DAAP professor works to adapt everyday products for the visually impaired

A bag of chips, a bottle of shampoo or a package of food can seem simple to navigate — until sight is no longer available to guide the way. For people who are blind or have low vision, everyday products can present challenges that many consumers never consider.  

Peter Chamberlain, an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at DAAP, is exploring how something as subtle as the texture of a package could make a meaningful difference. Through his research in packaging design, Chamberlain is looking beyond what consumers see to discover how touch can make everyday experiences more accessible and independent. 

Chamberlain's path into accessible packaging began with a broader interest in how products are designed, manufactured and experienced. His work with UC's Live Well Collaborative, an organization established through a partnership between the university and Procter & Gamble, helped him develop a specialty in packaging design.  

During graduate studies at Chiba University in Japan from 2000 to 2003, he was also introduced to Universal Design, an approach that considers how products and environments can accommodate people with different abilities while posing no degradation of experience for the broader population.

Those interests eventually converged in his research on tactile graphics and packaging for people with visual impairments. Rather than relying on assumptions about what people need, Chamberlain began speaking directly with people who are blind or have low vision to better understand the obstacles they encounter in their daily lives. 

“Universal Design is just good design because it's considering people's specific needs,” Chamberlain said. “The big thing about it is it considers specialized groups like people with low vision or blindness, for example, but has no detriment to 100% fully able-bodied people.”  

That approach led to a partnership with Clovernook, a Cincinnati organization that works with people who are blind or have low vision and operates a major Braille printing facility. Through focus groups and conversations with community members and working closely with Sam Foulkes, the Director of Braille Production and Accessible Innovation, Chamberlain has examined how people interact with consumer packaging and identified opportunities to make those experiences easier.

“The partnership has absolutely been a catalyst in moving the research forward and having exposure to a pretty specific and limited group of subjects with which I can interact,” Chamberlain said. “I really appreciate the openness of Clovernook and the spirit of that organization and of Sam Foulkes.”  

The challenges can extend beyond simply opening a container or finding a product. Reflective packaging can make it difficult for people with low vision to distinguish graphics from glare, while people who are blind may face uncertainty about a package's orientation. Even small inconveniences can affect a person's confidence and comfort when completing routine tasks around others. 

For Chamberlain, understanding those experiences is an important part of designing better products. His research explores how tactile elements could provide additional information through touch, helping consumers identify and interact with packaging without relying entirely on sight. The goal is not simply to create products for a specific group, but to consider how thoughtful design can improve the experience for everyone. 

That philosophy is rooted in universal design, which aims to make products more accessible without creating unnecessary barriers for other users. Chamberlain sees opportunities to incorporate tactile features into mass-produced consumer goods, allowing touch to become another useful part of the packaging experience. 

Accessibility also carries implications for safety and independence. Packaging plays a role in everyday activities such as cooking and personal care, and designs that depend heavily on visual information can make those tasks more difficult for people with visual impairments. By addressing these barriers, Chamberlain hopes to improve the experience with products many people take for granted. 

Support from the Collaborative for DAAP Research and Innovation (CDRI) is helping him move that work forward. The seed grant provides funding for a dedicated research assistant, materials and specialized tooling, giving Chamberlain additional resources to test ideas and explore new approaches. 

His research also extends beyond the packaging itself. Working with UC's Rapid Prototyping Center, Chamberlain is investigating a more flexible and affordable way to produce embossed graphics for Braille materials. Creating raised images beyond standard Braille dots can require expensive, specialized tooling, limiting the possibilities for tactile illustrations. A more adaptable process could help Clovernook incorporate a wider range of images into its printed materials. 

As Chamberlain continues working with Clovernook and exploring new production methods, his research will remain grounded in understanding the needs of people with visual impairments. Combining that firsthand perspective with advances in materials and manufacturing could help make tactile design a more practical part of everyday products.

“I'm interested in affecting change that is more in the spirit of universal design and introducing tactility into common everyday products that helps this group while not hindering sighted users,” Chamberlain said. “Hopefully, my work can increase the quality of their experience by providing the tactility as well.”  

Ultimately, his work challenges designers to consider more than how a product looks on a shelf. By recognizing the role touch plays in how people understand and use the world around them, Chamberlain hopes to make accessibility a natural part of the design process — creating products that offer greater independence, safety and confidence to the people who use them. 

“As a designer, if I can move the needle a little bit and help that happen, then I'm all in.”  

Featured image at top of Peter Chamberlain working with his textiles. Photos/provided.