Simple Labels You Can Feel

You know those moments when you just want to reach for the right thing without guessing? Let’s look at a few simple ways to make that happen—using touch.
There are really two kinds of information touch can give you: what something is… and how to use it.

For example, one tiny safety pin on the inside pocket of a pair of pants can tell you, “this is the dark blue pair,” not the brown. It’s a simple way to identify exactly what you’re picking up—no searching, no sorting.

And then there are the marks that help you do something. A small raised dot—anything with a sticky back, Velcro, or a store-bought bump dot—can show you where your oven temperature line is, or the setting you like on the washing machine. Feel when the mark lines up with the dial, and you’re right where you need to be.

Rubber bands can be great helpers, too. One band around a can means corn, two means peas. Or put a band around your shampoo so you can tell it from the conditioner in the shower.

Keys work the same way. A single bump dot on the front door key means you find it instantly, no matter how many keys are on the ring.

And in the freezer, where every box seems to look and feel the same, put one strip of freezer tape on your box of mac and cheese, and two strips on the lasagna. You make the rules—and once your hands learn the system, it’s amazingly fast.

That’s the real beauty of all of this: there is no wrong system. Whatever makes sense to you, whatever lets you get to what you want quickly and comfortably using your sense of touch—that’s the right way.