Since design is a creative process in which we synthesize our own experience and perceptions into a plan or a model, a more diverse design team will formulate a wider scope of ideas, and this leads to better, more adaptable designs. Women are known to be good team players. This is important for engineering in the 21st century since so much of our work is now done in interdisciplinary teams. A group of colleagues at the Colorado School of Mines is researching the effects of gender composition in design teams on the quality of the design product and on team satisfaction. Their preliminary data show that both features are improved when the team is mixed and contains more than a single female or male.
Complex design requires cooperation and strong leadership.
Indeed, women may be better leaders. The authors point to a changing pattern of corporate leadership that favors more participatory, inclusive approaches to management. This is the forte of women. Women bring a different perspective to the design process. For example, women are more often concerned with safety and environmental issues than men.