OXO POP Containers
Many people around the world have different strengths in their hands and fingers. This might be due to old age or overall mobility issues. One of the toughest things to deal with when having this issue is opening various types of products and containers. OXO, which is a universal design brand has come up with a way to surpass this issue with their POP Containers. OXO’s Pop Containers are an airtight Tupperware-like storage container that uses a push button opening system instead of relying on hand strength.
The design is extremely simple to use and can be opened by anyone regardless of age or disability. To open the product you would just push down on the large button on the top of the container. This releases the lock and allows you to get to whatever you are storing inside. To reseal an item, you would just place the lid on top of the container and push the button. This then creates an air tight seal, while closing the product. Originally OXO had only a few sizes of this container, but as years went on they redesigned to create more shapes and volumes, which now allows for a greater variety of products that you can store.
I think this product is extremely intuitive and solves the issue of hand dexterity. Even if you do not have a disability, the product is effective, easy to use, and has a sleek design. Due to its overall inclusion I believe that this product is more focused on fixing the problem of hand strength versus just trying to fix the individual person.
One problem with the product design is that it does not account for people who are visibility impaired. The button that releases/seals the container as well as the lid of the container is all white. It would be easy for the team at OXO to design the button to be a strong contrasting color This would help the button to be much more visible for people who don’t have the best eyesight. Another issue is that the button when closed is flush with the lid. This is a problem, because it prohibits someone who is blind to finding the button. You are still able to feel the impression of the button, but it could be more noticeable. To fix this they could design the button to be a bit more concave, which would help someone find it by using their tactile sensations instead of relying on eyesight. However, I think overall the product is well designed. Not only does it focus on the aspects of disability, but is conscious of space by allowing the product to stack on top of one another.
Image 1: https://www.target.com/p/oxo-pop-4-3qt-airtight-food-storage-container/
