At Home Test Kit Packaging Design

Alexander Parker argues that well-designed and carefully considered packaging for at-home health test kits can impact adherence, drive down costs, heighten brand power and boost sales.

Imagine this scenario: A customer orders an at-home test kit because they’re concerned about their health. When the test kit is delivered, they open it, curious to see how it all works. But they’re greeted with a messy, confusing pile of strange medical components. They don’t know where to begin and feel frustrated.

A negative experience like this can break trust in a brand — particularly in healthcare. And yet, packaging decisions are often driven by everything except the user experience.

The march of at-home test kits

Fifteen years ago, at-home test kits weren’t particularly commonplace, with the exception of pregnancy tests and ancestry testing kits. But the pandemic helped normalize self-testing and increase the number of people wanting to take a more holistic and hands-on approach to their health. Inevitably, this resulted in an eruption of products for the wellness sector, and a diverse range of design work to support them.

At-home health test kits are one such product, and can also be used to detect a myriad of conditions, including gut health, diabetes, high cholesterol and STIs, as well as offering general health insights

These kits, which are posted back to a lab for analysis, are now an increasingly familiar part of consumer healthcare and wellness.

User experience is King

At first glance, these kits appear to be a simple collection of parts: Test materials, instructions, and a method to return the sample to a lab.

But brands must consider what they’re actually asking of the user. They need to collect a sample accurately using unfamiliar medical devices, outside a traditional healthcare setting, without professional support.

When confronted with components jumbled together, it might make the user question whether they can do this correctly — or even if there’s any point trying.

What if, instead, the test kit parts were clearly arranged into simple to follow steps — 1, 2, 3 — guiding them through the process? This does more than organize parts. It’s reassuring, it supports correct usage and it demonstrates empathy.

The quality of the material, ease of use and presentation play a subtle, but important role in reassuring the user, making them feel confident that they’re in safe hands with a trusted product. By designing for the user and not just the product, packaging is playing an intrinsic part in the use of the kit right from the get-go.

If a brand wants a customer to test repeatedly over time, and at a cost, it should remove as many barriers as possible. If a finger-prick sample collection is both uncomfortable and frustrating, you’re giving people reasons not to do it again. While packaging alone can’t solve every problem it can certainly contribute to a more positive experience.

The benefits reach beyond user experience. Encouraging correct use reduces the cost of replacement kits and heightens customer satisfaction. Well-designed packaging also becomes a marketing asset, featuring in online retail, promotional materials, and social media content.

Getting the balance right

When we begin working with a brand, costs — and the need to reduce them — often crops up. But it doesn’t work to strip the packaging down to the bare bones, or compromise on quality — this can damage the perception of the product. It is a false economy. Instead, it’s important for us to engage with departments across the business to consider the bigger picture. Could fulfillment be more efficient? Can we work with a third party logistics partner to define size limits that result in preferential shipping costs? Often we find there are changes that can be made that bring costs down without negatively impacting the user experience.

Brands should also choose packaging companies with aligned environmental values. Sustainable choices reflect a brand’s commitment to both its users and the planet. Sustainability should be considered from the outset and is a series of decisions during the development process — not a “nice to have” that’s tagged on at the end.

The component selection could be somewhere to focus on first. Perhaps parts can be sourced without extraneous packaging, for example, an unnecessary clamshell? Or maybe the parts could be smaller, leading to a reduction in packaging volume? These early decisions pay dividends at the end.

Thoughtful packaging that leads to correct and confident usage, through intuitive layouts and well designed instructions for use, will help to prevent errors leading to waste generated in replacement kits, retesting, and additional shipping. At the same time, it can build trust and perceived value, promoting customer loyalty and strengthening brand equity.

It’s important to note that not all products will have the same packaging requirements and very different priorities. What is right for a premium lifestyle brand is unlikely to be appropriate for a government screening program.

The right partner will help guide a brand successfully through this maze — ensuring the test kit packaging is maximized to its full strategic potential.

Original article published on gdusa.com and can be found here