On 16 June, Tetra Pak hosted a Science and Innovation Talk featuring researchers from the Humanities Lab at Lund University. The event offered fascinating insights into how cutting-edge research and technology – such as eye-tracking and motion capture – can enhance packaging design and improve user experience.
Dr Frida Splendido, Deputy Director of the Humanities Lab, introduced the lab as a unique interdisciplinary hub. With over 500 square metres of specialised space and a team of 25 experts, the lab supports collaboration across academic fields and with external partners. “We provide access to technology and expertise, offer training, and act as a bridge between academia and industry,” Frida explained.
One example of this collaboration is the use of observation and recording studios to analyse human behaviour. “Let’s say you want to understand what makes certain sales pitches or brainstorming sessions more effective,” Frida said. “You can recreate these scenarios in our studios and study what’s really happening in the room.
Dr Diederick Niehorster, an expert in eye-tracking, demonstrated how this technology can be used to understand consumer behaviour. He explained the difference between screen-based and wearable eye-trackers, the latter resembling high-tech glasses. “Imagine a shopper in a supermarket—what catches their eye? What information influences their decision? For packaging designers, wearable eye-trackers offer valuable insights into how products perform in real-world environments,” he said.
Karin Marcovecchio, Lead User Experience Researcher, Tetra Pak PS&E, sees eye-tracking as an interesting method to improve her current line of work – designing digital applications to be used by our customers. “We need to pay attention to what users do, not what they say,” she says, quoting user-design researcher Don Norman.
Jonas Eklund, Design Prototype Expert, shared lessons from a study conducted by the University of Cambridge and Unilever. The research explored how packaging is perceived in online shops. “When holding a physical package, you intuitively understand its size. But online, that reference is missing. Clearly displaying size information becomes crucial,” Jonas said.
"When holding a physical package, you intuitively understand its size. But online, that reference is missing. Clearly displaying size information becomes crucial"
Another technology showcased was motion capture, which uses optical systems and precision cameras to track human movement. Stefan Lindgren, Research Engineer, explained how this technique helps study cognition and interaction. “We place markers on the body and record gestures and movements with millimetre accuracy,” he said. This technology has promising applications at Tetra Pak, particularly in machine and software development. “It’s often difficult to get direct input from operators,” Karin said. “Production managers may not fully understand what happens on the floor. Motion capture could help us observe and learn from real user behaviour, providing invaluable data for design improvements.”
While there is no active project between Tetra Pak and the Humanities Lab at present, both parties are keen to explore future collaboration. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here,” Stefan said. “We’re always looking for exciting opportunities to work together.”
Human data,
better design
Watch the film with insights from the Humanities Lab on 16 June here.
Human data,
better design
Watch the film with insights from the Humanities Lab on 16 June here.
