Unboxed: Smart Home Packaging Through the Eyes of Older Adults
Unboxed is a research study exploring how older adults engage with the physical packaging and setup instructions of smart home kits. As smart technologies become increasingly common in everyday life, the first point of contact, the box itself, is often overlooked. This study investigates how packaging design can either empower or alienate older adults.
Context
Role
Skills
Academic project
Summer 2025
MIT AgeLab
Product Design Research Assistant
Full project ownership
User Research
Packaging Design
Instructional Design
Sheet metal simulation
Tolerancing for Fabrication
Prototyping
Packaging is the first user interface,
yet it is often difficult to open,
and instructions rarely account for the needs of older adults.
How might we design smart home packaging that empowers older adults to unbox and set up components confidently and independently?
Persona
Created based on 19 interviews
Nancy
75 years old
Lives alone in suburban house
Limited experience with technology
Motivations
Values products that make life at home more convenient or safe
Wants to stay independent and feel capable when using new technology
Enjoys learning new things, especially when clearly explained
Frustrations
Struggles to open packaging when over-taped or unintuitive
Doesn’t want to rely on children or others for tech setup
Suffers from severe arthritis
Prototyping
19 participants aged 66-81
1 smart home kit
3 packages
3 sets of instructions
Photo-based instructions
Number-based instructions
Text-based instructions
The study was conducted in a smart home demo room to simulate independent home installation.
