The Problem with those Little Coffee Creamer Cups
I was eating breakfast in an interesting Dutch hotel. A boutique establishment right on the North Sea. The beach nearby reminded me of Florida, only the temperature was extremely cold at the time. Still spring time in Europe, and I thought, it is the North Sea. Coffee in Holland is always great. They make an art of it. Hot Coffee! cold weather? … a great match
The breakfast was very good at this hotel, buffet style and the delicious coffee came with those little creamer cups. Dispensing them was quite easy as the tabs pulled off quickly, taking the cover seal with it.
What makes this a revelation, is how other little coffee creamer cups behave, shall we say, quite badly, if at all. If the tab section of the plastic cup breaks away it makes for a distinct handle, pulling the top film off with it. If the first requirement in opening a coffee creamer cup, is to pick, pick, pick, at the elusive cover film, till there is sufficient length to grab … then assume you are able to carefully pull off the lid, this process is more complicated than needed. Useless in some respects. Yet it is my Observation that this is how some creamer cups appear to work. We should keep in mind that with an aging population, simplification is a plus for any product.
Give a person with big or feeble fingers such a picky design, the resulting experience is a painful one. I have been known to toss a full creamer cup in the trash as it has become impossible to access the contents without a sharp implement. It should NOT be so frustrating.
This Gloria packet (French I assume) is also an excellent design in simplification. One may observe that the leading section of the lip, breaks away, and takes the top foil along for the ride. A thick if small grip to hold onto Un plaisir d’utiliser
Observation on DESIGN 