One size fits all... white men
- Catalina Bonavia
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
For decades, the default customer in many industries; especially healthcare, wellbeing, and business services, has been a white, able-bodied, cisgender man. Even when women, people of colour, and diverse communities make up the majority of customers, systems are still built around a standard that doesn’t fit most people.
And I don't know about you, but I am tired of that and ready to make bold changes to design services and systems that truly support who they are supposed to.
Think about it:
Medical research has historically been based on male bodies, leading to misdiagnosis and inadequate care for women and non-white patients. Still today in 2025 a woman has more chances of dying from a heart attack than a man, simply because the symptoms are not widely known or even worst, recognised by doctors.
Financial services often assume a linear, uninterrupted career path; ignoring the realities of caregiving, motherhood, or systemic barriers faced by many. It's sad to think, but many people (including myself) plan when to have kids so that the bank would lend them more money to buy a home.
Business services are designed for "hustle culture," built on the idea of unlimited time, energy, and resources; something many women, disabled folks, and marginalised communities simply don’t have.
And I could continue for hours, but I guess you get the gist.
If your business is still designing services with a “one size fits all” approach, who are you unintentionally leaving out?
This doesn't mean that you shouldn't pick a niche and design for that niche. If you are intentionally designing for white men, go for it! But if you are designing for women, non-binary people, people living with a disability or any 'non-white-men' and you are not looking closely at what their needs, values, priorities, dreams, behaviours, and ways of thinking are. You are missing out. There's so much potential, growth and impact you are leaving on the table.
The good news? You have the power to change this.
Start by questioning whether your services are truly accessible and inclusive.
Listen to diverse voices—not just those who have always been heard.
Design with and for real people, not outdated stereotypes.
Your services should reflect the real world, not a narrow slice of it.
Remember, one size fits all... white men (or not even, I am sure my white husband will have a list of things that don't work for him)
Ready to make the shift? Book a discovery call and let's SHiFT your Business
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