Housewares: How do we inspire her to pick up a hammer?

OXO Good Grips Hardware Hand Tools Line. 

For OXO’s line of hardware hand tools, our goal was to design a line of products that would appeal to women, but also get the thumbs-up from the hardware experts at stores like Lowe’s. The line represents the Femme Den principle of “transparent design” that is inclusive of female consumers, even in classically male-oriented categories like tools. This transparent design approach creates products that are truly universal and work well for everyone.

The do-it-yourselfers we interviewed felt that existing products were not designed for them. Brands like Dewalt and Bosch are rugged and heavy-duty. They’re built for a construction site, not a home garage or under the kitchen sink. Women were curious about new features, but they also wanted a hammer to look like a hammer. So we designed a line of over twenty clearly recognizable tools that are loaded with new user benefits. For example, the tape measure has a thumb break to slow down the tape retraction. The utility knife has an internal cartridge that presents itself with the pull of a lever for safe and convenient blade storage and replacement. Naturally, like all OXO products, the tools are ergonomic, durable and high quality.