The numerous challenges faced by older adults in everyday life have
garnered much attention from stakeholders in the design industry. The purpose
of this research is to insight into elderly packaging barriers and associated reasons. Empirical data were
gathered by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with elderly
individuals. It is found that elderly people encounter the following packaging
issues based on the three key steps of packaging use: 1) identifying product
information, 2) determining how to open packaging, and 3) packaging opening.
The associated reasons underpinning their packaging barriers were perceived
from two angles: 1) packaging design features and 2) deteriorating physiological functions due to ageing. The
results of this research not
only provide abundant detailed reasons for the packaging barriers of the
elderly to supplement the knowledge gaps in existing research, but also analyze the relationship between
these packaging barriers reasons. Therefore, packaging researchers and
designers have a comprehensive understanding of the packaging barriers for the
elderly and further better solve these packaging barriers.
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