Dr Judith Glover is an industrial designer and professor at RMIT leading the way in sexual design and health innovation. (1)She was the first person to receive a PHD in Industrial Design and in the Sex Toy Industry (2013). (2)She also created the cult sex toy brand GoldFrau as part of her PHD on the sex toy industry. (3)“Goldfrau was developed and launched in 2006 as the design component of the PHD representing alternative brand values to the Adult Industry companies.” (4).

The range created by Glover included a selection of porcelain sex toys that were not only practical but aesthetically beautiful. (5)Her goal is, “to enhance people’s sexual pleasure and confidence through the design of sex toys”. (6)

Glover has also taught at RMIT, a course in sex toy design. (7) She states in an interview with www.core77.com that, “The Future Sex [course] was part of our suite of studio subjects at RMIT that students can choose from. We opened it up to look at all sexual health and well-being issues”. (8)

Students were encouraged to not only create sex toys, but examine issues such as erectile dysfunction, post-menopausal women and sexual trauma, in order to design products that suited a particular target market, but at the same time, address certain issues. (9)

For example, one student created‘Black Peach’ condoms that were designed with women in mind – particularly young women. (10)The Black Peach condom rangeworked to appeal to womenas they had an amazing, quirky design and beautiful packaging. Branding was important in this product design. The student, led by Glover was thinking outside the box and treating the design as a possible fashion piece that could be sold at point of sale in clothing or other similar stores. (11)

Glover was just recently recognised for her design, being nominated for the Australia’s Good Design Awards. This was the inaugural year for the Women in Design award, of which Dr Judith Glover was one of five nominees. “Australia’s annual Good Design Awards program is one of the oldest and most prestigious international design awards in the world, promoting excellence in design and innovation since 1958”.(12).

Although she didn’t win, Glover is still a design and thought leader, who is working to change not only the design of sex toys, but how they are marketed – and also how they function in a male dominated, porn-centric industry. Her teaching in the field is having a significant impact on the next design generation of toys. Goldfrau is on hiatus at the moment,(13) but keep your eyes peeled for another sex toy design project that is bound to reach cult like status – just as Glover’s Goldfrau porcelain sex toys did! Watch this space!

Old School Sex Toys. The New Age of Sex Toys is being designed by Dr Judith Glover and her students at RMIT.

V&P 2040, ‘Designers,’ http://www.visionsandpathways.com/about/designers/ (accessed 18th July 2019).

(12)Good Design Australia, ‘Women in Design Awards Finalists,’ https://good-design.org/women-design-award-finalists/ (accessed 18th July 2019).

(2) (4) (5) (6) (13)Dashi – Design and Sexual Health Innovation, ‘About RMIT Industrial Design,’ http://dashi.rmitidsites.net.au (accessed 18th July 2019)

(1)(3) (4)IDC RMIT, ‘Goldfrau – Porcelain Sex Toys,’ http://idc.rmitidsites.net.au (accessed 18th July 2019)

(1)(6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11)Core77.com, ‘Judith Glover Talks Sex and Design,’ https://www.core77.com/posts/46761/Judith-Glover-Talks-Sex-and-Design (accessed 18th July 2019)