In seminar my research question is how gender roles affect contraceptive use. I came across the information about how young adults are the leading group to get STDs, and a huge part of this is due to gender roles and how it’s more of an act of persuasion for women to ask their sexual partner to use a condom rather than a shared responsibility. I then wanted to think of a system to empower women to be the ones who take charge in relationships and make sure to use condoms.

This system in studio class is going to be intervening in the major condom brand Trojan by introducing Trojan Discreet. Trojan Discreet is going to be sold like regular trojan condoms however the packaging of the actual condoms will be different. The condoms will come in a small cylinder tin unlike the usual plastic tight wrapped condoms. The condom containers don’t resemble the regular condom packaging and if anything they resemble something you would carry in your purse like mints of some sort. This aspect of it was made specifically for women to feel empowered to carry these in their purse or on them wherever they go so that when the time comes, they feel comfortable to pull out their Trojan Discreet.

For the actual system I made the box that the 12 condoms come in, the tin packaging for the individual condoms, and lastly a poster advertisement that has a statistic about STDs while also promoting Trojan Discreet.

The purpose of this system is to challenge the gender roles of who should be carrying condoms in relationships. My goal is too impact women who when the time comes are hesitant and self conscious to ask their partner to wear a condom. Many people believe that it should be the man’s responsibility to wear a condom because he is the one wearing it, however, this role should be shared and shouldn’t be only the males choice whether or not he wears one. Condoms that are marketed towards women will help empower them to feel like it’s their responsibility and their choice as well.

This system relates to my research question because Trojan Discreet challenges the exact gender roles I’m researching. My research findings indicate that a huge reason for women not asking men to wear condoms is because it is more of an act of persuasion rather than a shared responsibility. My system challenges this problem.

One of the main parts of my research that led me to create this system was when I was finding information on why people in sexual relationships don’t wear condoms. I found that the confidence gap (Where men are more confident and women are more self conscious when asked to hold authority) is one of the main reasons to why condoms aren’t being used. Women have trouble voicing that they want their partner to wear a condom and I knew that after knowing this I wanted to find a way where this would be easier for them. Women shouldn’t have to worry that their partner might say no, instead they should be the ones who insist they wear the condoms, and by having them readily available it makes it easier for them.

After knowing that I wanted to market condoms towards women I also thought of how the system should be designed. I thought the color of the box/packaging/ad should be a purple/pink color so that it really states that it is also for women. I knew that the packaging should be different so that women would feel no discomfort in carrying the condoms in their purse or wallet. Having discreet individual packaging leaves women feeling more confident in carrying them anywhere. Lastly, I wanted to make STDs more aware by everyone especially women so I created the ad that says “1 in 5 Americans have genital herpes, 90% are unaware they have it.” This statistic in particular is the most terrifying because even if someone says they don’t have any STDs they could still have it and just be unaware. The ad also promotes Trojan Discrete as a way to reach out to women more.

My audience is women ages ranging from 15-24. The most successful way a person would be able to engage with my prototype would be to carry the condoms on them and/or use them. Realistically if I wanted feedback from my audience I would probably create a survey asking the intended audience how they would feel purchasing, carrying, and using the prototype and also how the advertisements affected them. Or I will ask for people to write honest feedback of the prototype and how each product affects them.

SYSTEM:

Engagement Process

I talked to 10+ women on how my system would make them feel and how it would affect them. These are quotes from some of the women I spoke with.

“The statistic is really powerful because 1 in 5 is a HUGE percentage. If I was sexually active with multiple people at a different time then I would carry condoms like these. (On the individual packaging of the condoms) Yes I think it is effect because they are discreet enough to be used when wanted, not as a message that you want sex. It gives the woman the ability to use them when wanted.”

“They’re cute looking but maybe if you want the individual packaging to be more discreet then you could take off the trojan logo on it because it kind of makes it obvious that it is the condom brand. However if it’s in your purse then it probably wouldn’t be that noticeable at all.”

“They would make me feel more secure if I were to be put in the situation where I wanted to partake in protected sex.”

“Since the ‘Genital Herpes’ is in all caps and is meant to catch the eye of viewers, it does make it effective in terms of making it aware to me.”

“I believe the system would have a positive impact in terms of the double standard that men are usually the ones with condoms instead of women; the system is partially empowering due to it tapping into gender equality.”

“I think it’s important to have these condoms, especially the poster and how they’re marketed specifically to women.”

“The fact 90% are unaware they have it is almost too scary to be true”

1.

• In seminar my research question is how gender roles affect contraceptive use. I came across the information about how young adults the leading group to get STDs, and a huge part of this is due to gender roles and how it’s more of an act of persuasion for women to ask their sexual partner to use a condom.
• This system in studio class is going to be intervening in the major condom brand Trojan by introducing Trojan Discreet.
• Trojan Discreet is going to be sold like regular trojan condoms however the packaging of the actual condoms will be different. The condoms will come in a small cylinder tin unlike the usually plastic tight wrapped condoms. The condom containers don’t resemble the regular condom packaging and if anything they resemble something you would carry in your purse like mints of some sort. This aspect of it was made specifically for women to feel empowered to carry these in their purse or on them wherever so that when the time comes, they feel empowered to use Trojan Discreet.
• Part of Trojan Discreet, I plan on making poster advertisements that not only promote the new condoms but to also inform it’s viewers.
• The purpose of this system is to challenge the gender roles of who should be carrying condoms in relationships. My goal is too impact women who when the time comes are hesitant and self conscious to ask their partner to wear a condom. Many people believe that it should be the man’s responsibility to wear a condom because it is going on him, however, this role should be shared and shouldn’t be the males choice whether or not he wears one. Condoms that are marketed towards women will help empower them to feel like it’s their responsibility and their choice as well.
• This system relates to my research question because Trojan Discreet challenges the exact gender roles I’m researching. My research findings indicate that a huge reason for women not asking men to wear condoms is because it is more of an act of persuasion rather than a shared responsibility. My system challenges this problem.

3) Create a strategy to engage your intended audience with the prototype in meaningful ways.

• My audience is women ages ranging from 15-24

• I am unsure how big a meaningful sample size would be.

• I would probably reach my sample size in schools because that’s a good place to find women ages 15-24.

• The most successful way a person would be able to engage with my prototype would be to carry the condoms on them and/or use them. Realistically if I wanted feedback from my audience I would probably create a survey asking the intended audience how they would feel purchasing, carrying, and using the prototype and also how the advertisements affected them.

• A survey would be ideal and it would probably be after the prototype is made.

Made Prototype:

My final Social Justice Hub assignment I created a monitor system to show upcoming events, club meetings, and so on. The first thing I would do differently is my research. I would have asked the clubs that are held in the Hub what they thought about the idea of the monitor and what it should project. Their feedback should of been a priority for how I designed the monitor because they are what make up the Hub’s identity.

I would also design the monitor differently. My design looked low quality and should of been up to the standards of the other monitors around the UC. I feel like the writing was too small for the screen it would have been put on and I should have figured out a way to make everything more clear where you could read it from a far distance. Also, my idea was that the monitor would be on a continuous loop on the screen but my prototype was just one cycle instead of being continuous. I didn’t know how to loop it on my Movie program but I should have figured out a way through another app.

My documentation could have been better in the sense that I should have got more people to view it rather than just 10. All the feedback I got was good so I felt like I didn’t need a ton of people to review it. I think I also should have had the clubs that are held in the Hub review it as well. However, I think recorded the engagement process was well because I made it so there was no bias opinion by conducting an anonymous survey for random people in the Hub. The engagement was designed for my intended audience (students who use the hub) and the survey let me know their feelings of the system since I couldn’t fully get their opinion by just observing.

Lovability Condoms

http://www.lovabilitycondoms.com/

Founded by Tiffany Gaines.

Two women came together to realize the lack of condom use was a setback for women’s health and empowerment. They wanted to break the trend of condoms being marketed as a masculine product and challenge the many masculine stereotypes associated with condoms.The conducted focus groups and researched how women would feel more comfortable carrying a condom around with them. They got answers that said that women would feel more comfortable carrying a condom if it was more stylish and that made them feel ‘fabulous’. Their overall goal is to de-stigmatize the purchase of condoms for women and redefining condoms as a positive symbol for women for protection and self love.

VA w.o.w (still in development not ready to purchase)

http://www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/va-wow-female-condom-and-sex-toy-claims-100-orgasm-rate-329172

Founded by Oliver Goldberg, Dr. Greg Rosen, Brian Osterberg

These founders are taking the idea of the female condom that is widely unpopular and designing it with women’s pleasure in mind. The female condom is a way for women to have the responsibility for contraceptives when their partner doesn’t have one or they are not willing to use one, however this method is still very unpopular and has poor reviews. With VA w.o.w, they intend on creating a female condom that contributes to the pleasure of women because so far no female condom has been made with women’s pleasure in mind. Will this change how we view the female condom? Female pleasure is often and after thought when designing contraceptives and VA w.o.w. plans on linking both protection and pleasure and heighten female condoms in the United States along with heightening the visibility of women sexuality and pleasure when the condom is released for purchase.

Trojan Condom promotion by Lil Dicky “The Big Talk”

In March of 2016 Trojan condoms released an advertisement with rapper Lil Dicky called “The Big Talk”. The ad was an awkward and funny shoot while still sending the message that wearing a condom should be a priority. Trojan uses rapper Lil Dicky as a tool to try and connect to the younger crowd and the use of condoms. Lil dicky says ‘masculine things’ like “I practically get girls thrown at me every night”. He addresses condom use as something ‘cool’ where if you don’t use a condom then you’re dumb and not cool. This ad uses a person that people idolize to make condom use a ‘cool’ thing, it’s effective but has questionable morals. They are addressing STDs while still promoting their brand, and it’s unsure that they bring up the topic of STD to only promote their condom or to raise awareness.

The Condom Project: http://www.thecondomproject.org/howwework.html

The condom project works to bring lifesaving information to the public about condoms by using nontraditional approaches through art, performance, and educational programs. They set out to break social stigma by opening the door to conversation and promote the use of condoms as a life saving tool. The condom project uses educational and treatment organizations around the world to teach local volunteers how to ensure their communities know that condoms are life saving. They work in communities of all types some including truckers, sex workers, executives, social workers, AIDS awareness clubs, health workers, women, youth and community groups, incarcerated men and women, and schoolchildren.

National Female Condom Coalition http://www.nationalfccoalition.org/mission-and-history

Their mission is to bring awareness and access to female condoms through education advocacy and collaboration. Their current campaign is called “Create the Future of Female Condoms” It talks about how female condoms are currently classified as class III along with breast implants and pace makers. Male condoms hold a class II status which allows them to reinvent and come out with new technology for their condoms while female condoms cannot. Moving female condoms to a class II would remove unnecessary barriers that female condoms inventors face and would bring new, effective and widely available female condoms to the market.

Daily Exploration:

System Map:

Summary:

My research topic is Gender Roles in the use of contraception and my research question is how gender roles are a factor to whether or not heterosexuals wear condoms or not. While doing my research I found that women are more likely to get HIV from unprotected sex over used injection needles. Also, women under 25 are the most likely to get any STD from unprotected sex. This research appalled me and when I furthered my research I found that gender roles play a huge part on whether or not condoms are worn during sex. Women often feel like it is more of an act of persuasion to get their male sexual partner to wear a condom rather than a shared request. Some men feel that the ‘risk’ factor feeds to their masculinity and some females also feel ashamed or embarrassed if they ask the male to use a condom and they say no. I wanted to change this feeling of shame by created a system in Studio class.

My system in studio is intended for all women who are having heterosexual relations especially those who feel powerless on the topic of condom use. Condoms are primarily known to be for male use, yes female condoms exist but the system isn’t as popular as the male condoms. What I have noticed is male condoms are strictly marketed towards males. The most well known example is Trojan, where you have a picture of a trojan warrior and countless battling commercials that almost scream masculinity. I want to have part of a condom company rebranded so that it is marketed towards women. Im and still taking the original system of the condom but redesigning the box to make women feel empowered to not only buy them but to not feel intimidated to ask to use one.

I hope that this system can break the thought that men should be in charge of whether or not they wear a condom. I hope that this system empowers women to speak up even for what they believe in and for their own health.