Usability Hell

Herbal Essences Shampoo & Conditioner Bottles

Crack is great fun, probably. But - if you have to be productive, think logically or design bottles you should probably stay off it until the weekend.

Is it REALLY that hard to differentiate shampoo & conditioner bottles? (notice text & lid orientation - confused yet?!)

Green transparent bottle on left - says shampoo to me. Middle and right probably conditioner? (I use conditioner - get over it).

Here is their thought process -

“I know, lets put the text on the conditioner bottles upside down - that makes it obvious.”

Clearly this ‘creative’ was a bald idiot, surrounded by other bald idiots, in a company headed by a bald idiot who can’t read.

When I’ve got shampoo in my eyes am I going to remember an abstract notion of which way up the text is?

A clear bottle says shampoo - a solid colour conditioner. The blue bottle on the right is actually shampoo - I reached for it too many times by accident (its slightly opaque).

Solution: In addition to obviously clear shampoo & solid conditioner bottles - make them totally different shapes. Upside down text -are you nuts? + get off the crack (I have no evidence they’re on crack - but it’s obvious no?).

Oh and for an extra laugh - check out the white text on day-glo green label - nice contrast, not. Good job its just marketing drivel….