In most industries, packaging is there to catch the eye of the consumer. But when it comes to medical and pharmaceutical products, it’s more about educating the consumer and providing clear safety instructions. Failure to communicate contents clearly with patients can have catastrophic consequences. But at the same time, product packaging still needs to be memorable and visually attractive, especially if it’s a product that will be sold in grocery stores or pharmaceutical shops. This becomes increasingly challenging when designing product packaging for older patients. The challenge then becomes to design for reduced vision, poor dexterity and changes in cognitive function without compromising child safety.
Below are several steps to follow when designing packaging for medical products when older patients are your users. From typography to colour, here’s everything you need to know.
Make Information Easy to Read
Our eyesight gradually deteriorates as we get older, and there’s often nothing we can do about it. But brands and manufacturers can make packaging and labels easier to read, by using larger and/or clearer typography.
Although cursive and script fonts are quite on trend at the moment and a popular choice for brands targeting younger audiences, these aren’t the best choice if you are targeting an older demographic. Also consider if your product is used or administered by health professionals. If so, having typography that is easy to read can reduce the chances of mistakes happening while also ensuring professionals don’t spend any longer than they need when searching for the right product.
Remember, pharmaceutical products are displayed in a range of environments including hospitals, chemists and stored at home and the different lighting in these environments will impact the way packaging appears. Keeping things simple is the best way to ensure packaging is environment proof.
Consider how much information is on the packaging too. If you prioritise only information that is absolutely essential, it should help to avoid overloading packaging with too much text. Things like medicine name, dosage and administration procedure should take priority. Speaking of which, use design to establish a clear hierarchy from most to least important information once you have decided what information should be included.
Pay Attention to Colour and Contrast
Colour can be a great help to those with reduced vision. Text colour and background colour should work together to leave clear, distinguishable copy. Consider the psychology of colour too; using red to indicate warnings and possible side effects is a great way to highlight more important information.
Don’t overly rely on colour though to ensure you are accounting for those who are colour blind. Use symbols and other visual cues alongside colour coded information so everyone can understand the message you are trying to communicate.
Make Packaging Easy to Open
Many older patients have to deal with reduced strength and dexterity, which should also be factored into packaging designs. This can make it harder to open tight bottle caps for instance, but it’s also worth remembering that packaging must also be child-resistant.
You may need to innovate in terms of the shape of your packaging. Most pharmaceutical products come in small bottles but these can be hard to grip for older individuals. Add wider bodies, gripping areas and so on.
So before you replace screwcaps with easy-to-tear seals, test with both elderly people and children. Your product should be easy enough to open for those with strength limitations, while also being complex enough to confuse children.
Design for Different Levels of Ability
There has been a tendency to treat “older patients” as one singular group of people. This applies to design, marketing, and many other areas of business. In the case of packaging design, it’s important to remember there is no average elderly person. One person’s limitations could vary dramatically to the next. And some older patients don’t have any physical limitations.
Therefore it’s important that packaging caters to all. Consider if different packaging is needed for the same product so that all levels of ability can understand and use your product.
Don’t Forget the Instructions
Whether you’re designing packaging for medical products, pharmaceutical products or specialist applications such as ultrapure water, instructions need to be clear. Regardless of whether your product is used at home by patients or by qualified medical professionals in hospitals you need to instruct people on how to use and administer the product.
Break instructions into steps and use diagrams where possible. Also ensure that language is simple, and avoid the use of complex medical terminology. You should always remember that the individual using or administering your product may be doing so for the first time.
Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to packaging design when it comes to older patients. It all depends on the individual product and also the individual patient. Even then, remember that not all your patients fall into the same category with the exact same needs. In fact, the most important parts of packaging design come before and after the design phase itself. Start and end with tests to gather feedback. Observe how people actually interact with your product, both young and old. Ask questions: how long did it take you to understand what the product is? Could you identify the side effects? What’s the correct dosage? If any of these questions are unclear, you may need to look into how your packaging can be improved going forward.