Product design should be curing the safety issues

I know it was probably a bit of a throwaway comment, but what a lot of twaddle to say ‘when you make something child-proof, you make it adult-proof too’ (News, DW 5 December).

One of the reasons we (as product designers) are increasingly brought into the world of packaging is to look at exactly these sorts of issues and design things that overcome the difficulties without ‘endangering a brand’s values’.

On the contrary, it is entirely believable that some witty child-resistant closures might add to the brand by lending it an ingenuity not present in competitors.

Also, regulations can always afford to be reviewed and improved so we must support these efforts; particularly when you consider 30 000 children a year end up in casualty having ingested dangerous chemicals (Source: Department of Trade & Industry, 1999).

The history of packaging has delivered many witty and clever ideas as well as some beautiful solutions to selling the contents. But things are getting increasingly tough on the shelves and this must be seen as an opportunity for new and exciting thinking.

Adam White

Creative director

Factory Design

London W6

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