The perception and thinking of men and women differ. Psychology, philosophy, and sociology all discuss this. And these discussions aren’t baseless. Even interests often differ between the two halves of humanity, which gives marketers a huge field for ideas to promote different products. Just think — when we see advertising, it’s quite odd to realize that even shoe stores are usually advertised by women and focus on women’s shoes, as if men and children don’t wear shoes at all. The reason lies mostly in stereotypes — but also in reality. The woman — a wife or mother — is the primary buyer, often comes with her husband or children, knows when it’s time to buy new shoes for the family, and so on.
But without diving too deeply into this topic, let’s focus on something interesting: quite often, when visiting a website for the first time, you can instantly tell who designed it and who it was designed for. For some users, this actually plays an important role. No, this is not a joke or anecdote.
Let us explain. Within the first few seconds, users decide whether to stay on a website or leave. They also decide whether the site meets their needs and expectations. Men and women both use the internet to discover something new, gain experiences (even just through communication). And website design plays a crucial role in attracting not only men and women separately but both genders at once.
There are even widely accepted concepts for how to attract certain users to a site. In this article, we’ll examine such principles — as well as the stereotypes that influence the idea of “male” and “female” web design. Just as traditional advertising, products, and services are created for someone, websites can also be built with specific target audiences in mind.
Images
Photos are the first element of design that users notice — especially when they feature people. What’s so special about them? It’s likely that the average adult visitor might resemble those shown in the pictures. Age, facial expression, hairstyle, makeup, pose, even gender.
But what if your images don’t feature people ? Think about designs that show inanimate objects, landscapes, or even babies. These types of visuals are also attractive to all audiences.
The exception to this rule is heterosexual imagery. Implied sensuality, minimal clothing, or outfits that suit both men and women. Each of us is subconsciously drawn to images featuring the opposite sex. That’s why your visuals — photos or artwork — should be unambiguous. Don’t make men wonder: is this a woman with short hair, no makeup, wearing jeans and a hoodie — or is it a teenage boy? The idea behind the image should be instantly understood.
Here are a few examples of designs that target women or men specifically. As the saying goes: “feel the difference” in theme and style. everlovinpress, papercutart, Carmex, Intelligo Group.
Image Stereotypes
Fonts
Font choice can also say a lot about who created the design and who it’s meant for. The most important font traits in this context are italics, boldness, and detailing.
Most people perceive calligraphic fonts — with curves and swirls — as feminine. This also includes handwriting and script fonts. The stereotype suggests that if the strokes are thin and the font gives off a sense of lightness and airiness, then it’s targeted toward a female audience. Designers can use this knowledge and select parts of a font family that work for both men and women — making the site visually appealing for everyone.
Designers should also pay attention to small details in typefaces. For example, serif fonts typically have a “masculine” edge — crisp, square, and angular. On the other hand, serifs with rounded or curved ends imply a slightly more feminine touch.
The same principle applies to choosing ornaments or patterns. Intricate lines, swirls, and curves appeal more to women, as do visual details like beads and sparkles. This works great for wedding websites, children’s goods, crafts. Blocky styles with sharper edges lean toward a more masculine tone.
Different types of fonts can be used on a site, and sometimes a font can appeal to both genders simultaneously. souppeddler, barcampomaha, Car Dealer, Brooks and Falotico, All Football Everything
Font Stereotypes
To better understand, take a look at the image below and compare how each font feels. Try to guess which ones have a feminine tone and which are masculine. Who might each variation appeal to more?
Color Palettes
Entire books could be written about “masculine and feminine” color palettes. To sum up everything commonly said about this topic, the main stereotype is: blue is for boys, pink is for girls. This concept is used not only in kids' marketing — we apply it in daily life too (think of the pink and blue ribbons on newborns' strollers). But if we reflect a bit, color associations are often more complex and meaningful. That’s why designers should understand, or at least be aware of, how and why such distinctions exist.
Not sure where to start? Think about saturation. Deep and dark tones are seen as masculine — dark blue, dark green, red, purples, oranges. Even combined with white, they still tend to read as “male” colors.
Pastel tones are generally considered more feminine. Soft shades of pink, blue, lavender, green, yellow, gray — in other words, any color mixed with white or light gray to soften its appearance. They’re not bright, but light, airy, and almost dusty.
There’s a fascinating infographic on color perception differences by Joe Hallock. Although it’s in English and in PDF format, even using an online translator makes it easy to understand. It shows that men prefer blue, red, and green, and dislike brown and purple. Women also favor blue and green, but additionally like purple — while they don’t care much for orange or brown.
Accordingly, if the colors in your design appeal more strongly to a particular gender, the site will naturally follow suit. For example, if you’re selling wallets and accessories to men, but use overly feminine shades, visitors might assume the site is targeted toward women.
Web designers use a wide variety of colors and combinations — blending and adjusting as needed. But the foundation remains. Consider these examples: Arteric, The Marlowe, Interpolis, pumasikkerhedssko, jessmarksphotography.
Color Stereotypes
It's worth noting that yes, a logo often plays a key role in selecting the site’s color scheme. But what if the logo has no color at all? Think of logos like Audi, Jaguar, Microsoft, Svyaznoy — some are gray, some colorful — yet their websites use a wide range of shades that are visually pleasing and not distracting.
Shapes
Straight, clean, sharp edges and corners — often used in blocks, sections, and input fields — are more appealing to men. Think trapezoids, triangles, rectangles. Right angles are a popular and visual method to signal seriousness and professionalism.
On the flip side, softer shapes tend to attract women. Psychologically, women often avoid rigidity and harshness, favoring circles, ovals, waves, and smooth patterns.
Stylization also matters. Large shapes filled with smaller decorative ones, animations — these lean feminine. Flat, minimalistic, gray-toned styles are generally perceived as masculine.
Let’s look at how designers use form to soften harsh edges and balance compositions: wythehotel, Baker Mountain Guides, Tender Greens, Decojent, Sergio Rossi, Brewfull.
Shape Stereotypes
Conclusion
Before you get discouraged, remember: there are always exceptions. Nothing is absolute — especially in the world of design. The use of generalizations and stereotypes in gendered web design is meant to help designers think about their target audience.
Often we create an online store or cafe website by modeling it after another project. But it’s worth stopping to ask — who exactly is this cafe for? If it’s near a cluster of office buildings, its visitors will likely fall into certain categories. That alone could determine which colors, images, and shapes to use.
The same applies to photographers' portfolios. There are nuances depending on the category: children's sessions, events, personal shoots, friends’ portraits.
Understanding gender bias and tendencies is just the beginning — not a set of rigid rules. Everything described in this article is a set of ideas: design aesthetics, typography, form. How you combine or adapt them depends on the project’s goals. Even a logo can play a role, though it isn’t everything. What matters most is to use these tools without violating the site’s overall stylistic integrity. Flat design, minimalism, fluent or material — everything in the examples above strictly follows those styles.
And yet, some websites do feel distinctly “masculine” or “feminine.”