The world of online video gaming has big issues with sexism and misogyny. Many women who play competitive multiplayer games are subjected to both sexual and non-sexual harassment on a daily basis. These situations can range anywhere from  general insults and sexist remarks to threats and real-life stalking situations. This environment is very likely a big contributing factor to why comparatively few women make their careers in esports.

On top of that, large portions of the industry don't treat women gamers seriously despite evidence showing that many women game, and in certain segments women are the majority of players. This means there's a largely untapped market demographic with massive growth potential out there, just waiting to be catered to.

As part of my bachelor's thesis in Graphic Design, I interviewed women gamers on their experiences with sexism in gaming, which resulted in the hypothetical brand Levelup. Levelup is my concept for a company catering to women as a demographic in gaming, by selling products tailored to their needs and investing a portion of profits back into initiatives supporting women in esports and streaming. It's time for gaming to reach the next level in gender equality.

In parallel with the brand development, this project has been my first foray into product design. The product concept line of a headset, a mouse and a mechanical keyboard were designed in dialogue with women gamer communities on the internet, addressing specific pain points expressed in relation to the usage of products currently on the market.

One thing many of the women I spoke with expressed was that current options lack opportunities for self expression, and as such the Levelup product concept features a range of customization parts in a variety of colors. By supplying these options to the user, you give them the user to define their own identity as a gamer instead of forcing them to submit to the norm.

As for functionality and ergonomics, the mouse has a smaller form factor for those with smaller hands, the headset is made in as few pieces as possible to avoid snagging on long hair and the keyboard is portable and wireless for gaming on the go.