Designing fashion and apparel e-retail experiences that challenge binary norms and embrace gender-inclusive UXInclusivity shouldnt be an afterthought | Designed by author onCanvaAlthough were designers, we learn a lot to incorporate in a design that we pick up in our experiences as consumers. Somewhere around that, we put ourselves in different shoes of the users, the consumers, the people. Its where empathy begins. So let me start with a scenario where you and I will step into newshoes.Where Empathy Begins | Designed by Author onCanvaPicture yourself on a solo shopping date. You step into your favourite clothing storeZara, Zudio, Westside, The Souled Store, or any other. You take your pick. You walk in, the salesperson greets you, and you ask them for a shirt for yourself. What happensnext?They probably ask you what style, colour, fabric, or size youre looking for and whether it is for work or casual wear. What happensnext?If I were you, I would most likely be led to the womens section, where they would show me whats available.Lets pause for a moment here. What was inadvertently assumed in this interaction? Probably that Im a woman, an assumption based on their perception of my gender presentation, which means- how one perceives my gender based on how I express myself, what I wear, my behaviour, hair, body characteristics, or even voice, and how these align with socially accepted understandings of a givengender.CategorisationSuch commonly made assumptions often also translate into digital experiences. We see them on e-retail platforms for fashion and apparel when platforms use binary gender options in sign-up forms and feedback surveys, use gendered language, and offer gender-specific product recommendations. Lets look at some ofthese.Here, I have a few screengrabs of commonly known clothing websites. Look at the categories put up by these clothing brands on their e-commerce platforms Screenshots of hero sections of clothing websites showing gender-based categories | Visual byAuthorThink of itbefore a user, a potential customer, has even scrolled any further than the hero section of the website or app, which is the first thing, the first banner you see, it is already assumed that they will fit into either pronoun; options such as For him and For her are associated with or rather assumed for men and women, respectively.In doing so, not only is the pronoun presumed for the user browsing, but it is also arguably an unintentional misgendering that can taint the experience of non-binary and gender-diverse customers from theget-go.The idea that there are only two genders is called gender binary because binary means having two parts (in this context, male and female). Therefore, non-binary is a term used to describe genders that dont fall into one of these two categories neatly (transequality.org, n.d). In this piece, I will use the terms non-binary and gender diverse as umbrellaterms.Uninclusive Language andOptionsBefore you get to browsing, shopping, orwindow shopping on a clothing website, think of the onboarding forms you go over; like login, sign up, and sign in forms. Have you noticed the use of uninclusive language and options in them? The information you fill in the forms is also shown in your profiledetails.Gender options in the profile section |MyntraGender options in the profile section |MyntraFor instance, in the profile details above, we see the term gender has been used. Not only does it stand limited to two optionsmale and female, they are also sex characteristics and not gender identities.Given these options, I came to some questions-How inclusive arethey?Why do we needthem?And do we really needthem?The first question is rhetorical, so Ill skip to thesecond.While there are cases, such as medical forms, where its necessary to ask for sensitive demographic data, there are many cases where such questions are frivolous. In the fashion industry, asking for gender identity may be needed for a couple ofthings:Personalization: Understanding gender identity can help tailor product recommendations and create a more customized/personalised shopping experience. For example, knowing a users preferred gender identity can help suggest styles, fits, and sizes that align with their preferences.Inclusive Marketing: It can also aid in inclusive marketing- allowing brands to communicate more effectively and respectfully with their customers by using appropriate language and imagery in marketing materials.Product Development: Besides, it can also be helpful in product development; brands can get insights into the diverse identities of their customer base guiding them to develop more inclusive product lines, such as gender-neutral clothing or designs that cater to a wider range of body types andsizes.So yes, collecting this info may be put to good use, but how much of this data goes towards any of these is often not specified. If were going to go about asking for sensitive and personal information, lets ensure that collecting such data is handled with sensitivity and transparency, clearly explaining why the data is needed and how it will be used to enhance the user experience. Moreover, it is good practice to offer the option to skip or opt out of providing this information to respect user privacy and individual comfortlevels.And do we really needthem?If you answered yes to this, lets look at the next few examples that could help challenge that notion. (In the interest of challenging ideas over changingminds).First things first, if it isnt needed, lets simply avoidasking.Inclusive form | MxApparelHeres an example of a clothing brand- Mx Apparel. Above is the form I saw when I first visited the website. The form doesnt ask for any info on my gender. This is a good example to show that if you dont need it, sometimes, simply eliminating an ask for unnecessary information can be, in a way, an inclusive practice; especially if personalisation is not a priority. Heres more on designing gender-inclusive forms (WTTJ Tech,2022).Product-based categories | MxApparelI also liked how their navbar exhibits product-based categories, instead of gender-based ones. Like in some examples earlier we saw options that read Shop Men and Shop Women, For Him and For Her. But product-based categorisation as such is an approach that aids in inclusive practices.These are some other fashion brands that go with product-based categories.Product-based categories |LovaeijProduct-based categories | Aware WolfApparelAnd heres an Indian brand that shows size and gender-inclusive representation along with product-based categories.Product-based categories | NorBlackNorWhiteI like how theres no assumption of pronouns or limited gender options. Mriga Kapadiya and Amrit Kumar, Co-founders of this brand- NorBlack NorWhite, believe that people rarely fall into prescriptive boxes. They exist within the grey, and this notion of the spectrum and a rejection of the binary has led them to create their vivid line and the conceptual thinking behind it (Apparel resources, nd).As said by former editor at LBB- Sunaina PatnaikThe best kind of fashion is the one that defies all labels. Fashion is no longer about asking yourself Is this made for my gender? or Can I even wear this?in fact, fashion is becoming inclusive, and some Indian labels are spearheading this awesome and revolutionary movement.As UX designers, we know that were not designing something solely for aesthetic appeal but to prioritise better functionality, usability, and experience. Were not adding a button here randomly or rounding corners because why not? Nope. The bottom line is that we understand that we dont do something just because; every design decision is made consciously to fulfil apurpose.What do UXers do? | Designed by Author onCanvaThats where we learn to question; the WHYs. Why do we need to know their gender? Is it to personalise? Can it be eliminated? Can we maybe do an AB test to see which is really working to provide the potential user with a better experience?The WHYs | Designed by Author on Figma andCanvaIf any of this got you thinking, hold that thought- Ive got more things to add. Lets look atAlgorithmic Gender-BiasAlgorithmic gender bias in e-retail platforms occurs when the algorithms that drive product recommendations to you, that target advertisements and search results, reflect and perpetuate gender biases present in the data that they were trained on (economictimes.indiatimes.com, May2024).A 2021 study by USWITCH, revealed that automated suggestions on predicted text are often gender biased. Uswitch, a comparison and switching service, tested a series of adjectives on smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12, using this phrase to determine results:Youre a/an *insertword*.Of the 236 adjectives tested, 72% suggested a gender-biased response overall. On iOS, almost two-thirds of words generated a male-biased response (Maddyness, July2021).Another example is that Princeton University researchers used off-the-shelf machine learning AI software to analyse and link 2.2 million words. They found that the words woman and girl were more likely to be associated with the arts instead of science and math, which were most likely connected to males*, (*By which I think they meant men) (brookings.edu, May2019).Lets observe a similar bias in word associations, but on clothing platforms.Heres a screenshot of a search on a popular Indian e-commerce platform for fashion and lifestyle products.Search for unisex products | Screenshot byauthorOut of curiosity, I searched for unisexitems.Search resultsfor unisex products | Screenshot byauthorOf the 15,418 items tagged Unisex- about 4000 are Caps, 20-something are Baby Shower Caps, 8 are Shower Caps and Headbands, but 0 are clothes to put on thebody.This was out of curiosity. But Unisex is probably not a common search, so I went with some commonly searched products; not to see what shows up in the search results, but in the auto-complete predictions.I searched for trousers, dresses, and T-shirts. It was interesting to see how gendered the auto-complete predictions are:Autocomplete predictions | Screenshot byauthorNote how normalised it is to gender trousers, T-shirts and dresses. How we have Trousers For Women and Trousers for Men, and that its not typically what we would expect to find under anything tagged gender-neutral and/or unisex. How we have 6,844 Photo Frames tagged Unisex, before 4,057 Capsbut still 0clothes.Limiting choice, representation, and inclusivity, such categorisation of commonly used popular online shopping platforms reinforces the gender binary. This often leaves those who identify beyond the binary feeling invisible.This not only impacts user satisfaction but also limits the potential customer base for businesses; because people buying from Myntra, Amazon, Zara, Ajio, and several other fashion and apparel platforms online arent just men and women, or girls and boys, or those who go with he/him and she/her pronouns.Socio-cultural, Indian and globalcontext:Its important to understand the socio-cultural context of where these inherent biases comefrom.According to a 2018 report on LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion in the UK by Stonewall, about 31 per cent of non-binary people and 18 per cent of trans people didnt feel able to wear work attire representing their gender expression (Stonewall, 2018).From an Indian e-commerce context, (that doesnt exclusively target a young millennial and GenZ audience), most product marketing advertently or inadvertently reinforces the gender binary. Undoubtedly, a lot of it stems from accepted social norms, and cultural norms; where a binary understanding of gender is prevalent.Men-women, girls-boysthats how weve been conditioned to think, and anything beyond that seems out of the norm, making it harder to comprehend, especially for those who identify within the binary- and/ or probably didnt see mainstream media representing gender diversity enough. It also makes many of us who identify out of the binary question our feelings.This, fortunately, is changing. When looking at the Gen-Z age bracket specifically, around 50% of online shoppers globally have purchased fashion outside of their gender identity, and around 70% of consumers say they are interested in buying gender-fluid fashion in the future (Klarna and Dynata, Statista, 22)Changing norms | Designed by author onCanvaWhile I could gather some global stats on gender-neutral clothing consumption, you must have noticed the lack of relevant data in the Indian context. This is due to the binary format used in official surveys, unfortunately making it difficult to obtain accurate statistics on gender-neutral fashion consumption in India. I do hope thatchanges.Speaking of change, and on a brighter note, despite the current data gap, change is underway. I believe that the digital age can be revolutionary in pushing for inclusive design practices. With every passing day, we learn more about our shared experiences with people from the world over; people with diverse backgrounds and cultural environments.I think its a great time to become a designer, to be in the design space, where you and I have a powerful voice, the power to influence, and to do so for the better. I think today, more than ever, we live in a world that is kinder to, more understanding of and more respectful of the experiences of those we find different from ourselves. Having that empathy is what makes us realise that users arent merely users of your product, they are people using it. It is that empathy that makes us good designers.It really is in the little things, you know, that we apply these sensibilities, we acknowledge and accommodate for the new and the previously less talked ofthings.Something as small as seeing the they/them option feels validating. Seeing Instagram say- theyve replied, feels good. Im sitting, scrolling through my feed, thinking that- hey, somebody on their design team has tried to put themselves in my shoes while designing this. Theyve been considerate of and have accounted for my experiences and my preferences. Seeing the pronouns I go with while filling out application forms for jobs feelsgood.The use of gender-neutral pronouns | Designed by author on Figma andCanvaMaking one feel seen and feel heard, can be so validating.And I think this comes from me being a designer as well as a consumer- that I feel that- that validation shouldnt be something that feels extraordinary to experience. It should be normal. Inclusivity shouldnt be an afterthought. Or something that brands suddenly market themselves practising during pridemonth.Inclusivity shouldnt be an afterthought | Designed by author onCanvaMy intention isnt to call out any of these brands that I took examples from today. They were probably designed by and for a different world they account for. I intend to discuss what weve left out while designing these experiencesor rather, WHO weve left out, and how we can do bettertoday.These words by Sr. Product Owner at Adidas, Alexandra Popova, sum up my talk so far beautifully-Today, the majority of millennials and Gen Z see gender as a spectrum, rather than binary, something that would have been hard to imagine a decade ago. Now, our responsibility as a workplace, business, and part of a community is to reimagine our lives with this new understanding (Contentsquare, 2022).UN SDGsPractising an inclusive approach in design supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities. By creating inclusive digital environments, we can promote social and economic inclusion, drive sustainable growth, building a more inclusive e-retail experience for everyone.We design on the principle of familiarity in UX, right? The Principle ofPrinciple of Familiarity in UX | Designed by author onCanvaWhile seeing binary options may feel familiar because were so used to it, we must question what that familiarity rests on. Negligence, perhaps? Overlooking the experience of a significant part of consumers? Must we keep on with it?Why?One may think- why complicate things? Its fine the way it is. Its fine for some, but not quite for some alike. And if it feels complicated, simplifying it is our job, isntit?Id like to leave you with these words by writer Luke Christou:People want to be seen, heard, and most of all, represented. An authentic understanding of what representation truly means, and how it relates to the struggle for inclusion and diversity, is most likely what fashion can do to be more inclusive (3dlook.ai, 2024).As a fresh design graduate, right out of the oven, I took to writing thought pieces on sustainable design, diversity, and inclusivity, among other things I enjoy. Im glad to have had the UXIndia24 platform to advocate for gender-inclusive design practices with this talk on Gender Inclusive UX in E-retail and engage with gems in the design community.References:Understanding nonbinary people how to be respectful and supportiveA gradual UX approach to design gender-inclusive formsApparelresources.comAlgorithms help people see and correct their biases, studyshowsStudy reveals gender bias in predictive text algorithmsAlgorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumerharmslgbt britain work report-2018U.S. Leads the Way With Gender-Neutral FashionGender-Inclusivity and Retail: 4 Ways To Build a More Gender-Neutral BrandUN_Sustainable Development GoalsInclusivity inFashionFurther Reading:A Guide To Gender Identity TermsSOCIAL MEDIA AS A CATALYST IN MAKING INCLUSIVE FASHIONINDUSTRYGender: Why Are You Asking AboutIt?Algorithms propagate gender bias in the marketplacewith consumers cooperationShe, her, he, and him arent the only ones buying clothes was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.