> [Accessed 26 November 2020].
PARTICIPANTS
Those involved in the photo shoot of On The Loose patches and prints were recruited through peer groups, and as a group represent diversity in gender, sexuality and ethnicity.
Out of the 7 of these models involved in the shoot, 4 participated in this feedback session.
Alice
Non-binary, Pansexual, Mix-race
Joely
Cis-female, Bisexual, White
Josh
Cis-male, Bisexual, White
Leon
Non-conforming gender, Gay, Mix-race
PROCEDURE
Models were allowed to choose customised clothes and prints they wanted to use on top of their original brought outfits. They were given an hour to do this and to get to know other models involved. Following this, 4 of the models sat in a room with the clothing, patches and prints to look at, play around with and discuss together.
FINDINGS
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