Man-Made

“Every day in my practice, I see the danger women face in a world built without them in mind. Man-Made is a powerful and urgent call to action–for the health and safety of half of our population, it’s time we rethink the male body ideal and build a world that includes us all.” –Dr. Elizabeth Comen, MD, medical oncologist, associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone, and bestselling author of All in Her Head

“Man-Made offers a powerful, eye-opening appraisal of a design problem–felt but not named–illuminating biases associated with design solutions derived from an outdated and singular lens. Examining the historical limitations that are unjust and dangerous, it argues for a responsible right sizing, a widened aperture, and a fundamental shift demanding better design outcomes for women. This book challenges us to ask new questions and, more important, to question old answers.” –John Hoke III, chairman of the board of MillerKnoll and former chief innovation-design officer of Nike, Inc.

“Karen Korellis Reuther delivers an unflinching examination of how our built world was designed and whom it was designed for. With clarity and moral force, she exposes the invisible defaults that shape our surroundings while offering a compelling case for redesign that is both practical and overdue. Man-Made is an insightful call to action that will change how you see the world–and how you choose to shape it.” –Siri Chilazi, senior researcher at Harvard University and coauthor Make Work Fair

“This book will fundamentally change how you experience the spaces and products around you. Karen Korellis Reuther brilliantly exposes hidden injustices and offers a hopeful, actionable blueprint for a more perfect and just future. Man-Made is an essential, eye-opening read for anyone fighting for a world that fits us all.” –Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander

“In her straightforward style, Karen reveals a powerful truth: Designing for women isn’t niche, it’s catalytic. The time has passed for brands to undervalue or ignore the economic power of half the population. Man-Made challenges us to build for real lives and shows how product design is the first step toward a safer, healthier, more sustainable world for all.” –Randy Freer, former CEO of Hulu and president of Fox Networks Group

“Man-Made shows how bias isn’t just cultural or organizational but physical, embedded in the tools and spaces that shape who moves freely, feels safe, and leads with confidence. These constraints for women start young and compound over time. At MELD, we intervene at the start of a woman’s career–giving language, evidence, and tools to redesign broken systems, as Man-Made encourages us to do.” –Katie McCormick Lelyveld, founder of MELD and former press secretary to First Lady Michelle Obama

”[A] pointed critique of how products and spaces are often designed to suit men at the expense of women… . . An enlightening recap of how faulty design choices became the norm.” - Publishers Weekly

“A powerful perspective on how women are impacted by a world primarily designed by men, for men….Readers who are interested in women’s rights, design, innovation, inclusion, and safety will find this book interesting.” –Booklist

Karen Korellis Reuther is a designer with over forty years of experience and a practicing activist committed to inclusion by design and ending gender bias in the built world. She is on the faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, teaching in the Master in Design Engineering program. Previously, she was the Vice President of Creative Direction and Innovation at Reebok and served as the Global Creative Director at Nike for twelve years.

A popular guest lecturer and public speaker, Karen also founded the Inclusion by Design event series, hosted by the Harvard Grid. This series brings together students, faculty, and practitioners to discuss designing a world that is safe, hospitable, and inclusive for women.

She serves as a chairperson for the iF Design Awards and is on the advisory board of the iF Design Academy. Karen lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

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