Twist And Shout!

Demand for packaging that is easy to open will only become stronger as the UK's population ages. However, openability has to compete with other, more high profile pressures. Design Futures, based at Sheffield Hallam University, has conducted trials on the "openability" of various types of packaging. One of the trials involved hundreds of members of the public opening a jar with a torque tester inside. "We thought we'd find that a small number of women over 50 would struggle, but in fact we found at 30% of women across all ages struggle to open a standard jam jar," said Alaster Yoxall, head of human-centred engineering at the University.