Gerber has been producing baby food for a very long time, taking into consideration dietary needs of infants, and the needs of parents. They have consistently produced a quality product, in near-perfect packaging, trusted throughout much of the world.
Indeed, very little thought was given to the packaging of this product, until recently. Sealed in a small glass jar with a screw-on lid, it contained legible and consistent labeling. It was compact, easy to open, and just about the right serving size for most infants.
Glass jars break though. That was the only problem with the packaging. Everyone knew it, and Gerber spent some time researching the issue to confirm that point. According to David Yates, Senior Vice President for Gerber, “
Three years of market research indicate 70% of consumers, for convenience reasons, would prefer to buy baby food packaged in plastic.”
A plastic container for food items such as this are a great alternative, but only if they are designed with a mind towards usability throughout the lifecycle. Leading manufacturers around the world have worked hard to develop and implement easy to use packaging for food and drink, using recyclable plastics.
Ignoring years of research and development, Gerber followed a different path. Their team developed packaging for their product that seemingly ignored some of the most basic rules of consumer usability. Although, it does appear to satisfy the usability needs of retailers.
Retail distributors desire packaging that is easy to handle, stacks nicely on store shelves, and is not easily broken. The new Gerber Baby Food package meets that demand perfectly, while providing a stable storage environment for the contents, and it is recyclable. Usability for the consumer stops there.
The new plastic design comes in a cardboard wrapper surrounding two containers of food. It stacks nicely on store shelves or within a pantry but is inadequate for one container alone. It is designed to hold two containers, and lacking one of them, it is oftentimes discarded or lost.
The cardboard wrapper is clearly labeled with all data that typically appeared on the glass jar labels. However, the plastic containers are rarely labeled, creating confusion about their contents should they become separated from said wrapper.
Sometimes, the plastic containers display legible markings, defining the contents. As coded values in small print, they are not conducive to quick comprehension. Numerous other codes, dates, and the Gerber phone number appear too. The containers are not usually labeled at all though, or the print is faded or otherwise illegible.
The plastic container is opaque, enabling the consumer to see the general coloration of the product. It is sealed with a foil-type top, and capped with a plastic lid, seemingly for storing and/or transporting any unused contents. This lid does not fit tight though, easily falling off and spilling.
Proudly displaying the Gerber log and promotional comments, the foil-type seal on the plastic container ensures the contents will remain fresh beyond the suggested Sell-By date. It also ensures that one cannot open the container with one hand or sometimes, even two. Oftentimes, an additional implement is required to break into the packaging.
Gerber seriously failed consumers in the design of this packaging. Using the old glass jars, one could easily open the package, while holding a squirming infant. The labeling was always clear and legible. The contents could be re-sealed and stored or transported, without fear of spillage. The new packaging meets none of those basic consumer needs.
This mistake is easily remedied, but over the last 15 years Gerber has ignored consumers, and steadfastly refused to adjust the usability of this packaging. It is disappointing, but not surprising.
The technology to produce a screw-type plastic lids that seal in contents has been in use throughout much of the product world for quite a few decades now. One only needs to look at the typical drink bottle. If designed correctly, the foil seal would not be needed at all, eliminating another source of frustration. Producing a label for this product or at minimum, using legible and print on a plastic container, is another point already addressed by manufacturers all over the world.
In the meantime, it is easy enough to avoid the Gerber Baby Food packaging dilemma. There are alternatives that have not compromised usability and consumer happiness in favor of saving a few bucks on packaging.
BeechNut still packages their product the same way they always have. They are organic too, along with Earth’s Best, to name just a few. Another alternative is to do what many others have already done and just make and package your own. Gerber is not doing anything special that is not easily reproduced.
This is one of many recent discoveries related to baby products that I hope to write more about. If you enjoyed this story, pass it along. If you agree with it, tell Gerber how simple usability analysis might help them produce better packaging for their product.
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originally written for and published in The UX Blog
