Accessible Grocery
Food Packaging for
people with vision
impairments
By Alija Sule
Critical and process
document submitted in
partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
of Master of Design
Emily Carr University of Art
and Design

1

Abstract
This thesis investigates how information on Canadian food
packaging can be made accessible to people with vision
impairments. Accessible packaging will allow them to shop for
groceries independently, make informed purchase decisions, and
use the products more efficiently.
This thesis uses two approaches. One was to redesign existing
food labels to make them accessible to people with mild or
moderate vision impairment through the appropriate use
of typography, color, images, illustrations, and patterns. The
second approach focuses on the addition of Braille and a text to
speech feature to meet the needs of people with a severe vision
impairment or blindness. Along with accessibility, the aesthetic
appeal of the packaging has been a critical consideration
throughout the research.
Communication design based studio explorations form the core
of this thesis. Other methods such as observation, precedent
review, personal reflection, case studies, literature review, and
interviews with visually impaired participants, experts, and
design professionals drive the explorations. The final outcome of
the research is a prototype of a sample accessible grocery food
brand with a variety of products. Considerations and challenges
that shaped the prototypes are also discussed.
The research provides a resource for designers and businesses
within and outside Canada interested in working within the field
of accessible grocery food packaging.
Key Words: Accessible Design, Inclusive Design, Visual
Impairment, Packaging Design, Communication Design
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Acknowledgment
I would like to thank my supervisor Cameron Neat for his
invaluable guidance, encouragement, and support through this
project. I am also thankful to my internal reviewer Caylee Raber
for her critical feedback on my thesis document.
I would like to express sincere gratitude to Ian Gillespie for
supporting the research through the Gillespie Design Research
Fund.
I would like to extend thanks to the Graduate Studies faculty
who guided us throughout this two-year program. I would also
like to say thank you to my entire cohort for their support and
constructive feedback.
A big thank you to my wonderful husband and sister for their
relentless motivation through this entire journey.
Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to my parents. I
couldn’t have done this without their wholehearted support and
unflinching faith in my abilities.

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To Ma and Papa

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Preface
We designers get so
caught up in making
the pack jump off
the shelf that we
overlook the pack’s
legibility for different
audiences.

As a packaging designer, my professional journey began
in 2013 when I landed a job at ‘DMA Yellow Works’, a wellknown package design agency in Mumbai (India). I have been
fascinated by the world of packaging ever since. I enjoyed
putting together various colors, typefaces, and visuals/
photographs to make a product stand out on the shelf. Over
the years, I have worked with countless big and small brands,
designing packaging for products in various categories — food,
health, beauty, pharmacy, pantry, and household.
Back home in India, my mother usually cooks for the family.
She is now 60, and her eyesight has diminished in the last ten
years. As a result, she finds it difficult to read text printed in
a small size. She struggles to read the instructions printed on
the back of prepared food packaging and often asks another
family member or me to read out the instructions. It makes her
dependent on another person to carry out the task of cooking
successfully.
As a packaging designer, this bothers me deeply. The packaging
is usually designed for sighted people and is resultantly
inaccessible for people who are visually impaired.
I suffer from moderate hearing loss. I am well aware of the
emotional and mental impacts of navigating private and
public spaces like classrooms, workplaces, banks, stores, and
restaurants that are not fully inclusive. As a result, the subjects
of inclusivity and accessibility hold personal significance for me.
My journey and struggle with disability have strengthened my
motivation to integrate accessibility in packaging design.

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Contents
Abstract3
Acknowledgment5
Preface9
Contents11

10

List of Figures

15

Glossary of Key Terms

18

1. Overview

19

1.1 Vision Impairment

20

1.2 Rationale 

24

1.3 Context 

26

1.4 Scope of Project

30

1.5 Research Question

31

11

2. Design Research

32

4. Conclusion

100

2.1 Design Methods and Methodology

33

4.1 Reflections

101

2.2 Current Grocery Food Packaging

37

4.2 Future Directions

104

2.3 Engaging with the Vision Impaired
Community42
2.4 Existing Accessibility Guidelines

3. Design Outcomes
3.1 Packaging for people with mild and
moderate vision impairment

46

5. Appendix

106

6. Bibliography

114

50
51

3.1.1 Functional Packaging 

52

3.1.2 Functional + Aesthetic Packaging 

59

3.1.3 Functional + Aesthetic + Appetizing
Packaging67
3.2 Packaging for people with severe vision
impairment and blindness
3.2.1 Addition of Technology
3.3 Final Prototype 

12

78
79
83

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List of Figures
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 14.
Fig. 15.
Fig. 16.
Fig. 17.

Fig. 18.

Fig. 19.

14

Simulated vision with Presbyopia from myeyedr.com
Simulated vision with Cataracts from myeyedr.com
Simulated vision with Glaucoma from myeyedr.com
Simulated vision with Astigmatism from myeyedr.com
Simulated vision with Macular Degeneration from
myeyedr.com
Clear Rx Packaging by Deborah Adler Design
Accessible skincare packaging by Victorialand Beauty
Braille incorporated on Cleanlogic packaging
Kellogg’s UK accessible Coco Pops packaging for
World Sight Day 2020
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats - Braille Love Notes
Accessibility: A Practical Handbook on Accessible
Graphic Design by RGD, Ontario (2019)
Soup can aisle at Joti’s No Frills
Classico Florentine Spinach & Cheese Sauce — back
side of packaging
Knorr Beef Instant Stock Mix — back side of packaging
Kraft Pizza Preparation Kit ­— front side of packaging
President’s Choice The Decadent Cookie — front side
of packaging
Accessible Typography from Accessibility 2: A Practical
Handbook on Accessible Graphic Design by RGD
Ontario (2019), page 22
Accessible Typography from Accessibility 2: A Practical
Handbook on Accessible Graphic Design by RGD
Ontario (2019), page 23
Accessible Typography from Accessibility 2: A Practical
Handbook on Accessible Graphic Design by RGD
Ontario (2019), page 24
15

Fig. 20. Stacked Chicken drumsticks packs at Joti’s No Frills
(W. Broadway, Vancouver)
Fig. 21. President’s Choice Chicken drumsticks pack
Fig. 22. Re-design of Chicken drumsticks packaging
Fig. 23. Prepared Pasta aisle at Joti’s No Frills (W. Broadway,
Vancouver)
Fig. 24. Re-design of prepared Pasta packaging
Fig. 25. No Name Brand Packaging from www.cpacanada.com
Fig. 26. New York city subway signs from www.zdnet.com
Fig. 27. Knorr soup range from www.knorr.com (Canada)
Fig. 28. Knorr soup range from www.knorr.com (Canada)
Fig. 29. Kraft shredded and finely shredded Mozzarella cheese
packaging from myfoodandfamily.com
Fig. 30. Kraft shredded and finely shredded Colby Jack cheese
packaging from myfoodandfamily.com
Fig. 31. Kraft shredded and finely shredded Mild Cheddar
cheese packaging from myfoodandfamily.com
Fig. 32. Kraft shredded and finely shredded Sharp Cheddar
cheese packaging from myfoodandfamily.com
Fig. 33. Re-design of Kraft shredded and finely shredded
Mozzarella cheese
Fig. 34. Re-design of Kraft shredded and finely shredded Colby
Jack cheese
Fig. 35. Re-design of Kraft shredded and finely shredded Mild
Cheddar cheese
Fig. 36. Re-design of Kraft shredded and finely shredded Sharp
Cheddar cheese
Fig. 37. Great Value products
Fig. 38. President’s Choice products
Fig. 39. Western Family products
Fig. 40. Great Value Brown and White bread
Fig. 41. Typeface explorations for the product name
Fig. 42. Basic wireframe for bread packaging
Fig. 43. Bread packaging design
Fig. 44. Design of the back of the bread pack
Fig. 45. Revised design of the back
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Fig. 46.
Fig. 47.
Fig. 48.
Fig. 49.
Fig. 50.
Fig. 51.
Fig. 52.
Fig. 53.
Fig. 54.
Fig. 55.
Fig. 56.
Fig. 57.
Fig. 58.
Fig. 59.
Fig. 60.
Fig. 61.
Fig. 62.
Fig. 63.
Fig. 64.
Fig. 65.
Fig. 66.
Fig. 67.
Fig. 68.

Soup Packaging Design
Design of the back of the soup packaging
Existing format of nutritional information table
Revised visual format of nutritional information table
iPhone interface of Seeing AI app
iPhone interface of Digit-Eyes app
Addition of a scan-able QR code on the back side of
the packaging
Wireframe of the interface that appears on scanning
the QR code on the packaging
Revised bread packaging
Revised soup packaging
Alternative QR code placement
Milk packaging
Milk packaging (continued)
Salad packaging
Salad packaging
Basic interface of the mobile application to scan the
QR code
Nutrition Facts screen
Cooking Instructions screen
Ingredients screen
Contact screen
Claims screen
Brand screen
Expiry screens

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Glossary of Key Terms

1. Overview

1. Accessible (Adjective) 1

1.1 Vision Impairment

Capable of being used or seen
“the information on the packaging is accessible”

1.2 Rationale

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accessible

1.3 Context

1

2. Visual Impairment (Noun)

2

Visual impairment or low vision is a severe
reduction in vision that cannot be corrected
with standard glasses or contact lenses and
reduces a person’s ability to function at
certain or all tasks.
2

18

https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Partially+sighted

1.4 Scope of Project
1.5 Research Question

This chapter gives an overview of the causes and classifications
of vision impairment. It contains statistical data about vision
impairment in Canada and establishes the need for accessible
food packaging. It also briefly outlines the current initiatives and
opportunities in the field of accessible design. Lastly, it defines
the scope of my research and design explorations in the larger
context of accessible food packaging.

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1.1 Vision Impairment
Image from: https://www.myeyedr.com/eyehealth/vision-simulator

In Canada alone,
1.5 million people are
visually impaired

Image from: https://www.myeyedr.com/eyehealth/vision-simulator

Fig. 1
Simulated vision with
Presbyopia from
myeyedr.com

Fig. 2
Simulated vision
with Cataracts from
myeyedr.com

Canadian National Institute for the Blind, 2017
According to the World Health Organization (2018), at least 2.2
billion people worldwide have a vision impairment or blindness.
That amounts to about 28% of the world population.

Image from: https://www.myeyedr.com/eyehealth/vision-simulator

Fig. 3
Simulated vision
with Glaucoma from
myeyedr.com

A reduced vision that cannot be corrected by glasses or contact
lenses is termed visual impairment.
There are many causes of vision impairment, such as
uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, age-related macular
degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, corneal opacity,
and trachoma. Depending on the cause, vision loss is different
for different people. Many free to use vision simulating websites
such as visionsimulations.com, visionaware.org, and myeyedr.
com approximate the experience of vision loss caused due
to various reasons. Myeyedr also allows the viewer to adjust
the vision loss’s severity using an easy to operate control bar.
Figures 1-5 depict the simulated vision for different kinds
of vision loss retrieved through https://www.myeyedr.com/
eye-health/vision-simulator. The online simulators helped me
visually understand the difference between vision loss caused by
each of these reasons (Figure 1-5).
20

Image from: https://www.myeyedr.com/eyehealth/vision-simulator

Image from: https://www.myeyedr.com/eyehealth/vision-simulator

Fig. 4
Simulated vision with
Astigmatism from
myeyedr.com

Fig. 5
Simulated vision with
Macular Degeneration
from myeyedr.com

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The severity of the visual impairment is, however, different
in each case. Normal vision is termed as 20/20 vision or 6/6
vision. 6/6 vision means that you can see from 6 meters what an
average person also sees from that distance.
The World Health Organization (2018) uses the following
classification for vision impairment:
Mild:		
Moderate:
Severe:
Blindness:

presenting visual acuity worse than 6/12
presenting visual acuity worse than 6/18
presenting visual acuity worse than 6/60
presenting visual acuity worse than 3/60

The classification means that a person with a mild vision
impairment cannot see from 6 meters what an average person
sees from 12 meters. Similarly, a person with severe vision
impairment finds it hard to see from 6 meters what an average
person sees from 60 meters.

groceries. This dependence can have mental and
emotional impacts.

The challenges and
needs of both groups
are very different,
and hence the same
design approach
cannot be used for
the two.

It is evident from the above classification that a person with
mild vision loss can see more clearly than a person with a
severe vision impairment. People with mild and moderate vision
impairment are still able to rely on their vision to some extent.
Assistive devices such as magnifying glasses can further support
their vision. A significant percentage of the aging population
with diminishing vision falls under these two categories. People
with mild vision impairments find it difficult to distinguish
between products on the grocery store shelf and read tiny
information on labels due to low color contrast and poor
typography choices (Andreen & Neely, 2005).
On the other hand, people with severe vision impairment or
blindness cannot depend on their vision at all. They use assistive
devices like text to speech readers or braille to read printed
text. They depend on family, friends, or store staff to shop for
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1.2 Rationale

Hence it is crucial to make the vital information on food
packaging accessible to people with visual impairments.
Accessibility will allow them to be independent and make
informed purchase decisions.

Packaging design is used to effectively communicate the
function, contents and usage of the product to potential
consumers (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2013). The main function of
packaging design is to “create a vehicle that serves to contain,
protect, transport, dispense, store, identify, and distinguish a
product” (Klimchuk & Krasovec, 2013).

“Accessibility and
inclusivity address key
challenges in people’s lives,
transform them, and hence
make the world a better
place.”

As previously mentioned, people with mild vision impairments
find it difficult to distinguish between products on the grocery
store shelf and read tiny information on labels due to low color
contrast and poor typography choices (Andreen & Neely, 2005).
On the other hand, people with severe vision impairment or
blindness cannot access the written information at all.

Koetting, S. L. (2019)
Information on food packagings like nutritional value, health
benefits, ingredients, net weight, expiry date, cooking, and
food safety instructions is crucial in making an informed
purchase decision and using the product. According to a survey
conducted by the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition
(2008), 68% of Canadians primarily obtain nutrition information
through food product labels. It is also essential to know if
the product contains allergens that can be fatal. In a study
conducted with 1,454 Canadians accidentally exposed to food
allergens, the majority attributed the exposure to inappropriate
labeling (47%) and failure to read labels (28.6%) (Sheth, S. S.,
Waserman, S., Kagan, R., Alizadehfar, R., Primeau, M.-N., Elliot,
S., … Clarke, A. E., 2010). In addition, appropriate food safety
instructions lead to the prevention of food-borne illnesses
caused due to improper storage and cooking.

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1.3 Context
Image from: https://adlerdesign.com/project/

In 2014, the Government of British Columbia announced the
“Building a Better B.C. for People with Disabilities” plan, aiming
to make British Columbia a truly inclusive province. (Ministry
of Social Development and Poverty, 2014). According to the
2018 progress update, a part of the act aims at improving the
consumer experience for people with disabilities (Ministry of
Social Development and Poverty, 2018).
In line with the act, innovations have been made in area of
accessible medicine packaging in BC. ASIC (Access for SightImpaired Consumers), a British Columbia based independent,
consumer-driven advocacy coalition, has been working with
retail pharmacies to attach an inexpensive RFID (radiofrequency identification) to any medicine container. The
essential information encoded on the RFID label can then be
read by placing the prescription bottle on the ScripTalk Reader
and pressing a button. The ScripTalk Reader is provided free of
charge by many pharmacists throughout B.C (Ministry of Social
Development and Poverty, 2018).
Similarly, there have been considerable developments in other
parts of the world. Deborah Adler has designed accessible
prescription packaging for Target called “Clear Rx” (Deborah
Adler Design, N.d) which has an easy to read label (Figure 6).
It displays essential medical information in the front and clear
instructions with icons at the back.
The health and beauty industry is also striving to create
accessible packaging. On World Sight Day (October 10, 2018),
Herbal Essence introduced tactile markings on their shampoos
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clear-rx-medication-system/

Fig. 6 (above)
Clear Rx Packaging by
Deborah Adler Design

Image from: https://victorialandbeauty.com

Fig. 7 (left)
Accessible skincare
packaging by
Victorialand Beauty

and conditioners to make them more inclusive for visually
impaired people. Shampoos are denoted by 4 raised vertical
lines and conditioners by raised circles in the same spot
(Anne, Q., 2018). Victorialand Beauty, a U.S.A. based skincare
company also uses raised tactile symbols on the caps of their
packaging — a moon for the night cream, droplet for the face oil,
a wavy line for the moisturizer and a triangle for the eye cream
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(Victorialand Beauty, N.d) (Figure 7). Cleanlogic, a quality bath
and body accessories brand based in the U.S.A., uses Braille on
its packaging where possible to help blind and visually impaired
individuals. (Cleanlogic, N.d) (Figure 8).
New strides have been made in the area of accessible food
packaging as well. In 2017, Kellogg’s launched “Love Note”
Braille stickers and record-able audio boxes for its Rice Krispies
Treats so children who are blind or have low vision can also get
messages from their families (Tobin, B., August 2018) (Figure 9).
Additionally, on World Sight Day (October 10, 2020), Kellogg’s
collaborated with the Royal National Institute of Blind People
(RNIB) to create Coco Pops boxes for blind and partially sighted
people. These trial boxes were launched in almost 60 co-op
stores across the UK. The boxes have information in Braille as
well as a unique on-pack NaviLens code that can be scanned
using a smart phone from upto three meters. The NaviLens
technology is a UK-first technology and plays back labelling and
allergen information to the user upon scanning (Kellogg’s UK.,
2020) (Figure 10).
Likewise, accessible design is an emerging practice in the
field of web design. The World Wide Web Consortium (2019)
outlines extensive accessibility guidelines for the web. The
Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario has
produced a handbook recommending some general print and
web accessibility guidelines for Graphic Designers (RGD Ontario,
2019) (Figure 11).
Apart from the above instances, there have been numerous
other noteworthy innovations in the area of accessible packaging
design for the visually impaired.
Having said that, accessible packaging design solutions, are still
not very widely used. There is a lot of scope especially in the
28

area of food packaging. Most food packaging in grocery stores
is not accessible to people with vision impairments. My research
identifies this as an opportunity and focuses on the area of
accessible grocery food packaging.

Image from: https://cleanlogic.com/

Image from: https://www.usatoday.com/

collections/all/products/exfoilators-large-

story/money/2018/08/07/kelloggs-

exfoliating-body-scrubber

rice-krispies-treats-offer-snack-notesvisually-impaired/918050002/

Fig. 8
Braille incorporated on Cleanlogic
packaging

Fig. 9
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats - Braille
Love Notes

Image from: https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/

Image from: https://www.rgd.ca/resources/

en_GB/world-sight-day.html

accessibility/access

Fig. 10
Kellogg’s UK accessible Coco Pops
packaging for World Sight Day 2020

Fig. 11
Accessibility: A Practical Handbook
on Accessible Graphic Design by
RGD, Ontario (2019)
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1.4 Scope of Project

1.5 Research Question

Packaging design is a broad discipline that covers both the label
and the structure of the packaging. For this thesis’s scope, I have
chosen to focus only on the packaging label, which is crucial in
conveying important product information to the buyer.

How can information on
food packaging be made
more accessible to people
with various levels of
vision impairment?

Even though the research considers global packaging trends
and examples, I have specifically studied Canadian food labeling
requirements and policies. The findings of the research, however,
can apply to packaging design outside Canada as well.
The challenges faced by people with different kinds of
disabilities are varied. For this project, I have chosen to focus
only on the needs of people with vision impairment.
Vision impairments range from mild to severe. Though people
with mild vision impairment do not have a 20/20 vision, they
can still depend on their vision. However, people with a severe
impairment cannot use their sight for most purposes and rely
on assistive devices that use other senses such as touch and
hearing. I try to meet the needs of people with different levels
of impairment. Hence one part of the research focuses on
enhancing the label design of packaging for people with mild
vision impairments to easily recognize products on the shelf and
provide better access to essential information on the label. The
other part focuses on additional features that are required by
people with severe vision impairments.

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2. Design Research

2.1 Design Methods and
Methodology

2.1 Design Methods and Methodology
2.2 Current Grocery Food Packaging
2.3 Engaging with the Vision Impaired 		
Community
2.4 Existing Accessibility Guidelines

In this chapter, I first give an overview of the methods used
in this research. I then speak at length about my process of
reviewing current food packaging in the grocery store. I also
discuss the challenges faced while recruiting visually impaired
participants during the COVID pandemic and throw light on
some insights from participant interviews. I finally talk about a
few existing web and print accessibility guidelines.

This thesis uses a “research through design” approach.
“Research through design” implies a “practice-based inquiry that
generates transferable knowledge” (Durrant, Vines, Wallace, &
Yee, 2017).
Communication design based studio prototypes of accessible
food packaging form the core of this thesis. Observation,
literature review, precedent surveys, case studies, personal
reflection, and interviews with visually impaired participants, and
design professionals guide the prototypes.
In this chapter, I briefly describe the methods used during the
research. I discuss them in greater detail throughout the thesis.
The entire research was roughly divided into three phases.
Phase 1: Exploratory Research
The initial part of the research was focused on understanding
the behavior, concerns and needs of visually impaired shoppers.
I started by observing and analyzing the existing food packaging
in grocery stores, using approximate simulation, that is, without
my glasses on. This helped to map out issues with current
packaging and also identify scope for improvement.
Literature review of academic papers and journals outlining the
problems, preferences and requirements of visually impaired
shoppers also supplemented my observational visits to the store.

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To understand the experience of visually impaired shoppers
first-hand, I aimed to conduct virtual semi-structured participant
interviews in the summer of 2020. Similar to an ergonomic
analysis, the interview was to be followed by a food packaging
analysis with the participants. Additionally, I had also planned a
photo documentation exercise to understand the perception of
beauty and aesthetics amongst the participants.
However the COVID pandemic made it difficult for me to get
in touch with participants and I had to move ahead with the
research without speaking to the participants.
To gain qualitative and experiential insights even without
participants, I started following popular YouTube channels run
by visually impaired people — The Blind Life (Seavey, D. n.d.),
Live Accessible (Morales, C. n.d.), Visually Impaired Designer
Angela. n.d.). These channels allowed me to learn about the
latest technology and resources available for people with vision
impairments.
Additionally, I attended basic introductory sessions about vision
impairment conducted by two non-profit organisations.
Phase 2: Precedent Study
Precedent reviews and case studies followed the first phase of
research. I surveyed the innovations in the field of accessible
packaging design for people with vision impairments. I
also looked at latest food packaging trends on popular
packaging design websites such as The Dieline (https://
thedieline.com/?) and Packaging of the World (https://www.
packagingoftheworld.com).

RGD Ontario (2019). My aim was to try to apply accessibility
guidelines from other areas to food packaging. It was also
imperative to study the Canadian packaging guidelines.
Phase 3: Prototyping and User Testing
Phase 3 of the research focused on prototyping and evaluative
research. I worked on several packaging prototypes through the
course of the research. My packaging prototypes attempted to
balance accessibility, aesthetic appeal and marketability. I started
with prototypes of individual products and then proceeded
to designing smaller product ranges. I eventually created a
sample accessible grocery food brand spanning across various
categories.
The prototypes were evaluated and re-worked based on selfreflection and feedback from professors and classmates. I
also got in touch with an accessibility designer who worked
on Accessibility: A Practical Handbook on Accessible Graphic
Design by RGD, Ontario (2019).
Even though I was not able to speak to any participants in
phase 1, I was aware of the importance of engaging with the
vision impaired community. Fortunately by this phase, I was also
able to get in touch with 2 blind participants and 3 participants
with a mild vision impairment Their feedback and insights were
imperative in shaping the final prototype.

I studied the extensive World Wide Web Consortium (2019)
accessibility guidelines for the web and the general print
and web accessibility guidelines for Graphic Designers by
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2.2 Current Grocery Food
Packaging
To apprehend the challenges of people with vision impairment,
I visited the grocery store without my glasses on. I have shortsightedness (Myopia) with a power of -3.25 in both eyes.
Without glasses, things at a distance appear blurred. Since
Myopia is correctible by wearing glasses, contact lenses, or laser
surgery, it is not considered a visual impairment. However, this
experiment aimed to understand how the world appears to the
visually impaired through approximate simulation.
I usually shop from Joti’s No Frills (W. Broadway) and decided
to stick to the same store for this experiment. I walked around
the store and observed various packages both from a distance
and up-close. From a distance, it was not easy to identify
individual products. Too many colors, illegible fonts, low contrast
between the colors and typography, and product images with
a low depth of field made it increasingly difficult for me to
differentiate between items. The soup can aisle was filled with
packaging containing overwhelming images and tiny product
names (Figure 12).
Ten minutes into the experiment, my eyes started to hurt, and I
began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. It was hard to imagine
the challenges faced by visually impaired people when scouring
through the rows on inaccessible packaging.
Fig. 12
Soup can aisle at Joti’s No Frills

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Even up-close, I found it difficult to read the information on
many products. The Classico Florentine Spinach and Cheese
Pasta Sauce use capital letters for the information and a center
alignment and very tight line spacing (leading). Even on the
back, the ingredients are listed in a capital case in a faint yellow
font (Figure 13). Kraft also uses a capital condensed font in
a wavy manner to list down the ingredients at the bottom of
its Pizza preparation kit. The White font also has low contrast
against the Orange background (Figure 14). Knorr’s Beef Instant
stock mix uses various fonts in different orientations, which is
hugely inconvenient to read (Figure 15). President’s Choice —
The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie uses chocolate beans in
the background, making the text difficult to read. Additionally,
the image of the cookies is not visible against the busy
background from a distance (Figure 16).
In summary, the following recurring issues were observed in the
current food packaging labels

Fig. 13
Classico Florentine Spinach & Cheese
Sauce — back side of packaging

Fig. 14
Kraft Pizza Preparation Kit ­— front
side of packaging

Fig. 15
Knorr Beef Instant Stock Mix — back
side of packaging

Fig. 16
President’s Choice The Decadent
Cookie — front side of packaging

• Low contrast between background and typography
• Use of illegible typefaces
• Use of typography in extremely small sizes
• Lack of consistency in typography size, weight and orientation
• Inappropriate type setting - kerning and tracking
• Use of typography on cluttered images
These observations were validated by Visually Impaired
Designer’s (2020) insightful YouTube video “WHAT MAKES
GOOD PACKAGING DESIGN? | Packaging Design for Beginners
- What Not To Do”. The video contains an in-depth survey of
inaccessible grocery food packaging.

38

39

Additionally, there is a serious lack of accessibility in food
packaging for people with a severe vision impairment or
blindness who cannot read the printed text at all. In a Polish
study conducted with 250 blind and visually impaired
participants, the following points were suggested to facilitate a
better shopping experience (Kostyra, E., Żakowska-Biemans, S.,
Śniegocka, K., & Piotrowska, A., 2017).
• Helpful shop staff
• Braille on products
• Label Readers
• Larger font sizes
• Consistent placement of products on shelves

2.3 Engaging with the
Vision Impaired
Community
I used the method of approximate simulation at various stages
in the project — preliminary research, prototyping and testing.
However, I understood the importance of speaking to visually
impaired participants in conjunction with my other methods.
I hoped to engage a small but substantial number of 5 visually
impaired participants since I was aware that it would be difficult
to get in touch with participants in the middle of the COVID
pandemic. It made sense to engage with participants in Canada
or the U.S. as I was referring to Canadian packaging guidelines
and studying grocery packaging in Canadian stores.
I had planned a virtual semi-structured interview with
participants to understand the participants’ challenges with
grocery shopping and food packaging in the summer of 2020.
The interview was to be followed by a packaging analysis
session. As a part of this, participants would be asked to pick 5
packaged products from their kitchen and then discuss them in
terms of aesthetics and accessibility.
Apart from the interview, I also wanted to carry out a small
photo documentation exercise with participants to understand
their perception of beauty and aesthetics. Here, participants
would be expected to take photographs of 5 visuals/objects/
packaging that they found visually appealing and then discuss
their choices in depth over a virtual interview.

40

41

Since I was dealing with a vulnerable population, I ensured that
there would be minimal physical or mental risks to participants
and also outlined a plan for mitigating any potential risks that
may arise from my research. The Research Ethics Board of Emily
Carr University of Art + Design approved my virtual participant
engagement plan.
As anticipated, the COVID pandemic made it challenging to
get in touch with participants from the confines of home. I
first reached out to visually impaired artists and designers
on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Only a handful
responded. While the respondents seemed interested initially,
they stopped communicating after I sent out the consent-form
outlining the participant activities. This sudden withdrawal
was quite disheartening. I assume the participants did not
have enough time to participate in all activities. Additionally,
it was challenging to communicate effectively and build a
meaningful connection with participants in a virtual space. As an
independent student researcher, I also did not possess the same
credibility as a prominent research organization.
After my initial tries to reach out to individuals, I approached
non-profit organizations working with visually impaired and
blind people. To my surprise, they were quicker with their
responses. I was successful in recruiting two blind participants
who worked in one of the organizations. Within the organization,
the two participants offered training to visually impaired youth
in areas such as leadership, team building, public speaking,
communication, life skills, personal budgeting, and career
planning. Since they had limited time on their hands, I went
ahead only with a semi-structured interview.

shopped from a familiar store but wanted the agency to shop
even in an unfamiliar store without any assistance.

The participants stressed
the need for the product
name to be printed in
Braille to figure out each
product by merely holding
it in hand.
Apart from the blind participants, it was also imperative to speak
to people who had mild vision impairment. It was a lot harder to
find people in this category. I finally decided to focus on people
whose vision had started to diminish due to age. I had much
better access to this group, both in Emily Carr and back home
in India. I was able to speak to three participants, two of which
were professors at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. The
third one was a family member from back home in India. Since I
knew all three participants on a more personal level, I was more
comfortable and found it easier to ask them questions in greater
detail. They were also more responsive and engaged in the
study.
All three participants found it challenging to read tiny text on
the packaging. One participant mentioned that the aesthetics of
the packaging influenced the purchase decision.

Both participants preferred in-store shopping since it offered
more choices compared to online shopping. Additionally, online
shopping is expensive for a handful of things. They usually
42

43

Both groups of participants
re-iterated that accessible
packaging will increase
their independence
considerably. It will also
allow them to make wellinformed food purchases.

2.4 Existing Accessibility
Guidelines

Insights from the semi-structured interviews were vital in
shaping my final prototypes.

The World Wide Web Consortium (2019) outlines extensive
guidelines for the web. It suggests adding text descriptions for
non-text content such as images, graphics, icons, and buttons.
There should be sufficient contrast between the foreground
and background color to ensure the legibility of information.
The contrast can be determined by converting the artwork
to Grayscale. Additionally, color should not be used as the
only identifying element as vision impairments can also affect
people’s perception of color. In contrast to this guideline, most
packaging designs use color as the sole element to differentiate
between flavors/ variants in the same product range. The World
Wide Web Consortium further recommends that text and
images should be re-sizable. While this system works for digital
communication, it is impossible to resize pictures and text as per
the viewer’s preference in printed communication. Furthermore,
the user interface and navigation should be consistent on
different pages to avoid disorienting visitors. There is usually no
consistency between the placement of essential information on
even packaging belonging to the same brand. Data is usually laid
out as per the format of the packaging and the available space.

As planned, I was eventually able to engage with a total of
5 visually impaired participants. Microsoft’s Inclusive Design
principles emphasize that solutions designed for a smaller
group can infact benefit a much larger audience (Microsoft,
2019). However, I feel that the research can benefit from a larger
sample size in the future.
From my experience, I felt that it was easier to interview
people with a mild vision impairment in a virtual space. Even
sharing my designs was more convenient as I could easily zoom
into a portion of the screen. However, the process was more
challenging with blind participants. I was only able to describe
my ideas to them in a virtual space.

44

After clearly realizing the need for accessible packaging and
finding its lack thereof, I set out to study existing accessibility
guidelines. While there are innumerable accessibility guidelines
for the web and print, I was disappointed by the unavailability
of guidelines specific to packaging. As a result, my approach
was to adapt web and print accessibility guidelines to packaging
design.

45

Accessibility 2: A Practical Handbook on Accessible Graphic
Design, produced by the Registered Graphic Designers of
Ontario (2019), outlines practical guidelines and resources to
make Graphic Design more accessible for different audiences.
The handbook explains ways to make better typography choices
for accessibility by considering character height and width,
stroke contrast, weight, apertures, and counter forms (Figure 1719). It also discusses typesetting considerations such as tracking,
leading, alignment, and letter case. The book recommends
commonly used typefaces such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Times
New Roman, and Verdana for people with vision impairments.

Image from: https://www.rgd.ca/database/
files/library/_RGD_AccessAbility2_
Handbook_AbleDocs.pdf

Apart from the above typefaces, the American Council of the
Blind also recommends typefaces such as Tahoma, Futura, and
Gotham Rounded in at least an 18 point size and line spacing of
1.5 for large print documents. A left text alignment works best
for vision-impaired readers. Double bolding or underlining can
be used to emphasize specific words. The use of color or italics
does not work for low vision readers.
Image from: https://www.rgd.ca/database/

The above guidelines provided a starting point for my design
explorations.

Image from: https://www.rgd.ca/database/
files/library/_RGD_AccessAbility2_

Fig. 18
Accessible Typography
from Accessibility 2:
A Practical Handbook
on Accessible Graphic
Design by RGD Ontario
(2019), page 23

files/library/_RGD_AccessAbility2_

Fig. 19
Accessible Typography
from Accessibility 2:
A Practical Handbook
on Accessible Graphic
Design by RGD Ontario
(2019), page 24

Handbook_AbleDocs.pdf

Fig. 17
Accessible Typography
from Accessibility 2:
A Practical Handbook
on Accessible Graphic
Design by RGD Ontario
(2019), page 22

Handbook_AbleDocs.pdf

46

47

3. Design Outcomes
3.1 Packaging for people with mild and
moderate vision impairment
3.2 Packaging for people with severe vision
impairment and blindness
3.3 Final Prototype

3.1 Packaging for people
with mild and
moderate vision
impairment
3.1.1 Functional Packaging
3.1.2 Functional + Aesthetic Packaging

This chapter describes the process of developing studiobased packaging prototypes for people with different levels of
vision impairment. I make revisions to the prototypes based on
insights gathered from interviews with participants and design
professionals. I then present the final packaging prototype for an
accessible grocery food brand.

48

3.1.3 Functional + Aesthetic + Appetizing
Packaging

According to the World Health Organization (2018), people
with a visual acuity worse than 6/12 have a mild vision
impairment. Those having a visual acuity worse than 6/18 have
a moderate vision impairment. People with mild and moderate
vision impairments are still able to depend on their vision. They
are able to read the packaging label on food products to some
extent. As such, my first step was to improve the graphics of the
existing food packaging to make it more accessible to this target
group. The following three sections outline my experiments in
this direction.

49

3.1.1 Functional
Packaging

Fig. 20
Stacked Chicken
drumsticks packs at
Joti’s No Frills (W.
Broadway, Vancouver)

Having studied the existing accessibility guidelines for web and
large print documents, I attempted to re-design a few food
products using some of those guidelines.
Based on my previous visit to the grocery store, two categories
were chosen at random for this re-design exercise ­— chicken
drumsticks and prepared pasta packaging. Both have a distinct
packaging format. Chicken drumsticks are packed in a tray with
a transparent cling film on top, whereas ready-to-eat pasta
comes in an opaque box or pouch. Since the pasta is available in
different flavors, it is challenging to distinguish between them.

Fig. 21
President’s Choice
Chicken drumsticks
pack

Packaging design decisions are also partly driven by the product
placement on store shelves. Chicken drumsticks are placed flat in
the cold storage section. Many times, multiple packs are stacked
on top of each other (Figure 20). It is not easy to read the tiny
information from a distance, and it is necessary to pick up the
item to read the expiry date and quantity. Most packs use a small
vertical label on the left. The chicken is visible through the rest
of the transparent cling film. The President’s Choice pack has a
lot of tiny information on the label (Figure 21). The expiry date
and net weight placed on separate labels are relatively hard to
locate and read.

50

51

For the re-design, I used a Black tray against which the chicken
was visible. The vertical format of the label was retained
(Figure 22). To ensure maximum contrast and legibility against
the Black background, I chose Yellow as the packaging’s
primary color (Arditi, A.). I used Helvetica typeface for the
text as recommended by the Journal of Visual Impairment
and Blindness (Russell-Minda, E., Jutai, J. W., Strong, J. G.,
Campbell, K. A., Gold, D., Pretty, L., & Wilmot, L., 2007, p.13).
The product name, expiry date, and net weight were printed in
large font size on the label, and a distinct price tag was placed
on the right. Additionally, the label also contained a drumstick
icon indicating the number of drumsticks in the pack.

5

Chicken
Drumsticks
EXPIRY:

JAN 22 | 2020
NET WEIGHT:

0.562 KG

$

The ready-to-eat pasta packs contained photographs with a lowdepth of field and poor contrast against the background color.
Such images appear fuzzy to people with vision impairment
(Figure 23). Additionally, script fonts on the pack make it
challenging to read essential information.

6.28
Fig. 23
Prepared Pasta aisle
at Joti’s No Frills (W.
Broadway, Vancouver)

Fig. 22
Re-design of Chicken
drumsticks packaging
52

53

The pasta packs were re-designed using the same principles as
the chicken drumsticks packaging (Figure 24). Product images
were replaced with icons to ensure clarity even from a distance.

Pasta

Pasta

Original

Extra
Creamy

EXPIRY:

JAN 22
2020

EXPIRY:

JAN 22
2020

In Really Good Packaging Design Explained (Bronwen Edwards,
& Al, E, 2009, p. 13) Marianne Klimchuk defines excellence in
packaging as “translating a design strategy into one that can
be processed, produced, and be profitable; that is eco-friendly,
innovative, and marketable; that represents quality, safety,
protection, function, reliability, effectiveness; and that is cogent,
attention-grabbing, and appealing makes really good design that
much more laudable”.

Great packaging “tells a
story” and “gives the brand
a sense of place”.
Rob Wallace in Really Good Packaging Design Explained
(Bronwen Edwards, & Al, E., 2009)

Fig. 24
Re-design of prepared
Pasta packaging
The re-design unintentionally resembled the Canadian food
brand — No Name. The No Name brand also uses a Yellow and
Black color scheme. It follows a similar Swiss design aesthetic
(Figure 25). “Swiss Designs are clean, minimalistic, and
objective. The Swiss-style rejects the “privilege and subjectivity
of the artist.” and “embraces modernity and the clarity and
anonymity of machine-based design” (Bigman, A., 2016). The
New York City Subway signage system is a famous example
of the Swiss-style (Figure 26). However, packaging design
differs significantly from signage design. While signages are
supposed to be strictly functional, packaging design needs to be
aesthetically appealing and marketable.
54

Image from: https://www.cpacanada.ca/en/news/pivotmagazine/2020-02-25-no-name-ad-campaign

Fig. 25
No Name Brand Packaging from www.cpacanada.com
55

The Swiss-style focuses on sameness, and hence an accessible
packaging system based on it will not create sufficient visual
distinction between various brands on the grocery store shelves.
Being mindful of this inherent difference between packaging and
other forms of Graphic communication, I thus decided to focus
on both the functionality and visual appeal of the packaging.

3.1.2 Functional + Aesthetic
Packaging
For this project, my goal was to develop accessible packaging
that is aesthetically appealing. I also wanted to work on multiple
products within the same category instead of focusing on single
products. This is because the product range in the food category
is diverse and complex.

Image from: https://www.zdnet.com/article/bob-noorda-codesigner-of-nyc-subway-systems-iconic-look-dies-at-82/

Fig. 26
New York city subway signs from
www.zdnet.com

A food item usually comes in various flavors and types. For
instance, there are different milk varieties, such as plain milk,
almond milk, soy milk, chocolate milk, etc. Plain milk is also
available with varying percentages of fat. It is essential to apply
a consistent visual aesthetic across all products belonging to
the same category. Additionally, there should be uniform visuals
among different categories belonging to the same brand. The
uniform, recognizable visual elements that are unique to a brand
are termed the packaging architecture.

Packaging architecture
“helps build consumer
relationships with brands
because it leverages
emotional responses”.
Mininni, T., 2013

56

57

Knorr has a simple packaging architecture with two colored
bands behind the logo. The top band indicates the category
color, and the lower band indicates the flavor of the product
within each category. An image is then placed below the two
bands. There is consistency in the photography style within each
category. The soup category has a top-view photo of the soup
in a white bowl (Figure 27). Ingredients suggestive of the flavor
are attractively placed around the soup. The seasoning range
also contains a top view image of food in a bowl. Additionally, it
contains a see through window (Figure 28).

It is essential to consider packaging architecture and work
towards an accessible packaging system that works well across
a diverse range of products. To explore this in detail, I picked the
Kraft Shredded Cheese packaging. Kraft offers Mozzarella and
Colby Jack cheese in a shredded and finely shredded format
(Figures 29 and 30). It also offers Mild and Sharp Cheddar
cheese in the same formats (Figure 31 and 32).

Image from: https://www.
myfoodandfamily.com/
brands/kraftcheese/
Image from: https://www.knorr.com/ca/en/knorr-products.html

Fig. 29
Kraft shredded and
finely shredded
Mozzarella cheese
packaging from
myfoodandfamily.com

products/20002/
shredded-cheese

Fig. 27
Knorr soup range from www.knorr.com (Canada)

Image from: https://www.
myfoodandfamily.com/
brands/kraftcheese/
Image from: https://www.knorr.com/ca/en/knorr-products.html

Fig. 30
Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Colby
Jack cheese packaging
from myfoodandfamily.
com

products/20002/
shredded-cheese

Fig. 28
Knorr soup range from www.knorr.com (Canada)

58

59

Image from: https://www.
myfoodandfamily.com/
brands/kraftcheese/

Fig. 31
Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Mild
Cheddar cheese
packaging from
myfoodandfamily.com

products/20002/
shredded-cheese

Image from: https://www.
myfoodandfamily.com/
brands/kraftcheese/

Fig. 32
Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Sharp
Cheddar cheese
packaging from
myfoodandfamily.com

products/20002/
shredded-cheese

I attempted to create a more robust visual distinction between
the various types of cheese in the complex shredded cheese
range. I retained the iconic Blue color associated with the Kraft
brand and stuck with each cheese type’s original colors. To move
away from a singular distinction model based on color, I used
a unique pattern for each type of cheese. Denser versions of
the same patterns were used for the finely shredded packs. The
current typeface was replaced by Helvetica (Figures 33-36).

NATURAL CHEESE

NATURAL CHEESE

MOZZARELLA

MOZZARELLA
FINELY SHREDDED

SHREDDED LOW-MOISTURE PARTSKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE

SHREDDED LOW-MOISTURE PARTSKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

The transparent window on the packaging is not effective in
creating a clear differentiation between the different cheese.
Additionally, a simple color-based distinction might not work
well for people whose color perception is affected due to their
vision impairment. The finely shredded variety is marked by
illegible text.

60

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

Fig. 33
Re-design of Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Mozzarella cheese

61

NATURAL CHEESE

NATURAL CHEESE

NATURAL CHEESE

NATURAL CHEESE

COLBY JACK

COLBY JACK

SHARP CHEDDAR

SHARP CHEDDAR

FINELY SHREDDED

SHREDDED COLBY &
MONTEREY JACK CHEESES

SHREDDED COLBY &
MONTEREY JACK CHEESES

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

0

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

SHREDDED CHEDDAR
CHEESE

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

FINELY SHREDDED

SHREDDED CHEDDAR
CHEESE

0

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

Fig. 34 (Left Top)
Re-design of Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Colby Jack cheese

NATURAL CHEESE

NATURAL CHEESE

MILD CHEDDAR

MILD CHEDDAR
FINELY SHREDDED

SHREDDED CHEDDAR
CHEESE

SHREDDED CHEDDAR
CHEESE

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

PER
1/4
CUP

62

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

NET WEIGHT 8 OZ

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

PER
1/4
CUP

CALORIES

FAT(G)

110

6
29%

Fig. 35 (Left Bottom)
Re-design of Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Mild Cheddar cheese
Fig. 36 (Above)
Re-design of Kraft shredded and
finely shredded Sharp Cheddar
cheese

SODIUM(MG) SUGAR(G)

170
7%

0

63

The re-design solved the readability issues with the original
packaging. The patterns helped create a more substantial
distinction between the various types of cheese and added
an aesthetic appeal to the packs. On sharing and discussing
my design with an accessibility designer, I realized that the redesigned pack did not look as appetizing as the original due
to eliminating the grated cheese image and the see-through
window.

A significant goal of food
packaging is to make
the product look
mouth-watering.

3.1.3 Functional + Aesthetic +
Appetizing Packaging
After my previous experiment with a small shredded cheese
range, I was eager to explore an accessible packaging system
that could work across multiple products and categories.
In North America, big grocery retailers also have their brands.
For instance, Walmart has its food brand called Great Value
(Figure 37). Additionally in Canada, big brands like President’s
Choice (Figure 38) and Western Family (Figure 39) have
hundreds of products spanning various categories.

Food packaging differs from other categories such as health and
beauty products in this manner. This absolute criterion cannot be
overlooked when designing accessible food packaging. Hence,
moving forward it was also important to focus on making the
product look appetizing.
Image from: https://www.walmart.ca/brand/great-value/1019684

Fig. 37
Great Value products

64

65

After studying the three brands in detail, I set out to design a
fresh accessible grocery food brand consisting of necessary
products such as bread, soup, milk, and packaged salads that are
consumed by most people. I decided to start my explorations
with bread packaging.
Image from: https://www.presidentschoice.ca/
products?navid=products

I looked at the current Great Value bread packaging. Essential
information is inappropriately placed at the bottom (Figure 40).
The photographs of the White and Brown bread sandwiches
on the respective packs are not distinct from each other. These
issues needed to be addressed in the new design.
Fig. 40
Great Value Brown and
White bread

Fig. 38
President’s Choice products

Image from: https://www.westernfamily.ca

Image from: https://www.

Image from: https://www.

walmart.ca/en/ip/great-

walmart.ca/en/ip/great-

value-100-whole-wheat-

value-enriched-white-

bread/6000191270627

bread/6000191270624

Fig. 39
Western Family products
Great Value, President’s Choice, and Western Family have a
consistent typeface across all their products. All three brands
market themselves as friendly and affordable. President’s Choice
and Western Family use White as their primary color combined
with patches of other colors. Great Value packaging is also
predominantly White. However, the color changes for specific
products.
66

67

Like the precedents, I, too, decided to stick to a standard
typeface across all products. Consistent typography can
often act as a recognizable brand element. I referred to the
Accessibility 2: A Practical Handbook on Accessible Graphic
Design (2019) for guidelines on choosing the appropriate
typeface. After experimenting with a few typefaces (Figure
41), I zeroed in on the typeface P22 Mackinac Pro Bold from
Adobe Typekit for the product name, which was both legible
and visually appealing. In Canada, mandatory information on the
packaging label needs to be printed in both English and French
(Government of Canada, C.F.I.A., 2015). Numbers, however are
considered bilingual and can appear only once.

Whole Wheat Whole Wheat
Blé Entier
Blé Entier
Embury Text Black

P22 Mackinac Pro Extra Bold

Whole Wheat Whole Wheat
Blé Entier
Blé Entier
Alverata Black

Ivy Journal Bold

Whole Wheat
Blé Entier

Whole Wheat
Blé Entier

Menotext Bold

I worked on a simple layout for the product name, which could
be consistently applied to other categories (Figure 42). The eye
symbol on the left served as the logo for my accessible brand.

675 g

100%
Whole
Wheat
Bread

675 g

White
Bread

Blanc

675 g

Multi
Grain
Bread . Pain

Pain

Blé
Entier
Pain

Fig. 42
Basic wireframe for bread packaging

Antique Olive Bold

Fig. 41
Typeface explorations for the product
name
68

69

I deliberately set apart the textual information from the rest of
the visual elements to ensure maximum clarity and legibility.
Drawing from my previous experiment, I chose a pattern
and color based system to establish a clear distinction from
the Brown, White and Multi-grain bread on multiple levels
(Figure 43). Since the bread is visible through the see-through
packaging, I did away with the sandwich photo. Instead, I added
the photo of appropriate ingredients in a scoop to make the
pack visually appealing and appetizing.

675 g

100%
Whole
Wheat
Bread

Blé
Entier
Pain

675 g

White
Bread

Blanc
Pain

This time it was equally important to focus on the back of the
packaging. The packaging’s back usually contains mandatory
information such as nutritional facts, ingredients, brand claims,
storage instructions, manufacturer name, and address. Apart
from the nutritional facts table, there is no consistency in the
order and layout of the information on different products.
I attempted to design a system that could be applied
consistently across various products. To reduce dependence
on the tiny printed text on the back, I explored a visual system
(Figure 44).

675 g

Multi
grain
Bread . Pain

Icons of varying shapes
were used for different
categories of information
— circles for claims,
hexagon for allergycausing ingredients,
and squares for storage
instructions.
To further reduce the number of visual elements, I regrouped the
information. The allergens and claims section were combined to
create a primary section that visually summarized the product’s
contents. (Figure 45).

Fig. 43
Bread packaging design
70

71

Based on the same system, I also worked on canned soup
packaging (Figure 46). Since the cans are not see-through, it
was essential to add a photograph of the soup to make the pack
look tempting. A table-cloth inspired pattern was used to create
a homely vibe. It was challenging to adjust the layout on the
back of the bread packaging to the soup can’s size and shape
(Figure 47).

Contains:
Contains:
Gluten

Gluten

Sesame Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Graines DeGraines
Sésame
De Sésame

Milk
Du Lait

Milk
Du Lait

Does notDoes
Contain:
not Contain:
Artifical Colors
Artifical Colors
& Flavours& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurset couleurs

Claims: Claims:
Made in Canada
Made in Canada
from domestic
from
& domestic &
imported ingredients
imported ingredients
Fabriqué auFabriqué
Canada au Canada
du domestique
du domestique
et
et
ingrédients ingrédients
importés importés

284 ml

284 ml

Tomato

Chicken

Tomates

Poulette

Condensed Soup

Soupe Condensee

Condensed Soup

Soupe Condensee

Free from artifical
Free from artifical
flavours & colors
flavours & colors
Sans artificiel
Sans artificiel
saveurs et couleurs
saveurs et couleurs

Contains:
Contains:

Gluten

Gluten
Sesame Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Milk
Graines DeGraines
SésameDe Sésame
Du Lait

Milk
Du Lait

Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Whole grain
Whole
whole
grain
wheat
whole
flour
wheat
including
flour including
the germ,the
Water,
germ,
Yeast,
Water,
Wheat
Yeast,gluten,
WheatOat
gluten,
fibre,Oat
Sugar,
fibre, Sugar,
Salt, Vegetable
Salt, Vegetable
Oil (Canola
Oil or
(Canola
Soyabean),
or Soyabean),
Vinegar, Vinegar,
Calcium Calcium
Propionate,
Propionate,
Soyabean
Soyabean
Lecithin, Lecithin,
Sorbic Acid
Sorbic Acid
Ingrédients:
Ingrédients:
Farine DeFarine
Blé entier
De Blé
intégrale
entier intégrale
germe germe
inclus, Eau,
inclus,
Levure,
Eau,Gluten
Levure,De
Gluten
Blé, Fibres
De Blé,
D’Avoine,
Fibres D’Avoine,
Sucre, Sel,
Sucre,
Huile,
Sel,
Végétale
Huile, Végétale
(Canola Ou
(Canola
Soya),Ou
Vinaigre,
Soya), Vinaigre,
Propionate
Propionate
De Calcium,
De Calcium,
LécithineLécithine
De Soya,De
Acide
Soya, Acide
SorbiqueSorbique

Refrigerate
Refrigerate
RéfrigérerRéfrigérer4

Check recycle
Check
regulations
recycle regulations
Vérifier les règlements
Vérifier les règlements
de
de
recyclage recyclage

4

Questions
Questions
and Complaints/
and Complaints/
Questions
Questions
et plaintes
et plaintes
1-800-465-5515
1-800-465-5515
|
|
www.canadabread.com
www.canadabread.com

Fig. 44
Design of the back of the bread pack
72

Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Whole grain
Whole
whole
grain
wheat
whole
flour
wheat
including
flour including
the germ,the
Water,
germ,
Yeast,
Water,
Wheat
Yeast,gluten,
WheatOat
gluten,
fibre,Oat
Sugar,
fibre, Sugar,
Salt, Vegetable
Salt, Vegetable
Oil (Canola
Oil or
(Canola
Soyabean),
or Soyabean),
Vinegar, Vinegar,
Calcium Calcium
Propionate,
Propionate,
Soyabean
Soyabean
Lecithin, Lecithin,
Sorbic Acid
Sorbic Acid
Ingrédients:
Ingrédients:
Farine DeFarine
Blé entier
De Blé
intégrale
entier intégrale
germe germe
inclus, Eau,
inclus,
Levure,
Eau,Gluten
Levure,De
Gluten
Blé, Fibres
De Blé,
D’Avoine,
Fibres D’Avoine,
Sucre, Sel,
Sucre,
Huile,
Sel,
Végétale
Huile, Végétale
(Canola Ou
(Canola
Soya),Ou
Vinaigre,
Soya), Vinaigre,
Propionate
Propionate
De Calcium,
De Calcium,
LécithineLécithine
De Soya,De
Acide
Soya, Acide
SorbiqueSorbique

Refrigerate
Refrigerate
RéfrigérerRéfrigérer
4

Check recycle
Checkregulations
recycle regulations
Vérifier
règlements
les règlements
de
de
4 lesVérifier
recyclagerecyclage

Made in Made
Canada
in Canada
from domestic
from domestic
&
&
importedimported
ingredients
ingredients
FabriquéFabriqué
au Canada
au Canada
du domestique
du domestique
et ingrédients
et ingrédients
importésimportés
Questions
Questions
and Complaints/
and Complaints/
Questions
Questions
et plaintes
et plaintes
1-800-465-5515
1-800-465-5515
|
|
www.canadabread.com
www.canadabread.com

Fig. 46
Soup Packaging Design

Fig. 45
Revised design of the back
73

Nutrition Facts
Valeur nutritive
Per 125 ml (250 ml prepared) /
par 125 ml (250 ml préparée)

% Daily Value
Amount
% valeur quotidienne
Teneur
Calories / Calories 110
Fat / Lipides 1.5 g
2%
Saturated / saturés 0.2 g
1%
+ Trans / trans 0 g
Cholestrol / Cholestérol 0 mg
31 %
Sodium / Sodium 750 mg
7%
Carbohydrate / Glucides 22 g
8%
Fibre / Fibres 2 g
Sugars / sucres 16 g
Protein / Protéines 3 g
Vitamin A / Vitamine A
4%
Vitamin C / Vitamine C
2%
Calcium / Calcium
2%
Iron / Fer
6%
Directions: Empty soup into saucepan and
slowly add one full can of water, stirring
constantly. Heat, stirring often. For extra
richness follow directions, using all milk
Préparation: Verser la soupe dans une
casserole et ajouter lentement une pleine
boîte d’eau, en remuant constamment.
Rechauffer en remuant souvent. Pour une
soupe plus riche, suivre les mêmes étapes,
mais en utilisant du lait seulement.

Contains:
4 Tomatoes
in every can
4 Tomates dans
chaque boîte

Does not contain:
Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs
Ingredients: Water, Tomato Paste, Glucose
- Fructose, Modified Cornstarch, Wheat
Flour, Salt, Vegtable Oil (Corn, Canola
and/or Soybean), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid,
Spice Extracts (Contains Celery, Garlic),
Flavour
Ingrédients: Eau, Pàte De Tomate, Glucose
Fructose, Amidon De Maïs Modifié, Farine
De Blé, Sel Huile Végétale (Maïs, Canola Et/
Ou Soya), Acide Citrique, Acide Ascorbique,
Extraits D’ Épices (Contient Céleri, Ail),
Saveur

Refrigerate unsed
portions promptly
Réfrigérer promptement
les portions inutilisees
Recyclable . Recyclable
Questions & Complaints/
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadasoup.com
Product of USA
Produit Des É-U.A.

Fig. 47
Design of the back of the soup
packaging
74

I also relooked the design of the nutritional facts table (Figure
48) . A standard format of the text-based table is consistently
used on all products. Like the rest of the information, I explored
a visual format for the table (Figure 49). The re-design makes
it easier to compare nutrient values by using a pie-chart like a
format. It also has room for warning signs to indicate higher than
prescribed levels of an ingredient.

Nutrition
Nutrition
Facts
Facts
Valeur
Valeur
nutritive
nutritive
Per 1 cup
Per(250
1 cup
ml)(250
/ ml) /
pour 1 tasse
pour(250
1 tasse
ml)(250 ml)

% Daily%Value
Daily Value
AmountAmount
%
valeur
%
quotidienne
valeur
quotidienne
Teneur Teneur
Calories
Calories
/ Calories
/ Calories
160 160
Fat / Lipides
Fat / Lipides
8g
8g
13 % 13 %
Saturated
Saturated
/ saturés
/ saturés
5g
5g
26 % 26 %
+ Trans+/ Trans
trans 0.2
/ trans
g 0.2 g
Cholestrol
Cholestrol
/ Cholestérol
/ Cholestérol
30 mg 30 mg
SodiumSodium
/ Sodium
/ Sodium
125 mg125 mg 5 % 5 %
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
/ Glucides
/ Glucides
12 g 12 4g % 4 %
0% 0%
Fibre / Fibres
Fibre / 0Fibres
g
0g
Sugars Sugars
/ sucres/ sucres
12 g 12 g
ProteinProtein
/ Protéines
/ Protéines
8g
8g
10 % 10 %
VitaminVitamin
A / Vitamine
A / Vitamine
A
A
0% 0%
VitaminVitamin
C / Vitamine
C / Vitamine
C
C
30 % 30 %
CalciumCalcium
/ Calcium
/ Calcium
0% 0%
Iron / Fer
Iron / Fer
45 % 45 %
VitaminVitamin
D / Vitamine
D / Vitamine
D
D

Fig. 48
Existing format of nutritional
information table

Nutrition
Nutrition
Facts
Facts
Valeur
Valeur
nutritive
nutritive
1

Per 1 cup
Per 1 cup
pour 1 tasse
pour 1 tasse

250
1 ml250 ml

Calories
Calories
/ Calories
/ Calories 160 160
13%

13%26%

26% 5%

5% 4%

4%

8g

8 g 5+0.2 g

5+0.2125
g mg

125 mg12 g

12 g

Fat
Lipides

Saturated
Fat
+Saturated
Trans +Sodium
Trans
Lipides
saturés + trans
saturés +Sodium
trans

Sodium
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates
Sodium
Glucides Glucides

12 g

1230
g mg 30 mg8 g

8g

Sugar
Sucres

Protein Protein
Sugar
Cholestrol Cholestrol
Protéines Protéines
Sucres
CholestérolCholestérol

10%

10% 0%

0% 45%

45%

Vitamin
Vitamin A Vitamin
Vitamin
A C Vitamin
C D Vitamin D
Vitamine
Vitamine AVitamine
Vitamine
A CVitamine
C DVitamine D

0%

0% 0%

0% 30%

Fibre
Fibres

Fibre Iron
Fibres Fer

IronCalcium Calcium
FerCalcium Calcium

30%

Fig. 49
Revised visual format of nutritional
information table
75

3.2 Packaging for people
with severe vision
impairment and
blindness
3.2.1 Addition of Technology

According to the World Health Organization (2018), people with
a visual acuity worse than 6/60 have a severe vision impairment.
Those having a visual acuity worse than 3/60 are considered
blind. People with severe vision impairments and blindness
cannot depend on their vision at all. Hence their challenges are
very Their challenges and requirements are hence, very different
from those of people with a mild or moderate vision impairment.
The following chapter outlines my attempt to modify my
previous design explorations to accommodate the needs of
people with severe vision impairment and blindness.

3.2.1 Addition of Technology
People with severe vision impairment or blindness usually
depend on the assistance of store employees for grocery
shopping. However, store employees might not always be helpful
or available. This lack of agency in grocery shopping leads to a
feeling of dependence.
When shopping independently, they use assistive technology on
their smart-phone.
Applications such as Tap Tap See and Google’s Lookout identify
grocery store products by pointing the phone camera and then
playing aloud an audio description of the product.
Other applications such as Microsoft’s Seeing AI (Figure 50),
KNFB reader, and Digit Eyes (Figure 51) convert text printed
on the back of the packaging to audio using the text-tospeech technology. In a Polish study conducted with 250 blind
and visually impaired participants, 2/3 found label readers
useful (Kostyra, E., Żakowska-Biemans, S., Śniegocka, K., &
Piotrowska, A., 2017).
However, these applications read out the text line by line. This
method is useful when reading a document or other organized
pieces of text such as pamphlets or receipts. When it comes
to food packaging, people might not necessarily want to listen
to the information line by line. Only a particular section of
information such as ingredients or nutritional facts might be of
interest. In such a case, it is somewhat cumbersome to listen to
the entire audio.

76

77

Fig. 50 (left)
iPhone interface of
Seeing AI app

I revised the bread and soup packaging to add a QR code on
the back (Figure 52).

Fig. 51 (right)
iPhone interface of
Digit-Eyes app

Contains:
Gluten

Sesame Seeds
Graines De Sésame

Milk
Du Lait

This gap in the existing technology provided an opportunity
for my design explorations. I wanted to create an interface
that would give visually impaired users the agency to choose
the specific information of their interest. Such technology also
needed a scan-able aspect on the pack.
QR codes have been used for a few years to encode data usually
scan-able by a smart phone. During the COVID pandemic, QR
codes have been used increasingly in restaurants to access the
online menu, limiting the spread of the virus through handheld menus. I felt the size and function of QR codes would
perfectly fit food packaging. Additionally QR codes are a more
accessible and familiar option, particularly for those who are not
technologically savvy.

78

Does not Contain:
Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs

Scan for more information
rechercher plus d'informations

Ingredients: Whole grain whole wheat flour including
the germ, Water, Yeast, Wheat gluten, Oat fibre, Sugar,
Salt, Vegetable Oil (Canola or Soyabean), Vinegar,
Calcium Propionate, Soyabean Lecithin, Sorbic Acid
Ingrédients: Farine De Blé entier intégrale germe
inclus, Eau, Levure, Gluten De Blé, Fibres D’Avoine,
Sucre, Sel, Huile, Végétale (Canola Ou Soya), Vinaigre,
Propionate De Calcium, Lécithine De Soya, Acide
Sorbique

Refrigerate
Réfrigérer

4

Check recycle regulations
Vérifier les règlements de
recyclage

Nutrition Facts
Valeur nutritive
Per 125 ml (250 ml prepared) /
par 125 ml (250 ml préparée)

% Daily Value
Amount
% valeur quotidienne
Teneur
Calories / Calories 110
Fat / Lipides 1.5 g
2%
Saturated / saturés 0.2 g
1%
+ Trans / trans 0 g
Cholestrol / Cholestérol 0 mg
31 %
Sodium / Sodium 750 mg
7%
Carbohydrate / Glucides 22 g
8%
Fibre / Fibres 2 g
Sugars / sucres 16 g
Protein / Protéines 3 g
Vitamin A / Vitamine A
4%
Vitamin C / Vitamine C
2%
Calcium / Calcium
2%
Iron / Fer
6%
Directions: Empty soup into saucepan and
slowly add one full can of water, stirring
constantly. Heat, stirring often. For extra
richness follow directions, using all milk
Préparation: Verser la soupe dans une
casserole et ajouter lentement une pleine
boîte d’eau, en remuant constamment.
Rechauffer en remuant souvent. Pour une
soupe plus riche, suivre les mêmes étapes,
mais en utilisant du lait seulement.

Contains:
4 Tomatoes
in every can
4 Tomates dans
chaque boîte

Does not contain:
Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs
Ingredients: Water, Tomato Paste, Glucose
- Fructose, Modified Cornstarch, Wheat
Flour, Salt, Vegtable Oil (Corn, Canola
and/or Soybean), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid,
Spice Extracts (Contains Celery, Garlic),
Flavour
Ingrédients: Eau, Pàte De Tomate, Glucose
Fructose, Amidon De Maïs Modifié, Farine
De Blé, Sel Huile Végétale (Maïs, Canola Et/
Ou Soya), Acide Citrique, Acide Ascorbique,
Extraits D’ Épices (Contient Céleri, Ail),
Saveur

Refrigerate unsed
portions promptly
Réfrigérer promptement
les portions inutilisees
Recyclable . Recyclable
Questions & Complaints/
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadasoup.com
Product of USA
Produit Des É-U.A.

Made in Canada from domestic &
imported ingredients
Fabriqué au Canada du domestique
et ingrédients importés
Questions and Complaints/
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadabread.com

Fig. 52
Addition of a scan-able
QR code on the back
side of the packaging
79

I also developed a rough wireframe for the interface, which
would appear upon scanning the barcode (Figure 53). Upon
scanning the code, all information will be displayed on the
screen and also read aloud. Users will be able to make a
language selection in the beginning. They will then hear the
product name and be able to make a specific selection post that.
A US and Canada based company called SmartLabel® uses a
similar concept. A scan-able QR opens a web link that allows
consumers a way to digitally access more detailed product
information. However, it is inaccessible to people with vision
impairment as the information is displayed only in text format
and the design of the web page does not allow it to be fully read
by a screen reader application.

Chose your language
English

100% Whole Wheat
Bread

100% Whole Wheat
Bread

675 g

675 g

Nutritional Info

French
Ingredients
Storage
Product Benefits &
Claims
Expiry

Fig. 53
Wireframe of the
interface that appears
on scanning the QR
code on the packaging
80

Back
Contains:
• Gluten
• Sesame Seeds
• Milks
Ingredients:
Whole grain whole
wheat flour including
the germ, Water, Yeast,
Wheat gluten, Oat fibre,
Sugar, Salt, Vegetable
Oil (Canola or Soy-

3.3 Final Prototype
The final prototypes were based on interviews and user-testing
with 2 blind participants and 3 participants with a mild vision
impairment (Refer to section 2.3). I also considered feedback
received from classmates, professors, and design professionals
and accordingly made revisions to the previous prototypes.
Front of the pack:
Firstly, I added a horizontal line to create a clear distinction
between the English and French product names. Product names
were also added in Braille to allow people with severe vision
impairment and blindness to recognize products merely by
holding it in hand quickly. I referred to the sizing and spacing
guidelines stated by the Braille Authority of North America
(Dixon, J., 2010) while incorporating Braille on the pack.
Back of the pack:
The blind participants were excited about the QR code and
mentioned that it would make their grocery shopping experience
much better. However, it was essential to add a tactile element
to indicate the QR code placement on the pack. A small
triangular tactile element was added near to the QR code. Even
participants with mild vision felt that the QR code would be a
quicker way of accessing essential information on the packaging.
Participants with a low vision impairment preferred the visual
nutritional table as it was easier to scan through quickly. Hence
the nutritional table on the back was replaced accordingly.
The revised designs are displayed on the following pages
(Figures 54 and 55)
81

Fig. 54
Revised bread packaging

Nutrition Facts
Valeur nutritive

1

Contains:

60 g

Gluten

150

Sesame Seeds
Graines De
Sésame

Per 2 slices / pour 2 tranches

Calories / Calories

675 g

White
Blanc
Bread . Pain

675 g

Multi
grain
Bread . Pain

675 g

100%
Whole
Wheat

Blé
Entier
Bread . Pain

3%

2%

8%

9%

2g

0.3+0 g

200 mg

27 g

Milk
Du Lait

Fat Saturated + Trans Sodium Carbohydrates
Glucides
Lipides saturés + trans Sodium

675 g

2g

0 mg

Sugar
Sucres

Cholestrol
Cholestérol

Protein
Protéines

0%

0%

4%

Vitamin A
Vitamine A

Vitamin C
Vitamine C

Calcium
Calcium

Iron
Fer

10%

8%

15%

15%

Thiamine
Thiamine

Riboflavin
Riboflavin

Niacin
Niacine

Folate
Folate

12%

10%

15%

50%

Phosphorouse
Phosphore

7g

Does not Contain:
Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs

10%

White
Blanc
Zinc
Zinc

Scan QR code for audio
informtion:
Scanner le code QR pour
l'audio informtion:

Magnesium Manganese
Magnésium Manganése

Bread . Pain

Ingredients / Ingrediénts:

Whole grain whole wheat flour including the germ, Water,
Yeast, Wheat gluten, Oat fibre, Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Oil
(Canola or Soyabean), Vinegar, Calcium Propionate, Soyabean
Lecithin, Sorbic Acid
Farine De Blé entier intégrale germe inclus, Eau, Levure,
Gluten De Blé, Fibres D’Avoine, Sucre, Sel, Huile, Végétale
(Canola Ou Soya), Vinaigre, Propionate De Calcium, Lécithine
De Soya, Acide Sorbique
Refrigerate
Réfrigérer

4

Check recycle regulations
Vérifier les règlements de
recyclage

Made in Canada from domestic &
imported ingredients
Fabriqué au Canada du domestique
et ingrédients importés
Questions and Complaints/
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadabread.com

82

83

Fig. 55
Revised soup packaging

Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive 1

284 ml

Chicken
Poulette
Condensed Soup
Soupe Condensee

284 ml

Tomato
Tomates
Condensed Soup
Soupe Condensee

Per 1 cup / pour 1 tasse (250 ml)
Calories / Calories
13%
8g

26%
5+0.2 g

160
5%
125 mg

4%
12 g

Fat Saturated + Trans Sodium Carbohydrates
Glucides
Lipides saturés + trans Sodium
12 g
Sugar
Sucres

30 mg
Cholestrol
Cholestérol

8g
Protein
Protéines

10%

0%

45%

Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin D
Vitamine A Vitamine C Vitamine D
0%

0%

30%

Fibre
Fibres

Iron
Fer

Calcium
Calcium

Contains:

4 Tomatoes
in every can
4 Tomates dans
chaque boîte

84

Ingredients / Ingrédient
Water, Tomato Paste, Glucose - Fructose, Modified
Cornstarch, Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegtable Oil (Corn,
Canola and/or Soybean), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid,
Spice Extracts (Contains Celery, Garlic), Flavour.
Eau, Pàte De Tomate, Glucose, Fructose, Amidon
De Maïs Modifié, Farine De Blé, Sel Huile Végétale
(Maïs, Canola Et/ Ou Soya), Acide Citrique, Acide
Ascorbique, Extraits D’ Épices (Contient Céleri, Ail),
Saveur

Directions / Préparation

Empty soup into saucepan and slowly add one full
can of water, stirring constantly. Heat, stirring often.
For extra richness follow directions, using all milk
Verser la soupe dans une casserole et ajouter
lentement une pleine boîte d’eau, en remuant
constamment. Rechauffer en remuant souvent.
Pour une soupe plus riche, suivre les mêmes
étapes, mais en utilisant du lait seulement.
Refrigerate unsed
portions promptly
Réfrigérer
promptement
les portions inutilisees

Does not Contain:

Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs

Questions & Complaints
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadasoup.com

Recyclable
Recyclable

85

An alternative proposal could be to place the QR code on
grocery store shelves along with the price tag instead of the
packaging (Figure 56). This consistent placement would help
quickly locate the QR codes. However, access to information
would also be limited to the store in this case.

I further extended the accessible packaging system to a few more
products such as Milk and packaged salad. (Figures 57-60).
Fig. 57
Milk packaging

Fig. 56
Alternative QR code placement

1L

1L

Milk

Milk

Partly
Skimmed

Almond

2

%

M.F

86

87

Fig. 58
Milk packaging (continued)

1L

Milk

Lait

Partly
Skimmed

Partiellement
écrémé

1

%

M.F

88

1L

1

%

M.F

Nutrition Facts /
Valeur nutritive

1

Contains:
Milk
Du Lait

Per 1 cup / pour 1 tasse (250 ml)
Calories / Calories
13%
8g

160
26%
5+0.2 g

Fat Saturated + Trans
Lipides saturés + trans
5%
125 mg

4%
12 g

Sodium Carbohydrates
Sodium
Glucides
12 g
30 mg
8g
Sugar Cholestrol Protein
Sucres Cholestérol Protéines

10%

D

Vitamin D
Vitamine D

Does not Contain:
No Preservatives*
Sans agents de
conservation*
Scan QR code for audio
informtion:
Scanner le code QR pour
l'audio informtion:

0%

Vitamin A Vitamin C
Vitamine A Vitamine C
45%

0%

Vitamin D
Vitamin D

Fibre
Fibres

0%

30%

Iron
Fer

Calcium
Calcium

Keep Refrigerated
Garder Au
Réfrigérateur
Fresh milk from
Canadian dairy farms
Lait Frais Des
Fermes Laitières
Canadiennes

89

Fig. 59
Salad packaging

90

91

Fig. 60
Collective packaging

284 ml

Tomato
Tomates
Condensed Soup
Soupe Condensee

92

93

I also worked on a high fidelity mockup of the application used
to scan the QR code (Figure 61). The interface is simple and
straightforward to suit a visually impaired audience. Black,
White, and Yellow were chosen as the primary colors to ensure
maximum contrast between the background and foreground

The ‘Brand’ section allows the user to know more about the
brand behind the product. This could help foster a stronger
connection and loyalty between the user and the brand.

All information on the application is read out loud. Each button
in the application is a two-click button. On pressing the button
once, the application reads aloud the text contained within
it, followed by the word ‘button’. This feature allows visually
impaired users to recognize a button and then click it again.
Two-click buttons are commonly used in mobile applications for
people with vision impairments and are familiar to most users.

The management of this application could be done by a thirdparty. This third party can handle the data for various brands.
This database of different brands can also be helpful to shoppers
who are not visually impaired. It can enable people to filter and
search products based on their preferences.

On opening the application for the first time, users can choose
their preferred language. Based on suggestions from the studio
faculty and classmates, I also expanded the language offerings
to include more languages such as Hindi, Chinese, etc, to
engage the multi-cultural audience in Canada. This feature can
also benefit all shoppers whose first language is not English or
French.
Next they point the phone in the direction of the QR code. The
phone keeps beeping until they locate the QR code, at which
point the application says “QR code detected”. It then reads
out loud the name of the product. Listed below are buttons
for different categories of information —Nutritional Table,
Ingredients, Claims, Cooking Instructions, Expiry, Contact and
Brand. Users can click and choose the information they want to
access.

More screens of the application can be seen in Figures 62-68.

Choose
Language

Back

Back
XYZ’s Rich
Tomato Soup Can
8oz

1 English
2 French

Nutritional Table
Ingredients

3 Mandarin

Claims

4 Hindi

Cooking Instructions
Expiry
Contact

Hold phone in front
of QR code on pack

Brand

Fig. 61
Basic interface of the mobile
application to scan the QR code

Users can set a reminder for the expiry of the product within the
‘Expiry’ section

94

95

Back

Back

Back

Nutrition

Ingredients

Claims

Per 125ml (250 ml prepared)
Calories: 110
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 750mg (31%)
Sugar: 16g
Other details:
Total Fat 1.5g (2%)
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholestrol: 0mg (31%)
Carbohydrate: 22g (7%)
Fibre: 2g (8%)
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A (4%)
Vitamin C (4%)
Calcium (4%)
Iron (4%)

Allergens
No allergens
Other Ingredients
• Water

Does not contain
artificial flavours
Made in Canada from
domestic & imported
ingredients

• Tomato Paste

Back

Back

Expiry Date

Expiry Date

March 18, 2020

Reminder set for
March 18, 2020

Set Reminder

Cancel Reminder

• Glucose - Fructose
• Modified Cornstarch
• Wheat Flour
• Salt
• Vegtable Oil (Corn, Canola
and/or Soybean)
• Citric Acid

Hold phone in front of
expiry date on pack

• Ascorbic Acid
• Spice Extracts (Contains

Fig. 62
Nutrition Facts screen

Back

Fig. 63
Ingredients screen

Fig. 64
Claims screen

Back

Back

Back

Cooking
Instructions

For Questions & Complaints

Contact

Brand

Fig. 68
Expiry screens

At Canada soup, we believe in

1. Empty soup into saucepan
2. Slowly add one full can of
water, stirring constantly.
3. Heat, stirring often.

Call

» For extra richness follow
directions, using all milk

Visit

+1-(778)-319-1000

www.canadasoup.com

sourcing ingredients fresh from
the farm and creating products
without any artificial flavours.
Our healthy products are 100%
Canadian. We hope to shape
sustainable consumption for
future generations.
To learn more about our brand
values and other products,
please visit:

www.canadasoup.com

Fig. 65
Cooking Instructions
screen
96

Fig. 66
Contact screen

Fig. 67
Brand screen
97

4. Conclusion

4.1 Reflections

4.1 Reflection

Through this research, I have developed packaging prototypes
that attempt to tackle challenges with different vision
impairment levels. First, I focused on the graphics of the
packaging to meet the needs of people with mild vision
impairment. Later, I added Braille and a scan-able QR code
on the packaging for people with severe vision impairment or
almost no vision.

4.2 Future Directions

In this chapter, I write down personal reflections about
accessible packaging design encountered through the course
of this project. I also outline the immediate and long-term next
steps in the direction of this research.

Here are some of my key reflections during the research:
• Several organizations, both big and small, are making
accessibility a top priority. Microsoft’s recent Xbox
adaptive controller is one such example. However, more
organizations need to take this step. My current grocery
food packaging survey revealed that most of the products
were inaccessible to people with vision impairments. It is
high time organizations and designers start to consider
different audiences’ needs when designing their products.
Lack of accessibility makes the lives of disabled people
even more challenging.
• It is crucial to speak to the concerned audience about
their challenges. Often their needs and demands are more
straightforward than what designers assume. During my
research, I assumed that it is essential for all information
on the packaging to be displayed in Braille. However,
upon speaking to the blind participants, I realized that it
was sufficient for them to have only the product name in
Braille. Once they had identified the product, they could

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99

use their smartphones to access all other information.
Designers should be careful not to over-complicate simple
needs of their target audience.
• It is challenging to design one single solution to appeal
to people with different levels of vision impairment.
However, during my research, I realized that the text-tospeech converting QR code used for people with severe
vision impairments can also benefit people with low vision
impairments. I now feel it is better to start designing for
the most challenging audience. That can indirectly benefit
people with minor challenges as well. The Accessibility
2: A Practical Handbook on Accessible Graphic Design
(2019) also recommends designing for the outliers.
Additionally, the QR code can also be useful to people
who speak languages other than English and French. This
unintentional value reinstates the fact that the value of
accessible design is much wider than one perceives at the
onset.

creative practices, designers attempt to create something
unique and path-breaking. However, when it comes to
accessibility, familiarity and consistency are essential. It
is easier for visually impaired people to find products on
grocery store shelves if they are always placed in the same
area consistently—similarly, hard of hearing people find
it easier to hear familiar voices than new ones. General
design principles should hence be adapted accordingly to
accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.
• Often accessibility is an after-thought. In examples,
such as the Kellogg’s Choco Pops, Braille and a QR code
were plastered onto the existing design of the pack.
Accessibility and inclusion should be considered from the
beginning of the design process in order to make the right
design decisions in terms of color, typography, illustrations
and photography.

• The space of accessible design can be overwhelming
to navigate. The design challenges are complex and
numerous. It is genuinely impossible to tackle every single
one of the challenges in one go. Hence it is best to start
small. Often small steps can lead to a significant impact.
In my opinion, when it comes to accessible design, “less
is more.” For instance, the addition of a simple QR code
on packaging can be of great assistance to people with
varied kinds of vision impairment. Being a disabled person
myself, I can vouch for this. A simple set of subtitles when
watching a movie makes the experience so much more
pleasant.
• Accessible design principles can vary from general
design principles. Most food packaging is designed to
stand out on grocery store shelves. Similarly, in other
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101

4.2 Future Directions
My research is a qualitative research which focuses on the role
of Graphic design in accessible food packaging. During the
course of the research, I was able to engage with only 5 visually
impaired participants. Microsoft’s inclusive design principles
emphasize that solutions designed for a smaller group can infact
benefit a much larger audience (Microsoft, 2019). However, I still
feel that the research can benefit from a larger sample size in the
future.
The immediate next steps will be to test the prototypes’ tangible
mockups and refine them based on participants’ feedback
and insights. Additionally, I wish to reach out to a few of the
existing grocery food brands such as Western Family, Great
Value, President’s Choice with my accessible design proposal.
The proposal will demonstrate that it is possible to make current
packaging accessible with minor additions. Hopefully, this might
stimulate them to re-design their existing packaging to make it
more accessible for different audiences.

Additionally, optimal placement and arrangement of products
in the store are also essential for better accessibility. Accessible
wayfinding systems will only complement accessible packaging
design. This is another direction that needs to be explored up to
fully address accessible packaging design.
Presently, the literature available on accessible packaging design
is limited. This design research can serve as a resource for
designers, researchers, and organizations interested in this area. I
also believe that accessible design should be an essential subject
in design education to ensure its widespread application. This
research can help initiate a curriculum on accessible packaging
design. Even though the prototypes are based on Canadian
packaging guidelines, the learnings can be applied to packaging
design worldwide.

The material requirements and cost of printing Braille on the
packaging also need to be studied along with gathering data
about the Braille literacy level of people with vision impairments
in Canada. Similarly, the technology needed to develop a fully
functioning text to speech app needs to be looked into.
I have considered the label of the food packaging for this thesis.
The structure and material of the pack itself is equally important
when it comes to accessible design. It can promote easy
carrying, storage and usage of product and also allow for the
written information on the pack to be more organized. Hence
this area also needs to be investigated.
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103

5. Appendix

Fig. 1
Bread packaging typography specifications (front)

675 g

100%
Whole
Wheat

Blé
Entier
Bread . Pain

104

Helvetica Neue
Bold 22 pt

P22 Mackinac Pro
Extra Bold 44 pt

Helvetica Neue
Bold 22 pt

105

Fig. 2
Bread packaging typography specifications (back)

Nutrition Facts
Valeur nutritive

1

Contains:

60 g

Gluten

150

Sesame Seeds
Graines De
Sésame

Per 2 slices / pour 2 tranches

Calories / Calories
3%

2%

8%

9%

2g

0.3+0 g

200 mg

27 g

Milk
Du Lait

Fat Saturated + Trans Sodium Carbohydrates
Glucides
Lipides saturés + trans Sodium

0 mg
Cholestrol
Cholestérol

Protein
Protéines

0%

0%

4%

Vitamin A
Vitamine A

Vitamin C
Vitamine C

Calcium
Calcium

Iron
Fer

10%

7g

8%

15%

15%

Thiamine
Thiamine

Riboflavin
Riboflavin

Niacin
Niacine

Folate
Folate

12%

10%

15%

50%

Artifical Colors
& Flavours
Artificiel saveurs
et couleurs

10%

White
Blanc
Zinc
Zinc

Headings:
Helvetica LT Std
Bold Condensed 13 pt

675 g
Does not Contain:

2g
Sugar
Sucres

Phosphorouse
Phosphore

Fig. 3
Soup packaging typography specifications (front)

Scan QR code for audio
informtion:
Scanner le code QR pour
l'audio informtion:

Body Text:
Helvetica Neue
Regular 9 pt

284 ml

Tomato
Tomates
Condensed Soup
Soupe Condensee

Helvetica Neue
Bold 9 pt
P22 Mackinac Pro
Extra Bold 20 pt
Helvetica Neue
Bold 9 pt

Magnesium Manganese
Magnésium Manganése

Bread . Pain

Ingredients / Ingrediénts:

Whole grain whole wheat flour including the germ, Water,
Yeast, Wheat gluten, Oat fibre, Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Oil
(Canola or Soyabean), Vinegar, Calcium Propionate, Soyabean
Lecithin, Sorbic Acid
Farine De Blé entier intégrale germe inclus, Eau, Levure,
Gluten De Blé, Fibres D’Avoine, Sucre, Sel, Huile, Végétale
(Canola Ou Soya), Vinaigre, Propionate De Calcium, Lécithine
De Soya, Acide Sorbique
Refrigerate
Réfrigérer

4

Check recycle regulations
Vérifier les règlements de
recyclage

Made in Canada from domestic &
imported ingredients
Fabriqué au Canada du domestique
et ingrédients importés
Questions and Complaints/
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadabread.com

106

107

Fig. 3
Soup packaging typography specifications (back)

Fig. 3
Milk packaging typography specifications (front)

1L
Ingredients / Ingrédient
Water, Tomato Paste, Glucose - Fructose, Modified
Cornstarch, Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegtable Oil (Corn,
Canola and/or Soybean), Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid,
Spice Extracts (Contains Celery, Garlic), Flavour.
Eau, Pàte De Tomate, Glucose, Fructose, Amidon
De Maïs Modifié, Farine De Blé, Sel Huile Végétale
(Maïs, Canola Et/ Ou Soya), Acide Citrique, Acide
Ascorbique, Extraits D’ Épices (Contient Céleri, Ail),
Saveur

Headings:
Helvetica LT Std
Bold Condensed 7 pt

Directions / Préparation

Empty soup into saucepan and slowly add one full
can of water, stirring constantly. Heat, stirring often.
For extra richness follow directions, using all milk
Verser la soupe dans une casserole et ajouter
lentement une pleine boîte d’eau, en remuant
constamment. Rechauffer en remuant souvent.
Pour une soupe plus riche, suivre les mêmes
étapes, mais en utilisant du lait seulement.
Refrigerate unsed
portions promptly
Réfrigérer
promptement
les portions inutilisees
Recyclable
Recyclable

108

Questions & Complaints
Questions et plaintes
1-800-465-5515 |
www.canadasoup.com

Body Text:
Helvetica Neue
Regular 6 pt

Milk
Partly
Skimmed

1

%

M.F

Helvetica Neue
Bold 18 pt
P22 Mackinac Pro
Extra Bold 34 pt
P22 Mackinac Pro
Extra Bold 18 pt
Helvetica Neue
Roman 100 pt
Helvetica Neue
Bold 28 pt

109

Fig. 3
Milk packaging typography specifications (side)

Contains:
Milk
Du Lait

D

Fig. 3
Salad packaging typography specifications (front)

Headings:
Helvetica LT Std
Bold Condensed 13 pt

Vitamin D
Vitamine D

Does not Contain:
No Preservatives*
Sans agents de
conservation*
Scan QR code for audio
informtion:
Scanner le code QR pour
l'audio informtion:

Body Text:
Helvetica Neue
Regular 9 pt

Helvetica Neue
Bold 20 pt

P22 Mackinac Pro
Extra Bold 45 pt

Keep Refrigerated
Garder Au
Réfrigérateur
Fresh milk from
Canadian dairy farms
Lait Frais Des
Fermes Laitières
Canadiennes

110

111

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