Consumer Friction Mapping
Cross-Category Packaging UX Research for Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL)
Categories Studied
BBLUNT
Hair Care — Premium segment
Goodknight
Home Insect Care — Mass market
Aer Pocket
Air Care — Mid-market
Ezee
Fabric Care — Mass market
Project Brief & Research Goals
Consumer interaction with the physical pack was evaluated too late to change course. This study mapped real-world friction systematically before final packaging release.
Q1 — Where do consumers struggle?
Which touchpoints create confusion, effort, or failure?
Q2 — What does the label communicate?
Can users locate key information in under 5 seconds?
Q3 — What drives or blocks purchase?
Which shelf cues draw attention and which create hesitation?
BBLUNT Hair Care : Friction Study
BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Crème Hair Colour. Five key friction points identified across shelf, label, opening, dispensing, and unboxing sequence.
Shelf Spot
MED — Shade swatch missed at eye level. Shade code 5.32 not consumer-readable.
Label Read
HIGH — IFU at 7pt uncoated, unreadable in dim bathroom lighting.
Dispense
HIGH — Developer sachet has no tear notch. 3 of 5 sessions resulted in spill.
Unboxing Order
HIGH — No sequence numbering. Consumers pick tube first reverse of correct order.
BBLUNT : Key Fixes
IFU Font
Increased to 9pt coated. Steps printed as numbered graphic panels with colour-coded callouts.
Sachet Tear Notch
Bilateral tear notch added at top of developer sachet eliminates splashing.
Sequencing
Numbered insert tray: '1. Developer / 2. Colour'. Step 1/2 sticker on components.
Shade Name
Plain shade name replaces code as dominant label hierarchy element.
Goodknight Home Insect Care : Friction Study
Goodknight Power Activ+ System — Machine + Refill. Critical confusion between machine and refill SKUs at shelf.
Shelf Spot — HIGH
Machine and refill share identical visual language. 'REFILL' text at 7pt missed at arm's length.
Refill Insert — HIGH
No directional marking near slot. 4 of 5 sessions: cartridge inserted incorrectly on first attempt.
Mode Select — MED
Switch labelled '1' and '2' only. Users switch to mode 2 thinking it means 'on'.
Goodknight : Before vs After
Cartridge insertion test results after implementing orientation pictogram and grip ridge on cartridge body.
Aer Pocket Air Care : Friction Study
Godrej Aer Pocket Solid Gel Air Freshener. Foil seal removal was the highest-severity friction point.
Seal Removal — HIGH
Foil seal has no pull-tab. 4 of 5 sessions: seal tore mid-surface. One user spent 40 seconds on removal.
Placement — MED
Placement cue on base only seen after user has already placed it. 3 of 5 sessions: wrong orientation.
Shelf Spot — LOW
Compact unit dwarfed by adjacent aerosols. Scent variant name in script font difficult at arm's length.
Aer Pocket — Key Fixes
Pull-Tab Added
8mm die-cut pull-tab extending from corner of foil seal eliminates tearing.
Placement Diagram
Orientation diagram printed on front face of carton before opening.
Scent Hierarchy
Bold sans-serif scent name in high-contrast colour band readable at shelf distance.
Ezee Fabric Care : Friction Study
Godrej Ezee Liquid Detergent — 500ml & 1L. All 5 sessions resulted in over-dosing on first use due to invisible cap measure lines.
Cap Measure — HIGH
Measure lines embossed inside white cap invisible in low light. All 5 sessions: over-dosing on first use.
Pour Control — HIGH
Wide mouth pour opening fast flow. 500ml empties 30ml in 1.5 seconds. Consistent over-pour.
Label Dosage — MED
Dosage instruction on back label at 7pt. 4 of 5 users could not find it before first use.
Consumer Friction Journey Map
Cross-Category Recurring Patterns
Instructions default to back or base invisible at point of use across all 4 products.
Small font sizes (7pt) persist on 3 of 4 packs illegible in dim/bathroom lighting.
SKU differentiation breaks down at 2-metre shelf distance for multi-variant ranges.
First-use is the highest-friction moment packaging designed for repeat-use, not first-time success.
Grip & Handling Evaluation
BBLUNT
Slippery when wet. Fix: matte-texture grip band on bottle mid-section.
Goodknight
Cartridge dropped in 3/5 sessions. Fix: pictogram + grip ridge on cartridge body.
Aer Pocket
Foil seal requires fingernail. Fix: 8mm die-cut pull-tab on foil seal corner.
Ezee
Heavy 1L bottle difficult to control. Fix: flow restrictor + grip indent on upper body.
Label Readability Review
Label readability matrix across all 4 products — 7 criteria evaluated per pack.
Before & After Outcomes
12 changes implemented across all four products. Summary of key implemented changes:
BBLUNT ✓
IFU at 9pt coated. Tear notch on sachet. Step 1/2 stickers. Shade name as primary hierarchy.
Goodknight ✓
REFILL band on carton. Orientation pictogram on cartridge. Mode switch decal ⏳ pending.
Aer Pocket ✓
8mm pull-tab on foil seal. Placement diagram on carton face.
Ezee ✓
Printed blue cap measure lines. Flow restrictor insert. Front label dosage callout.
Systemic Recommendations
Five systemic opportunities for GCPL's packaging development process — applicable across all categories.
First-Use Evaluation Gate
Every pack with critical sequence or dosage must be evaluated by a first-time user before artwork release.
Revise Font Size Minimum
9pt minimum for instruction text. 7pt reserved for regulatory compliance text only.
GCPL Packaging Cue Icon Library
Standardise pictograms for open-this-end, orientation arrows, step sequencing, pour direction, refill vs. machine.
2-Metre Shelf Distance Test
For all multi-SKU ranges, confirm variant identity at 2m shelf distance before artwork release.
200-Lux Warm Lighting Review
Formalise dim-light review pass as a standard artwork gate not optional.
Appendix : Research Reference
Full documentation shared across functions. Key repository documents:
Touchpoint Friction Log
Friction notes, severity ratings & recommendations shared with R&D, Brand, Design.
Vendor Sample Review Report
Sample photos, spec deviations, approval/reject status shared with Procurement, QA.
Label Readability Checklist
Pass/fail on 7 label criteria per product shared with Graphic Design, Brand.
Before/After Comparison Sheet
Side-by-side old vs. new pack photos with annotation shared with all stakeholders.
Cross-Category Insights Summary
Recurring patterns and systemic recommendations shared with Packaging R&D Head, Design Head.
Packaging R&D | Vikhroli, Mumbai | Non-Confidential | Jul 2019 – Feb 2021
This case study presents only non-confidential research excerpts, sanitized observations, and selected learnings suitable for portfolio review.