How do the blind “read” Packaging? : Design Mysteries Series

Last night we uncovered this box of LEMSIP tablets from England while looking for something to calm my son’s coughing. The packaging not only has braille embossed on it, but the graphic that distinguishes the NIGHT tablets from the DAY tablets is as clear as night and day. It turns out that all drug packaging in the EU has to have braille embossed on it. Some critics of the packaging think it goes too far in accommodating the blind and costs too much.

Those are the same people who would have stopped Eiffel from building his tower because it cost too much! What do you think? I’ve worked for decades trying to encourage the inclusion of everyone in the design of everything. This seems like a great way to include the blind in the buying experience. But, even better it reminds all of us that there are people out there that have different abilities than us who possess all of our senses. Creating products that reach everyone requires embedding every sense in the design. Consumers can find packages difficult to open but people with disabilities and elderly people are some times faced with impossible to open packaging.

Dr. Ken Sagawa, Convener of the working group that developed the ISO Packaging Standard comments:

“Around the globe, packaged products are used by increasingly older individuals. What’s more, globalization results in the circulation of packages across borders, causing problems due to differences in language and culture. This standard and some related standards to follow will help a greater number of individuals to use packaged products without the restrictions often imposed by age or disability or national differences. The economic benefit is that products developed using accessible design will be able to be purchased by a wider range of people, including older persons and those with disabilities, who are now a significant proportion of consumers with potential buying power.”

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Design Mysteries Series
Bruce Hannah 2018©