Thoughtful packaging design improves customer experience

Boon for people with limited dexterity

January 16, 2021

109

The team at Antalis’ Smart Packaging Centre (SPC) has designed an ergonomic packaging solution for the delivery of vital medical equipment to patients who have just returned home following a life-changing spinal injury or diagnosis.

The background

The bespoke design was created for one of the UK’s home delivery companies for medical supplies. The company had been using standard, off-the-shelf packaging to package the equipment and accompanying instructions, however, it proved difficult for their customers to open without assistance and provided poor presentation. They were keen to find a more suitable solution that would provide their clients with as positive experience as possible when receiving the equipment.

Following a consultation with the SPC team to discuss how they might be able to improve their clients’ experience of the home delivery service, priority was given to finding a solution that would be easy to access and open.

The Solution

The SPC’s packaging technologists devised a box design that, as well as being easy to open, would also present the contents in a more professional manner. The design incorporates an easy-to-use thumb hole and tear strip that enables customers to open the packaging easily and without dependence on others; a pull cord and castors make it possible for the box to be pulled through doorways; and a secondary box with magnetic enclosure is included to provide handy storage for the apparatus instructions. Use of recycled materials for the outer box limits the environmental impact of the packaging. Rigorous testing of the design followed to ensure it achieved the desired goals.

The Benefits

Packaging technologist manager, Jason Poxon, explains how the project really challenged the team to think differently about packaging and how it is used by the end-user, “The packaging needed to work not only as a means of transporting goods from one point to another, it had to function on a much higher level too, working for the end-user on both a physical and emotional level by helping them to retain a degree of independence at an incredibly difficult time in their lives. The fact that the trials went so well and the positive responses the client has received from their customers, is one of the best demonstrations I have seen of the power of well-designed packaging.”

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