Degree’s New Inclusive Deodorant Packaging Is Designed With The Disabled In Mind
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Many of us are fortunate enough that we hardly consider the difficulty of everyday tasks for disabled people. While something as mundane as taking the cap off a deodorant bottle would barely cross an able person’s mind, someone with a broken arm or an upper-limb disability may find it challenging.
To remedy this, Degree has launched a new deodorant, called Degree Inclusive. Its design features have been specially tweaked to better suit those with disabilities.
For example, according to Fast Company, the cap comes with a hook, so it can be hung on a rack for the rest of the package to be pulled down. It also has a magnetic closure that makes it easier to put the cap back on.
Better grips built into the sides of the deodorant have been included, with a larger-than-usual applicator so only a single swipe is needed. Plus, the package comes with a braille label so those who are blind can find it more easily in their bedrooms or washrooms.
Unilever, which owns Degree, partnered with creative agency Wunderman Thompson and design company SOUR to come up with the concept of Degree Inclusive. Wunderman Thompson’s Head of Inclusive Design, Christina Mallon, whose arms are paralyzed, began working on the concept two years ago.
“Inclusive design is better design for everyone,” Bas Korsten, Global Chief Creative Officer at Wunderman Thompson, told Fast Company.
“We want the world to be a fairer place,” he added. “But it also makes commercial sense, because the disability community is such a big community.”
To ensure the original prototype is effective and accessible, Degree is now testing it in a beta program to gather input from people with disabilities. Together with The Chicago Lighthouse, Open Style Lab, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the firm has invited over 200 people with disabilities to trial the design to help improve the innovation for commercial launch.
“More than 60 million people in the US live with a disability, yet products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind,“ said Kathryn Swallow, Global Degree Brand Vice-President, in a statement.
“With Degree Inclusive we hope to inspire bold action across the industry to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal playing field.”
Image via PR Newswire
[via Fast Company and PR Newswire, images via PR Newswire]
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