Lyle’s Golden Syrup Case Study
This is a fictional case study focused on the usability of Lyle’s Golden Syrup tin packaging
Client name: Lyle’s & Sons Sugar Refiners
Team: UX Research and Design
Role: UX Research
Time: 6 weeks
Lyle’s Golden syrup or “Goldie” is a home staple, especially its iconic green and gold tin with a lion on it in Britain and many of its colonies. This packaging was awarded a Guinness World Record for the world's oldest branding in 2007.
Little has changed to the original tin package throughout the past 140 years, except in World War 1 in 1914.
This has created a brand association and familiarity.
Nowadays, the company has produced different packages, serving different needs, Syrup bottles and Breakfast bottles (Top Right and bottom right respectively). No drip no mess.
The Problem
The company has been getting many complaints about its tin package, labelled the “iconic tin”. The design of this tin was first created in 1884, by Abraham Lyle, coming by the recipe by accident. Little has changed to this design since its inception, only briefly during the First World War.
The complaints were:
The tin is hard to open
The tin is not easy to use
So messy to pour the syrup from
In this study, we are trying to look at how we can improve the tin's design, without altering much of the original iconic tin, as the company wants to maintain the iconic tin and it is a firm believer in the saying “If it ain't broke, don't fix it”
Overview
User research and analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Lessons Learned
Image from the Official website of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, displaying the Breakfast bottle.
Image from the Official website of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, displaying the Squeezable Plastic bottle.
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Challenges and Lessons learned
User Research
The aim is to understand users’ experience using Lyle's Golden Syrup tin packaging.
We set out to ask participants about their familiarity with the syrup and their experiences using the tin package using
Surveys
user interviews.
Those users who were not familiar with the syrup did not continue with our survey and interview.
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Challenges and Lessons learned
Survey Summary
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Challenges and Lessons learned
User Interviews
I set out to talk to people who use the syrup to understand why they love it and how they feel about using the tin package.
We interviewed a group of 13 people, ages ranging from ages: 16 to 55 years old, both males and females, who are all familiar with the syrup. They range from students to professionals, to housewives.
Questions I was curious about
When you don’t find it, what do you substitute it with?
How do you feel about the tin package?
How do you feel about the plastic package?
Which one do they prefer and why?
Key Insights
Tin Package
Love it!
“I prefer the tin, because it’s nostalgic, reminds me of the good old days. I have this thought that the squeezy bottle doesn’t taste the same although it probably does!!”
“ I prefer the iconic tin packaging”
“ I prefer the iconic tin packaging”
Annoying!
“I feel nostalgic towards the tin package but I hate how its sticks on the crevices and the sides.
Sometimes I buy the squeeze bottle if found.. But my family feels it tastes different than the original tin package. I know it doesn’t.”
“I prefer the tin design, because its distinguished.
But its annoying to open, pouring was difficult. ”
Plastic squeezable bottle
“I prefer the plastic squeeze bottle, doesn’t caramelize at the bottom of the tin, creating waste”
“I prefer the squeezy plastic bottle, because it makes pouring the syrup much easier and neater”
“ I chose the newer packaging because you can just pour the honey without messing up the bottle unlike the older one because I used to get honey everywhere around the tin and had to wash it or wipe it”
Other
“To me, there really is no substitute for it. But I make do with black molasses, honey, Egyptian or Jamaican golden syrup”
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Lesson Learned
Scope and Constraints
It is now clear where the usability frustrations are esteeming from, yet we have two major constraints:
maintaining the original design of the tin package.
strong company belief in the saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it“
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Lesson learned
Outcome
We have developed two designs to update the tin for increased usability, keeping the original tin as much as possible
Design 1: Syrup pourer attachment
The lever-lid is removed from the top of the can.
Instead, there would be a round opening for screwable attachments.
The screwable attachment is a syrup pourer that screws onto the tin.
Design 2: Syrup pump
The lever-lid is removed from the top of the can.
Instead, there would be a round opening for screwable attachments.
The screwable attachment is a syrup pump used to pump the syrup out of the tin.
Research and Analysis
Scope and constraints
Outcome
Lessons learned
Lessons Learned
Survey Design: The importance of clear and explicit goals for every question.
When designing surveys, I learned that it's crucial to ensure that each question serves a specific purpose and contributes meaningfully to the overall goal of my survey. In this case study, I added a couple of questions without clear objectives in mind. Consequently, these questions did not aid in my decision-making processes.
The Importance of Unbiased Questions in User Research
It is crucial to ensure that questions asked during user research are free from bias.