What information can you gain just from the physical form of milk?

Silhouette of a gallon of Lactaid milk.Silhouette of a gallon of regular milk.Silhouette of a large carton of milk.Silhouette of a half-gallon of milk.Silhouette of a small bottle of milk.

Can you identify its expiration date?

Or the type of milk it is – reduced, whole, or skim?

Or what brand it is?

Milk: Tangible Labels, Clear Choices

Accessibility research • book design

Milk has a long and established history as a staple in the American diet, but its packaging is not fully accessible to customers with visual impairments.

I investigated the main barriers that milk packaging poses to the visually impaired over the course of a month. The end goal of my research was to identify the main barriers of access and to prototype a solution.

I then wrote and designed a forty-page book based on my research process and findings.

Silhouette of a gallon of milk with a question mark over it.

Research Question

What pieces of information are the most important on the packaging of milk during the process of grocery shopping, and how accessible is this information to a person with a visual impairment?

Methods of Research

  1. Bodystorm (self)
  2. Colorblindness simulators
  3. Shadowing + Behavioral Mapping
  4. Bodystorm 2 (friend)
  5. Sticker prototyping
A sketched diagram of the different domains related to food packaging. These domains include shopping, labels, cooking, and the kitchen.
Printouts of research pinned on a wall. These include photos of milk packaging and grocery store labeling, as well as sketches and diagrams.
Method 1: Bodystorm 1. I show a simulated side-by-side comparison of my vision with and without glasses.
Two main findings: prices were consistently the most visible signage and color contrast was the most helpful way to differentiate similar products.

Early in my research, I found that color is used as the primary distinguishing feature between different types of milk.

However, given the broad range of visual impairments, it’s important to use color palettes that are accessible to different types of color vision deficiencies (CVDs).

I took a photo during my grocery body storm and used a simulator created by DaltonLens to translate it into the three common types of CVDs: protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia.

Method 2

Colorblindness Simulation

A comparison of what the same packaging looks like for the three most common types of colorblindness.

Overall, I found that the color palettes chosen for the milk packaging weren't fully accessible and that they should be reconsidered. For someone with a CVD, the colors would look too similar to one another and are lacking in tonal contrast.

Method 3: Shadowing. My friend, Danny, is sitting on a bench next to a frog statue.
Two main findings: for Danny, prices were the most important factor and the brand of milk mattered to him.
Method 4: Bodystorm 2. Danny sits behind a lineup of milk, differing in brand, milk-fat, and size.
I found that silhouettes play a huge role in conveying the most basic information about a product and provide immediate distinction.

For the final parts of my research, I shadowed and observed my friend, Danny, through another bodystorm.

The first part of this was observing his behavior and habits as he shopped for groceries at Costco, where I mapped the route that he took. 

For the second part, I had Danny blindfolded and placed different types of milk before him. I asked him to identify the type of milk, the amount, and the brand to the best of his ability.

The only brand that he was able to specifically identify was Lactaid, due to its unique shape and rim.

The front of a gallon of Lactaid.
The side of the Lactaid.
The back of the Lactaid.
The front of a gallon of whole milk.
The back of the whole milk.
The side of the whole milk.
Silhouette of a gallon of Lactaid milk.

Summary of Findings

  1. Price matters — for both the consumer and the business. It’s not an inherent part of packaging, but it’s still relevant to the discussion of grocery shopping as a visually impaired person.
  2. Color palettes need to be re-evaluated; CVDs should be considered when choosing color palettes and overall tonal contrast should be increased.
  3. Shape is the first indicator of information. Silhouettes play a huge role in conveying the most basic information about a product and provide immediate distinction.
  4. Brand plays an important role in customer choice and is not an accessible piece of information on packaging.

Based on my research, I wrote and designed a book containing my data and results.

The final book contained interactive tactile elements, including a sticker pack that I prototyped as a proposed solution.

The five chapter covers from the book lined up in a row.A layout of various spreads from the book.Someone holding the book on a table.

© 2025