Make Ergonomics Part of Your Packaging Design

Effective packaging design is about more than just visual appeal. You also need to keep in mind ergonomics: qualities of the packaging that help your customer easily and safely handle and open the package. Ergonomically designed packaging also lets your customers access a package’s contents without strain or difficulty.

Benefits of ergonomic packaging

Implementing ergonomic features into your product packaging offers a number of benefits. Ergonomics can increase consumer safety, improve buyers’ perception of the product, and maximize ease of use for customers.

Safety. Ergonomic design can make handling the package and accessing package contents safer for consumers. For example, rigid thermoformed clamshell packages can be difficult to open and pose injury hazards to consumers with sharp plastic edges that can cut hands. Safety can also play a role when dispensing a package’s contents. For instance, an ergonomic bottle that provides a secure grip when dispensing cooking oil can help consumers to avoid unintentional spills and cooking accidents.

Buyer perception. Ergonomic package design can influence customer perception of your product and brand. Kraft Foods experienced this firsthand when it redesigned its food service mayonnaise packaging to take into account elements like package balance when in use, shaping that reduced product waste, and package openings that provided greater access to the product. The ergonomic changes improved customers’ perception of the product, resulting in greater sales and higher consumer satisfaction.

Ease of use. Ergonomic package design provides greater ease of use for consumers by considering package size, weight, shape, and portability. Too-large or too-heavy packaging can create risk for strain or injury. Packaging that’s awkwardly shaped or hard to carry is more difficult for consumers to transport or open. Ergonomic design can make it easier for your customer to handle the package and dispense its contents with minimal strain and fatigue.

Visual ergonomics. Don’t forget visual elements when considering ergonomics in package design. Reduce eyestrain by using easy-to-read fonts and colors that provide high contrast to make text easy to see.

As part of the full packaging solution development process that Combined Technologies, Inc. (CTI) offers customers, we analyze what form and functionality will meet your needs and those of your customers. We then work with you to develop a packaging concept that’s both secure and designed with ergonomics in mind.

[cta]It’s painless: Our package analysis is no-cost, no-obligation. Get the information and options you need to make a positive change for your product. Contact the experts at CTI online, by email, or by phone at 847-968-4855.[/cta]