Entering the new millennium, the world saw a growth in a variety of different industries, and consequently a change in the way we behave. For example, as Starbucks’ goal in outnumbering the population of street trees of Manhattan was being accomplished, coffee became the world’s second most traded commodity next to oil. Coffee was soon perceived as a must have on any hard working businessman’s desk. Arguably, coffee was given a dual function similar to that of a Rolex watch. Besides telling time, the gold plated and diamond engraved watches are, redundant to say, status symbols to one’s elitism. Similarly, the gradation of different brand logos printed on disposable coffee cups hints at the approximation of one’s bank account or level of education. On that account, how does the design of any product dictate, target, or influence a certain demographic?
Scarcity and demand is partially what the study of microeconomics is about. Scarcity is the reason why diamonds, essentially rocks, are more valued than water – an element of life. It creates a hunger within us to be respected, valued, and in power. Elitism is the behaviors associated with those who are fortunate enough to enjoy what’s scarce. Often times, marketers target this small demographic labeled as the ‘Elites’ as their early adapters, for the reason that much of the other demographics’ goals are to become true or knockoff elites themselves. Therefore, the goals of many marketers are to convince their targets that their products will be of aid in the accomplishment of the lifestyle of a true elite.
The level of social acceptance and demand is also put into the equation in the creation of many products. As the line between each gender’s stereotypes became more faint, the men’s grooming industry introduced new men’s beauty product lines. It is obvious that mascara and lipstick for men are still raising eyebrows, but the men’s grooming/beauty industry has seen a 43% growth between the years of 1998 and 2003, and a stable increase of an annual 25% in the preceeding years. In 2005, it was estimated that the men’s cosmetic industry was a $18 billion dollar industry.
Left: Men's grooming/beauty products, by ZIRH, packaged in containers resembling automobile upkeep product containers. Right: Not specified "for females only" but the package design speaks for itself.
In the case of the men’s cosmetic industry, it seems that the designer and the marketer had lead and created a market and not vice versa. At any local pharmacy, one can find many of the same ingredients inside any two different body washes, whether it be targeted for males or females. The only difference, it seemed, was the packaging. Take a look at the two packaging design examples shown above.
Far Left: Men's skin care products by Anthony Logistics, resembling chemistry lab containers. Middle: Skin care products by Origins contained in packages that aren't gender specific. Far Right: Skin care products by Estee Lauder, the less geekier design than that of the Anthony Logistics', but at a similar level of sex designed into the bottles as that of Anthony Logistics'.
Marketers soon realized the complexity of measuring the men’s grooming industry. They had realized that men had already been using cosmetic products even before the ‘men’s only’ stickers were put onto products. They soon realized the benefits of having genderless products that targeted both genders indiscriminately. The packaging designs above are some of those examples.
Men’s cosmetic line can be argued to be a creation of both the marketer and the designer. It can be argued that the supply had brought demand, unlike the usual ritual of demand being supplied. A certain number of demand was already there, but it was the marketers and designers that gave an 'okay' sign to the men on using such stereotypically feminine products. As seen through the examples of the packaging designs, the designs had targeted the masculine demographic and pulled the demographic through the eye of the needle, bringing growth and acceptance to the term ‘men’s cosmetic products’. As the demographic is being pulled, we can clearly see in the aisles of CVS and Nordstrom, the packaging designs losing their genders and opening themselves to a wider demographic.
So, do designers put meaning into the products they design or does the society put meaning into the product? I think the answer is both. As we have seen above, designers often provide and aid an easier pathway for the consumer to reach the destination they want. In order to do so, designers have to analyze the demand of the people and breakdown the obstacles that stand between the people and the solution - the obstacle often being gender, racial, or class specific stereotypes. In the process of doing so, we start building or rebuilding meanings into products.
Left: Jean Paul Gaultier's Brow Groomer (a.k.a. mascara) for men. Right: Dior's Black Out Mascara for women.
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