The project highlighted the three key barriers that people of all ages encounter when opening packaging:

1) Muscular: the packaging requires more force to open than the person is able to generate. This is problematic for older and disabled users because, as we steadily age above about 30 years, there is a gradual reduction in the power and speed of muscular strength. A 70 year old has, on average, a comparable strength to that of a 10 year old. This is exacerbated by arthritis – a condition that affects more than 8 million people in the UK.

2) Visual: the instructions or icons on packaging are often printed smaller than is legible for a number of users. This is particularly problematic for older users because, as we get older, our static and dynamic visual acuity declines, our near accommodation and contrast sensitivity decreases and our resistance to and recovery from glare deteriorates. On average, the near-reading acuity of a 70 year old is only 30% of that of a 20 year old. In simple terms, a letter size suitable for a 70 year old needs to be twice that which can be read by a 20 year old.

3) Cognitive: packaging is not always intuitive to use and, since people rarely read instructions, it needs to be simplified. As people get older, there can be a ‘terminal drop’ in cognitive function. This reduces the effectiveness of functions such as perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking and reasoning.

Packaging which does not consider the barriers outlined above can be messy (if contents spill), dangerous (if knives or scissors are wielded to open packs) and very frustrating (if opening the pack takes exceptional time and effort). Will consumers reward with loyalty the supermarket chain that makes pack openability a key own-brand attribute?