Designer gadgets pitched at female shoppers

Consumer electronics makers need to design and market their products explicitly towards women, as they make the majority of buying decisions in households, Philips says.

Andrea Ragnetti, chief executive of Philips' new consumer lifestyle division, said women played a "very important role" in technology purchases so style was paramount when designing products.

Ragnetti made the comments at Philips's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) press conference in Las Vegas, before unveiling a range of new products he said incorporated a "smoother, more feminine approach".

He cited figures from the Consumer Electronics Association, the host of CES, which show women - wives, mothers and daughters - make 40 per cent of decisions in buying household electronics. Further, they influence an additional 21 per cent of electronics purchases.

"Women call the shots," Ragnetti said.

Ragnetti, who used to head Philips's domestic appliances and personal care items division, said that, even there, he found that women played a very influential role when buying the most masculine of products - an electric shaver.

"Today's consumers focus less on products and much more on lifestyle experiences," he said.

Philips's CES product line-up includes a range of personal storage devices and headphones that double as jewellery, such as a Swarovski-designed crystal pendant containing a USB flash drive.

The company said the range created a "fusion of fashion and function".

But Philips made the biggest splash with its "Design Collection", which includes a series of TV sets and home sound systems that Philips says will become a conversation point in the home.

Leading the collection is the 52-inch Ultimate Dream TV, which won a CES Innovations award for design and engineering.

The TV set offers rounded corners and is surrounded by an acrylic edge, while the front is clear of clutter as the speakers are mounted on the back.

Ragnetti said women cared more about looks when buying a product than men did, and therefore it was important when designing TV sets to get rid of angular designs in favour of soft, rounded edges.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/articles/designer-gadgets-pitched-at-female-shoppers/2008/01/08/1199554633917.html#