The Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) closed its 2024 webinar series with an insightful session, Unboxing Accessible Packaging. The discussion focused on the critical need to design packaging that works for everyone, especially consumers with limited mobility, strength, or dexterity.
The panel featured Alexandra Brayshaw (pictured top left), accessible design manager at Arthritis Australia, alongside Pierre Pienaar, education director of AIP, and Ralph Moyle (bottom left), education coordinator of AIP, who shared insights on creating packaging that is intuitive and inclusive.
This session reminded the audience that packaging’s true success is not just its presence on store shelves but its ability to integrate into and support people’s daily lives.
Brayshaw shed light on the challenges faced by millions of Australians, including the 3.6 million living with arthritis. Struggling with packaging is a common issue for these individuals, often turning basic tasks like opening containers into frustrating or painful experiences.
Nearly half of Australians have injured themselves trying to open packaging. “Deep cuts, chipped teeth — these are avoidable problems if we design with accessibility in mind,” Brayshaw said. “Packaging should eliminate the need for extra tools or excessive physical effort.”
Brayshaw outlines practical steps for creating accessible packaging:
- Make It Intuitive: Packaging should have clear opening points and require minimal effort to open.
- Align Task with Ability: Consider what consumers can realistically do, and design to accommodate them.
- Empathy in Design: Brayshaw introduced tools, like gloves and glasses that simulate physical challenges, to help designers understand user difficulties.
Arthritis Australia also offers resources and certification to guide companies in designing more inclusive packaging. “The goal is to remove unnecessary barriers,” Brayshaw said, “and ensure packaging is functional for the widest possible audience.”
Moyle encouraged webinar participants to consider how packaging affects a wide range of users, including the elderly, children, and individuals with disabilities. “We all have a role to play here,” he stated, calling for greater feedback and participation in AIP’s training programs to improve accessibility standards.
Nerida Kelton, executive director of AIP (pictured bottom right) drew attention to the global need for proactive collaboration within the industry. “For us to encourage more companies around the world to develop more intuitive packaging that’s accessible and inclusive,” Kelton said.
Examples of accessible designs were shared during the session, including innovations from Japan such as Braille on alcohol cans, tactile markers on milk cartons to distinguish full-cream from light milk, and perforations to improve opening ease. Moyle noted that these solutions could inspire Australian manufacturers to adopt similar strategies.
The session concluded with calls for better quality control and intuitive design features to address common packaging frustrations, such as difficult-to-open medicine bottles and delaminated seals.
