“User-friendly” is typically understood in the context of how easy something is to use or operate. Although this definition has significant implications for packaging designers and engineers, the best examples of user-friendly packaging go beyond ergonomics and consider what consumers ultimately want in packaging. In this sense, user-friendly packaging could also be called “consumer-centric packaging,” or packaging that is designed around the needs, wants and wishes of end users.
With this other definition in mind, the key to designing user-friendly or consumer-centric packaging lies in understanding what consumers want and creating a packaging system that checks the most important boxes such as:
- Minimal impact on the environment
- Keeps products safe and secure
- Easy to open and easy to return
- A beneficial second (or third) use
- Communicates the contents of the package
With these in mind, answer the following questions to determine how user-friendly your packaging is.
Is your packaging eco-friendly?
Packaging is one of the most visible and recognizable parts of your organization’s identity; if it’s not helping your brand tell a strong sustainability story, you could be missing out on the growing number of consumers who are increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment. As the first point of contact for many consumers, your packaging has the opportunity to make a positive and lasting impression on today’s eco-conscious consumers if it is designed with sustainability in mind. Sustainable packaging solutions that are created minimize waste with sustainably sourced materials will draw consumers’ attention and may help build customer loyalty.
Incorporating sustainability certifications and clear recycling labels on packaging plays a crucial role in empowering consumers to make environmentally responsible disposal decisions. Beyond recycling instructions, certifications such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or Cradle to Cradle provide transparency about the environmental impact of packaging materials. By making this information readily accessible, brands not only facilitate proper waste management but also educate consumers about sustainable choices, ultimately contributing to circular economy goals while building trust with increasingly eco-conscious shoppers.
Is your packaging designed, engineered and optimized to protect?
Damage prevention is a key function of any packaging system, as well as one of the pillars of user-friendly packaging. Poor packaging structural design and low-quality materials can produce a negative end user experience if they do not protect the contents inside from transportation hazards such as shock, vibration, and mishandling.
Packaging optimized for the supply chain lowers the risk that products will be damaged in transit from factories in Asia to retailers and homes around the world. Not only will this effort yield happier customers, but companies also stand to reap significant financial benefits from optimized packaging. Replacing a damaged product can cost more than 15 times than the original cost to ship.
In addition to packaging designs and materials better suited to protect the products inside, smart packaging features can also be used to enhance user-friendliness with respect to product integrity. For example, a temperature-monitoring label could indicate whether the package and its contents have been exposed to dangerously high or low temperatures in transit, enabling quicker decision making at the point of sale and providing greater confidence for consumers who have sensitive or perishable items shipped directly to their homes.
Is your packaging easy to open and easy to return?
Any discussion of user-friendly design must obviously include ease of use. There are two primary ways consumers use packaging: opening it and returning it. The first experience, unboxing, is a critical moment. Packaging designed for an easy opening experience help create a more pleasant first impression and reflect how important the end user’s total satisfaction is to the brand.
The second user experience is mostly important within the e-commerce world. Online shoppers may order multiple sizes and plan to return some of the goods they buy, having a higher return rate than traditional retail stores. An important consideration for e-commerce brands is whether the packaging helps or hinders the return process for shoppers who anticipate returns as part of the online shopping experience.
Packaging can be designed for easy return in the original packaging. This e-commerce footwear packaging design included a sleeve and drawer, which worked well to mask the identity of the brand while on the customer porch and provided a nice branding experience with the internal printing brand treatment. The drawer could be used for shoe storage in a closet. Easy product return was designed in with two sets of perforations and adhesive strips that could be used to reseal and return the product if the shoes were the wrong size.
(courtesy of Trillora)
Is your packaging designed with a second life in mind?
Packaging that is highly functional, beautifully constructed or extremely practical can easily have a second, third or even fourth life that supersedes the life of the original product inside. For example, when Traeger worked with Trillora to redesign packaging for one of their pellet grill product lines, the customer unboxing experience was top of mind. The interior packaging components were designed for protection as well as incorporating holes to hold cold beverages to enjoy during the unpacking process. They also included graphics on the interior of the outer box that can be used for a playhouse for children.
(courtesy of Trillora)
Delight your customers with user-friendly packaging
As brands navigate an increasingly complex marketplace, customer-centric packaging emerges not just as an operational necessity but as a strategic differentiator. The successful integration of sustainability, protection, accessibility, and reusability represents more than trend-following—it demonstrates a deep understanding of modern consumer values and expectations.
Companies that view packaging holistically are discovering that these priorities need not compete. Innovative materials and thoughtful design can simultaneously protect products while minimizing environmental impact. Accessibility features that make packages easy to open and return often lead to elegant, material-efficient solutions. And packaging designed with second life in mind creates lasting customer relationships that extend beyond the initial purchase.
As we look ahead, the brands that will thrive are those that recognize packaging as an extension of their product experience and corporate values. By investing in packaging that respects both customer needs and planetary boundaries, companies can transform what was once considered merely functional into a powerful expression of brand purpose. In the end, truly customer-centric packaging doesn’t just deliver products—it delivers on promises, solving problems rather than creating them, and turning what could be waste into opportunity.