The Arthritis Foundation recently announced its partnership with Target in the development of Ease of Use® Design Guides for product and packaging design, which the companies claim is the first of its kind. These Ease of Use Design Guides serve as resources for engineers and designers in the requirements definition and design development stage for easy-to-use products and packaging developed in the United States.
The guidelines are based on the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Certified® program, which recognizes products and packaging that have been independently tested, approved, and certified as easy to use for people who live with mobility limitations (and more generally for anyone).
In the United States, arthritis is the No. 1 cause of disability, affecting nearly 60 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children. As the leading source of arthritis information and resources in the U.S., the Arthritis Foundation offers patient education and resources, funds research and advocates for the arthritis community. This complex disease can cause chronic, debilitating pain and make daily activities difficult to do while also impacting physical and social wellness and mental health.
“We are proud of our partnership with Target to bring design resources to engineers and designers,” said Steven Taylor, President and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. “Our collaboration is leading the way and driving innovation on product and package designs, which will offer more in-market options to help people with chronic pain or limited mobility say yes to a better quality of life.”
The partnership between the Arthritis Foundation and Target — which is supported by the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use test lab, Intuitive Design Applied Research Institute — is a collaborative effort of industry experts in the ease-of-use design space with Target funding the research and contributing to the illustrations, photographs and graphic design of the guides. The first two guides focus on Rigid Packaging – “Bottles and Bases” and “Components.” Four additional guides in development will continue in the household goods categories.
“Target is committed to accessible design because this work is strongly aligned with our purpose of helping all families discover the joy of everyday life,” said Jenny Breeden, senior vice president, Owned Brand Product Design and Packaging at Target. “That’s why we were proud to partner with the Arthritis Foundation on guidelines that’ll help designers and engineers everywhere develop packaging that improve accessibility and make life easier.”
Ease of Use Certified® products and packages can be found in retail and e-commerce locations. Learn more at arthritis.org/easeofuse.
