Over the years, the packaging industry has prioritized various qualities. Convenience and visual appeal have been staples for an extended period, but things are changing. There is now a growing demand for inclusivity and accessibility as top qualities in packaging. As demand dictates the supply flow, manufacturers are tilting to the side of popular demand.
This change is hardly more noticeable in any sector than toy packaging. Most of the research and discussion around accessibility have focused on adults and their use of things. Now is the time to consider children and their use of toys. Inclusive and accessible toy packaging promotes the representation of children with disabilities, varying age groups, and cultural backgrounds. Let’s delve deeper into this issue.
How Brands Are Adapting Packaging for Inclusivity and Accessibility
Toy brands are adapting innovative packaging solutions to cater to diverse consumer needs, including disabilities, age, and cultural background. Acknowledging society’s diversity makes a brand more appealing to consumers, so you can’t ignore this demand for inclusivity and accessibility in packaging. Below are some needs that call for inclusive and accessible toy packaging.
Disabilities
The first target of most inclusive packaging is disability. Brands incorporate features that make packaging more manageable for children with disabilities. The most common features are braille labels and tactile symbols for visually impaired users. However, there are more. Many use simplified opening mechanisms, like larger tabs and magnetic closures, to reduce children’s effort to open toy packages.
Age
Age is another common factor manufacturers consider for inclusive and accessible packaging. For toy packaging, you should consider various age groups and developmental stages in children. Focus on designs that prioritize safety and independence for the children, such as rounded edges, pictorial guides, bold texts, and child-safe packaging, which make them more likely to interact with the toy on their own.
Cultural Background
The diversity of cultural backgrounds and their impact on how people engage with representation are factors often ignored in packaging. Inclusive toy packaging brings attention to this, reflecting diverse cultural narratives that resonate with children globally. The top ways you can do this include:
- Featuring children of different races and ethnicities
- Using gender-neutral cues like colors and shapes
- Spotlighting different abilities
- Incorporating local symbols and patterns
- Including different languages
These are just a few approaches you can take to make toy packaging more inclusive for children from diverse cultural backgrounds to minimize underrepresentation.
Areas of Innovation in Toy Packaging
Innovation drives the packaging industry forward, including children’s toys. Most innovations in packaging are applicable irrespective of products, but some are unique to items like toys. Now that you know not to take a one-size-fits-all approach, here are some packaging innovations you should know for making inclusive and accessible toys.
Designs
The design is the first thing consumers associate with a product, so paying attention to the packaging at the design stage is crucial. You must consider visual and intellectual appeal. For instance, transparent panels allow children to see the content before opening the packaging, raising anticipation and ensuring that choices are well-informed.
Great designs for toys also include modular packaging, which serves multiple purposes. Stacking the boxes can be a pleasant playing experience for the children, but it also makes the toys easy to store.
Materials
The next factor to consider is the material to use. Packaging trends have shifted to sustainable materials with minimal environmental impact. Similarly, most parents and caregivers prefer eco-friendly toy packaging, especially those who care about environmental health.
Therefore, you must balance protecting environmental health and providing the best packaging possible. Prioritize recyclable and biodegradable materials to create eco-friendly packaging that suits the era’s demand.
Technologies
Technology is arguably the biggest driver of change in society today, and the packaging industry is not left behind. Packaging trends in 2024 featured novel technologies like smart packaging features and innovative printing techniques for better consumer engagement. Check out these tools to see which one suits your product best. Remember the factors to prioritize are:
- Usability: Ensure that you use adaptive packaging solutions, which prioritize the ease of use by consumers, who are children in various developmental stages.
- Safety: Use non-toxic materials and features like rounded edges to ensure children are safe when touching the packaging.
- Equal Access: Create inclusive toys for all abilities in children, as excessive differentiation can do the opposite of what is intended, spotlighting disabilities in uncomfortable ways.
Wrapping Up
Inclusivity and accessibility are growing in demand as top priorities for packaging, surpassing convenience, which has always been the most important. Lean into the evolving industry using adaptive packaging solutions that ensure you move along with the trend and not against it. Remember to be unique and choose what works best for your product and appeals most to your target market.