Creating a tangible and functional connection between a beverage brand and its user involves ergonomic research and a haptic design. To brands, this may seem like a minute detail, but the consumer thinks and feels otherwise. Product design isn’t just about the aesthetics. It’s also about incorporating how the consumer thinks, feels and behaves to create a strong and memorable emotional connection with the brand. Two principal challenges define the human encounter with beverage packaging: the kiss factor—the oral consumption experience, and the handshake—the feel and performance in the hand.
Regardless of the beverage, how a user opens the container and consumes the beverage defines the initial interaction with the brand. Why, then, is the cap the most overlooked opportunity for design innovation? The cap is the keystone of all user drinking experiences, and strongly influences the quality of the kiss factor.