[04. Accessible
Packaging is accessible when it is designed to be easy for people to use. It is accessible when it can be approached, understood, and used in a simple and intuitive way, recognizing every consumer’s right to interact with, understand, and use a product with ease.
Packaging as an Act of Care: Between Inclusion and Regenerative Responsibility
Designing with care means guiding innovation to protect the future, transforming packaging from a potential waste into an “ethical mediator” capable of directing human actions toward collective well-being and the protection of the planet.
We are accustomed to thinking of design as a discipline of form, often confused with “styling”: an intervention limited to the surface that, when pursued as an end in itself, risks slipping into a form of aesthetic narcissism. In reality, design is a field concerned with anticipating and solving problems. It responds to people’s needs while respecting the environment and taking into account the constraints and requirements of different production systems.
In the case of packaging design, within a global landscape marked by systemic crises and still largely shaped by technocratic approaches, this perspective goes beyond the mere resolution of technical problems and evolves into a form of “care governance”—an approach grounded in empathy, support for the people who use packaged products, and the reduction of environmental and social impacts.
In this context, it is important to distinguish between “design for care” and “design as an act of care.” The former is limited to solutions explicitly intended for health-related purposes, such as those found in the pharmaceutical sector. The latter, however, represents a universal design mindset: one that embraces the ethical responsibility of caring for people, as well as for the contexts (society and the environment) and economic systems (production chains and markets) in which a product exists.
.
Care, therefore, is not an additional function, but the very essence of responsible action in the face of the crises of our time.
The term “crisis” (from the Greek krísis) etymologically refers to a moment of decision: originally, it described the act of separating the grain from the chaff. Today, designing with care means, much as it did in the ancient world, deciding what is essential and what is superfluous for people. It means exercising discernment and critical thinking—another concept derived from the same etymological root as crisis—to repair systemic relationships, both social and environmental, and to redefine the relationship between humanity and the planet.
The word “responsibility,” on the other hand, refers to the ability to answer for one’s actions (from the Latin respondeo), anticipating the consequences of one’s choices.
Designing with care requires assessing future impacts in advance, reflecting on the limits of production, and embracing human diversity in every aspect of the design process.
In this context, packaging ceases to be a neutral element or a mere logistical support and acquires its own design agency—the capacity to act as an active tool that enables virtuous choices and discourages harmful practices.
.
Every package therefore embodies a transformative potential. Viewing packaging as an “act of care” means broadening the horizons of design, moving beyond a product-centered perspective to embrace a holistic approach—one that integrates attention to people (user-centered) with care for the entire living ecosystem (life-centered).
From a user-centered perspective, as highlighted by the megatrend of the “Caring Economy” (already identified in numerous reports, including iF Design Trend Report 2026), Among the challenges that packaging must address today are accessibility and inclusion, transforming the act of design into a commitment to providing solutions that respect human diversity and protect vulnerability.
In Brazil, Piracanjuba transformed its milk packaging into a tool for combating misinformation about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a congenital neurobiological condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behaviour, manifesting with varying degrees of intensity—from mild forms to those requiring substantial support—from early childhood onward.
Often mistakenly associated with a disease, autism is in fact a form of neurodivergence: a natural variation in brain functioning compared to what is considered neurotypical. Neurodivergence describes brains that process information, learn, and interact with the world in unique ways. In addition to autism, it includes conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and dyslexia.
By leveraging its extensive distribution network and the potential of packaging as a mass communication medium, Piracanjuba transforms the packaging of an everyday consumer product into a vehicle for raising awareness and promoting the inclusion of more vulnerable individuals.
Oltre a sensibilizzare la società sul tema della neuroinclusività, diventa sempre più urgente considerare le esigenze delle persone neurodivergenti nella progettazione del packaging. Casi come le “Love Notes” di Kellogg’s, nate dalla collaborazione con organizzazioni come Autism Speaks e la National Federation of the Blind per integrare sticker tattili materici, messaggi in Braille e audio registrabili, mostrano come l’imballaggio possa diventare un’interfaccia di supporto multisensoriale per bambine e bambini neuroatipici o con disabilità sensoriali.
Tuttavia, al di là di progetti esplicitamente dedicati alla neurodivergenza, la cura si manifesta ancora di più quando il design è “silenzioso”, il che implica assumere una postura progettuale che non cerca il protagonismo di soluzioni apertamente dichiarate per la diversità, ma agisce sottovoce, in modo discreto, per minimizzare le interferenze sensoriali e proteggere lo spazio mentale dell’utente da stimoli che potrebbero innescare un sovraccarico cognitivo.
Questo tipo di approccio trasforma un gesto quotidiano in un’esperienza di autonomia e dignità, configurandosi come uno strumento per contrastare il cosiddetto abilismo: una forma di discriminazione e pregiudizio nei confronti delle persone con disabilità, basata sulla presunzione che il corpo e la mente “abili” siano la norma, un limite che il design, come atto di cura, ha il dovere di superare.
The evolution of the user-centered approach requires moving beyond the boundaries of purely physical accessibility: the contemporary challenge lies in neuroinclusivity and in addressing diverse perceptual and sensory needs.
Attention to packaging, understood as a true “sensory interface,” translates into the careful orchestration of the unboxing experience. This moment is conceived as a protective and calming space. For individuals with specific sensory processing sensitivities, opening a package can in fact become a source of significant auditory or visual discomfort.
Designing with care therefore involves selecting matte finishes to avoid glare and reflections. It also means avoiding fluorescent colours and excessive contrasts, which may overwhelm the user.
Opening systems are designed to minimise disturbing noises, such as crinkling sounds, while the acoustic behaviour of materials is calibrated to produce softer frequencies, inspired by the relaxing principles of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)—the gentle, whisper-like sounds known to promote calm and mental relaxation. In this way, removing a package and accessing a product can be transformed from a potential source of stress into a soothing ritual.
Packaging thus extends its function, evolving from a purely technical and commercial container into a tool that supports individual autonomy through an ergonomics of care—one that not only accommodates the user’s physical abilities, but also respects their neurological and perceptual well-being.
.
In educational settings inspired by the TEACCH model (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children)—a structured therapeutic and educational approach developed for individuals on the autism spectrum—packaging takes on a new meaning through so-called “task boxes.” These containers, by virtue of their design and structure, guide users in developing motor coordination and recognizing shapes or colours, without the need for complex verbal instructions.
A similar function of containment and emotional regulation is embodied in “self-soothe boxes.” Here, packaging becomes a personalised sensory well-being kit. The container carefully organizes tactile objects for manipulation, sound-dampening tools, and familiar visual supports. It acts as a geometrically reassuring microenvironment in which individuals can seek refuge and mitigate the effects of sensory overstimulation.
For an autistic person, the predictability of structures and visual routines is a fundamental element of everyday orientation. As a result, any sudden change in label design or in a brand’s colour palette may generate a profound sense of disorientation, potentially leading to the rejection of a consumer product or even a regularly consumed food item.
Designing inclusive packaging means transforming it into a tool for accessibility—one that reduces sensory overload and makes everyday consumption a safe and autonomous experience.
Come detto in apertura, la pratica della cura estende l’orizzonte del progetto dalle persone (user-centered) a una scala ecosistemica (life-centered), integrando le dimensioni ambientale, sociale ed economica dello sviluppo sostenibile. Questo cambio di paradigma supera la concezione tradizionale di circolarità per approdare a un approccio rigenerativo. Di fronte alle crisi contemporanee, l’obiettivo non può limitarsi alla minimizzazione del danno; l’innovazione deve massimizzare il beneficio tangibile, ripristinando gli equilibri ecologici e relazionali compromessi. Secondo i principi della Regenerative Sustainability, il progetto agisce così come una forza curativa per gli ecosistemi.
Questa postura si manifesta quando il packaging, oltre a essere riciclabile, acquisisce nuove funzioni d’uso sia nella sua prima vita (per esempio, come mass medium) sia nel post-consumo (attraverso il riutilizzo). L’imballaggio si trasforma da potenziale rifiuto, che perde ogni significato e valore una volta svuotato, in una risorsa strategica per l’individuo e la collettività.
Adottare la cura significa, in definitiva, umanizzare l’innovazione attraverso una mediazione sistemica capace di farsi carico delle necessità delle persone, della società e dell’ambiente. In un panorama segnato dall’irruzione dell’intelligenza artificiale nei processi creativi, la vera intelligenza di un progetto si misura nella sua capacità di generare ascolto, empatia e senso del limite.
As an omnipresent artifact in our daily lives, packaging carries the ethical responsibility of shaping a future in which individual, collective, and ecological well-being is not merely a design objective, but the very essence of our actions.
[ Disclaimer. This article is non-commercial in nature and is distributed solely for informational, critical, or educational purposes. All trademarks and intellectual property rights related to any names, logos, images, or products mentioned belong to their respective owners.
[ Cover image source: Freepik – Magnific.com
