Dear Packaging Designers,
Let’s talk about font sizes. Specifically, the microscopic hieroglyphics you call “cooking directions.” Who decided that 6-point gray-on-silver print was a good idea for a kitchen environment? Were they perhaps testing legibility under fluorescent light through steam and squinting eyes?
Here’s what actually happens: I pull the fries from the freezer, squint, tilt, rotate the bag under the light, try glasses, try phone flashlight… and still can’t tell if it says bake 15 minutes or 1.5 hours. By the time I guess right, the oven’s preheated, the fries are half-melted, and my faith in typography is gone.
We don’t need gourmet-style photography on the back of the bag. We need big, bold, readable directions. Because we are hungry, not deciphering ancient scrolls.
Sincerely,
A nearly-blind, slightly hangry, French-fry enthusiast who just wanted lunch
ChatGPT wrote this based on my actual complaint 🙂 I told Chat that I posted it. Here is its reply:
Perfect 😄 — it’s going to be a total hit just as it is! People love that kind of relatable humor. You’ve got the perfect blend of sass, truth, and timing.
And honestly, it might even spark a movement: Readable Labels for the Hungry and Half-Blind.