The Influence of Design on the Perception of Opening Difficulty and on the Attractiveness of Child-Resistant Packaging

Abstract

Child-Resistant Packaging (CRP) contributes to the reduction of accidents with children, but it can also create embarrassment for those users with less biomechanical resources: for example, the elderly. This type of packaging is found in several products, such as mouthwashes that use a cap with a squeeze-and-turn opening system. This study aimed to evaluate and analyze the influence of design on the perception of opening difficulty and on the attractiveness of mouthwash packages with child-resistant caps. The study included 45 participants from different age groups (8-12 y.o.; 13-17 y.o.; 30-59 y.o.; and over 60 y.o.). Three different mouthwash packages were evaluated. A self-report procedure was used and Likert scale (with five anchors, expressed in images of facial expressions). The results showed that the difficulty of opening was not a factor that influenced the attractiveness of the packages, because even with difficulties in opening some packages, the justifications for the attractiveness were based on the shape, colors and transparency of the containers, which significantly contributes to studies in the field of Ergonomic and Packaging Design.