User Experience Design - Squeeze Me

Have you noticed a trend in product packaging lately? I looked into my refrigerator the other day and noticed not less than six items that were packaged in squeezable plastic bottles! Some things have been packaged this way for years, and it is amazing that it’s taken so long for other products to “catch up” (pardon the pun). I vaguely remember the first time my mother brought home a plastic, squeezable bottle of ketchup. We were used to the glass bottles, and this plastic container seemed like the smartest thing ever made! No more having to wait for the thick red stuff to pour, we could just apply a little pressure and, “squirt!” Genius! But it wasn’t until recently that other logical food items started appearing in squeezable plastic containers. An idea long overdue, I think.

How a user relates to the product they’re using ultimately dictates the future success of that product. It is for this reason that companies who care about their future will look at ways to improve their product that enhances the user’s experience. Most companies have a research and development department, but their focus is usually more on making their item cheaper to produce by cutting thicknesses, reducing employees, using cheaper supplies, etc. Where these companies would benefit even more… both in the long- and short-term, is by securing their user base through good experience design.