What is Fusion?
In the realm of modern-day hygienic and self-care products, major corporations bombard customers with gendered products and place expectations on what consumers are supposed to purchase based on their gender identity. As our society progresses towards gender inclusivity, the products we use must also advance.
There is currently a clear gender divide in the majority of self-care products sold in stores today. Many gender divisions are rooted in dated stereotypes of both men and women. The marketing for this particular realm of products also rarely includes those who are outside of the traditional gender binary. These product observations are what inspired the brand, Fusion.
Fusion is a line of genderfluid hygienic and self-care products with a variety of products for hair, body, and more. Fusion aims to provide the inclusivity that is currently missing on the cosmetic shelves of corporate stores.
01 Research
When beginning this project, I wanted to gather research on consumer ideas on the current state of these products. I specifically was seeking answers from those apart of the LGBTQ+ community and those outside of the gender binary as they are largely underrepresented. Some key questions I was asking are as follows:
- Do you feel that self-care and hygiene products catered to your gender identity represent you accurately?
- What are some products related to the world of cosmetics, hygiene, and self-care that you feel are unnecessarily gendered/primarily marketed to one gender?
- What products would you be inclined to purchase from a gender-fluid hygienic product line?
After receiving nearly 90 responses to my survey, I found that almost half of the respondents felt that the current hygienic and self-care products sold do not represent their gender identity accurately. Over 70 percent of respondents also stated that they would be inclined to purchase these products from a gender-fluid hygienic product line.
Based on the survey results, I moved forward with packaging for hair products, shaving products, and things like antiperspirant and body-spray.
02 Logo
The first aspect of my brand creation began with the logo. I was inclined to choose a compelling one-word name representing the brand and its mission. When Fusion came to mind, I felt that the word represented a diverse demographic coming together, but still allowing for individuality.
This concept is what influenced the symbol design within the logo. By utilizing bright and gender-inclusive colors, the shapes overlap yet also stand alone in their unique form. I aimed for colors that attract a variety of consumers by not leaning too masculine or too feminine. I chose three different shapes to represent the diversity of gender identity, but also the overlap we share within the products we use. The rounded shapes also coincide with the organic nature of the combination mark.
Fusion logo
03 Packaging
Moving onto the packaging designs for my products, I experimented with a vertical orientation of the logo. Using white space to create a contrast with the colors within my logo, the goal was to create an eye-catching design to be displayed on a store shelf. Taking a minimalist approach and allowing the colors and logo to speak for themselves, I hope that a variety of consumers would be attracted to the products.
Another design choice I made with the packaging was associating color with specific realms of products included in the Fusion line. Purple labels represent products related to body scent; orange labels represent shaving and skin products; blue labels represent hair and shower products. After my surveying, I noticed that many respondents believed that shaving products are unnecessarily divided by gender. This is what encouraged my choice for orange on the packaging for shaving and skin products. The orange stands out as bold and not exclusively catered to one gender, and I hope that this design choice would attract all consumers to the products.
I also designed what would potentially be placed on the back of the products. This information would provide the Fusion mission and environmental statement, along with ingredients. I played with my logo symbol as well to create a unique eco-friendly mark for the packaging. Rather than a traditional leaf or recycling symbol, I oriented more towards my brand standards for this symbol.
Antiperspirant packaging
Body spray packaging
Shaving cream packaging
Shaving cream product information
Eco-friendly symbol on back of packaging
Moisturizer packaging
Shampoo and conditioner packaging
04 Motion Graphics
An additional aspect of design that I wanted to explore with Fusion was motion graphics. I created a logo animation fusing my logo symbol to enhance the meaning of the brand, as previously stated. I also animated my product mockups for a promotional clip to highlight the line of products. Inspired by my colors, I focused on a monochromatic setting for each product in a brand promotion aesthetic.
05 The future of self-care
My hope for the Fusion project is that more consumers will realize how self-care and hygienic products are marketed towards specific gender identities. Inclusivity must become more prevalent within the product world. I hope that Fusion brings light to the issues regarding stereotypical marketing and increases awareness of those who identify outside of the gender binary.
Bringing inclusivity to the future of self-care, this is Fusion.
I thank you for taking the time to view my work, and I would love to hear from you with any feedback, questions, and design inquiries!