Here’s something most people don’t know.
For decades, a huge number of everyday products were designed around a fictional person called “Reference Man.”
Reference Man is a white male aged about 25–35, roughly 70 kilograms and 170 centimetres tall.
He became the default human used to design everything from medical research to cars, tools, office spaces, and public infrastructure.
Not because someone formally voted for him.
He just quietly became the standard.
And once a standard exists, people tend to keep using it.
The hidden assumption
If you design a car seat, a safety harness, a medicine dosage, or even the temperature of an office building around the average male body…
you end up with systems that fit some people perfectly and others only roughly.
Sometimes the difference is small.
Sometimes it matters a lot.
Sometimes the bias is annoying
No pockets in women’s clothes.
Shoes designed poorly for female athletes.
Public transport handholds positioned too high for shorter passengers.
These things are irritating.
But they’re mostly inconveniences.
Sometimes the bias is dangerous
Women experience adverse drug reactions far more often than men, partly because many medical trials historically tested mostly men.
Protective equipment often doesn’t properly fit female healthcare workers — even though women make up the majority of the workforce.
In some cases, the system literally fits the wrong body.
Sometimes it’s dangerous — for your granddaughters
Car safety systems were developed using male crash-test dummies for decades.
As a result, studies show women are significantly more likely to be injured in car crashes.
Think about that.
We’re talking about safety systems designed to protect your daughters and granddaughters.
One traffic safety researcher in Sweden was so frustrated by this that she created the first average female crash-test dummy in 2022.
Let that sink in.
Cars have been crashing into walls for generations…
…and only recently did someone think to test them with a female body.
The encouraging part
None of this was a conspiracy.
It was mostly a blind spot.
Designers used the data they had.
And the data mostly came from men.
But that’s starting to change.
More researchers are collecting data on different bodies.
More designers are thinking about different users.
And the next generation of engineers and designers is far more aware of this issue than the last.
Which is good news.
Because better design for more people usually makes things better for everyone.
The Modern Grandad Lens
Grandads sit in an interesting position.
We grew up in one world.
Our grandchildren are growing up in another.
Understanding the changes between those two worlds helps us do something valuable:
Ask better questions.
Have better conversations.
And stay connected to the lives our grandchildren are actually living.
Sometimes the most powerful thing a grandad can do isn’t give advice.
It’s simply to be curious about the world his grandchildren are inheriting.
Grandad Conversation Starter Kit
One-sentence opener
“Did you know a lot of everyday products were designed around something called ‘Reference Man’?”
Three quick examples
• For years, car crash tests mostly used male dummies.
• Some medicines were historically tested more on men than women.
• Even things like public transport handholds are often designed for taller bodies.
One-sentence closer
“Designing for more people usually makes things better for everyone.”
Then ask the magic question:
“What do you think?”
This is part of my Modern Grandad Briefing series where I explore what’s changing in the world — and why it matters to our grandchildren.