Can you open it?

I experienced a new temporary screw cap for the first time last week, and I wasn’t impressed. Then yesterday I saw an article in a Danish newspaper that showed that I wasn’t the only one that was pulling their hair out at the new design.

“Can you open it?” read the headline. The article describes how Arla has been forced to change the screw top on their milk cartons following increasing pressure from unsatisfied customers. But the new design, created by Tetra-Pak, has prompted even more complaints than the first. Now the newspaper has created an online vote for the worst packaging.

This is one example of tricky packaging. People are tired of it. Companies have the chance to solve many of these everyday problems through design – and make money in the process. Instead, they opt for quick-fixes that may be cheap but leave the customer frustrated and prompts them to switch to another brand.

Just think what life could be like if companies invested more resources into reinventing packaging as a concept. Be visionary and capitalise on the strategic dimension in ‘packaging usability’. It’s just a small thing but you can be sure it’s got huge commercial potential.