Improving the usability of a product gives it a higher value and influences the consumer's choice of packaging. If users/consumers are allowed to participate in the development of products and packaging, the producers learn:
- how users handle – open, empty and close – a package
- how users interpret and act upon information on a package
- problems, if any, and their causes
- what measures/changes that would bring the largest improvement.
In the usability laboratory, which is part of
Innventia Human Product Interaction Laboratory, the usability of products and packaging can be measured to help manufacturers and developers ensure that their product/package satisfies the users' demands.
The usability laboratory offers a number of services that could contribute to improving products and packaging from a user point of view:
- Usability testing; users from the product's/package's target group identify the most common problems related to the use of the product/packaging and gives the developer invaluable insight into the interaction between product/packaging and user. Improvements are suggested – based on the test results.
- Preference and comparative studies; users from the product's/package's target group handle different packaging solutions, also those from the competition, to compare them. The best solutions are identified and improvements suggested together with information about the users' preferences and any identified problems.
- Focus groups; this informal technique helps studying the users' demands and feelings and identifying their spontaneous reactions and ideas. The results are presented in a summary of the most important results together with the conclusions and recommendations of the moderator.
- Eye-tracker; to monitor what users look at while handling a product and if they notice new solutions or if there are eye-catching details on a product.
- Expert assessment; experienced researchers study the product/packaging and identify usability problems, if any, assess the impact of those problems on the usability of the product/packaging and propose improvements.
- Test & analysis; user tests, e.g. measurement of torques (opening strength) and grip strength, measurement of product waste, i.e. what is left in the package when the user considers it empty.