As someone who grew up by the sea, my sworn enemy is without a doubt the humble seagull. I thought I was doomed to an eternity where no ice cream, chip or sandwich would be safe from the wrath of these evil beings, but it turns out there may be a solution, all thanks to an unexpected packaging design hack.
A study by researchers from the University of Exeter found that packaging bearing a distinct set of eyes can deter some gulls from swooping down to pinch your lunch. While the evaluation is still in its early phase, I, for one, am ready to enact a bit of friendly psychological warfare on these beasts for the future safety of my scran.
The study analysed the behaviour of herring gulls in various Cornish coastal towns, presenting them with two boxes of chips – one plain, the other with googly eyes. Research found that the gulls were deterred by the eyes, being slower to approach the box and less likely to peck it. While the study is hopeful, the evidence isn't concrete. Around half the gulls never pecked the oogling box, while the other half quickly approached and pecked, but the results suggest that the eye packaging design could have a sustained effectiveness on the birds that were fooled.
The results of the study aren't unexpected as eye-like symbols are already being used to protect crops, fishing nets and airports from unwanted feathered friends. It plays on animals' instinct to be wary of eyes, often associating direct eye contact with a sign of threat from predators, with some creatures even evolving eye-like markings as a form of protection.
Researchers now want to test this study in a more realistic setting, working with food vendors to monitor how packaging with eyes influences gull behaviour. They hypothesise that in tandem with other deterrents like shouting, this method could decrease the number of traumatic gull attacks on innocent chip enjoyers.
For more design news, check out Doritos' minimalist packaging (and the important message behind it), or take a look at the drinks brand making Papyrus cool again.
