Prioritizing usability attributes in bottled food packaging for older consumers using the Kano model

Bottled food packaging may pose operational challenges for older adults due to age-related declines in physical strength, joint mobility, and sensory perception. However, limited research has systematically examined how different packaging usability attributes influence user satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This study investigates operability-related design attributes of bottled food packaging for older consumers using a mixed-methods approach.

Semi-structured interviews were first conducted to identify common operational difficulties and generate candidate attributes. A two-round Delphi consultation with experts was then used to refine and validate the attribute system. Finally, a Kano-model questionnaire survey involving 385 older adults was conducted to evaluate how the presence or absence of specific attributes affects user satisfaction.

The results identified 27 usability-related attributes across five dimensions: functionality, reliability, usability, proficiency, and creativity. Basic operational and safety-related attributes were mainly classified as Must-be or One-dimensional attributes, indicating that their absence strongly increases dissatisfaction. In contrast, innovation-related attributes were primarily categorized as Attractive attributes, contributing to satisfaction when present but not causing dissatisfaction when absent.

These findings reveal an asymmetric satisfaction–dissatisfaction mechanism in older adults’ evaluation of packaging usability and provide design implications for developing ageing-friendly bottled food packaging. The authors would like to thank all older adult participants and expert panel members for their time and valuable contributions to this study. The authors also appreciate the assistance provided by the senior university in Jiangxi Province and Universiti Sains Malaysia during participant recruitment and research coordination.

This research received no external funding. School of Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800 USM, Malaysia College of Fine Arts and Calligraphy, Yichun University, Yichun, China The authors declare no competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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