Introduction.

The typical adult takes at least a few medications or supplements each day. Some are taken on an empty stomach, others with a meal, some only on Thursdays…each dosing schedule is varied. Keeping track of multiple medications and supplements can be a difficult task.

To help combat this challenge, my goal was to identify a minimum viable product (MVP) for an end-to-end mobile application to remind users to take their medications/supplements and ultimately help them foster better habits.

Research.

How might we use technology to encourage better habits?

There are numerous apps available to help people set reminders, so I wanted to take a deep dive into the existing landscape, research why people have a hard time taking their medications/supplements and talk to users to understand their experiences.

I wanted to understand…

• What do people struggle with when keeping track of multiple medications and supplements?

• What are people’s frustrations, needs and experiences when taking multiple medications/supplements?

• Is there a way to create a more positive experience for this less than interesting task?

Competitive Analysis

I conducted a landscape analysis on three apps related to pill reminders. I downloaded each to understand what features they offer and their user experience. The screenshots in order below are: Pill Reminder - All in One, Pill Monitor: Drug Minder, and Pill Reminder - A Meds Tracker. Overall, some were too basic, while others felt too complicated. They provided a medication database, but the results did not filter appropriately, leading to confusing results.

Secondary Research

I read articles and reports which type of barriers can lead to poor medication adherence, and how emerging technology is currently assisting with medication administration to understand the landscape.

User Interviews

I interviewed six people ages 28-65, who currently take medications and supplements or administer them to others. My user interviews were particularly important for this project because I wanted to get inside the head of my target audience. I found fairly similar themes throughout all of my interviews. I divided my findings into three different categories: needs, motivations and frustrations.

How might we provide a one-stop-shop for people to find the information and resources they need?

I turned these findings into opportunities in the form of “how might we” questions to guide my design going forward. Here is a sample of the most important ones collected from my research.

Architect + Features.

Design Guided by Research.

One of the main features I wanted to add was an onboarding process that allowed users to feel like they were taking charge of their health. None of the other apps I researched included an onboarding process in their user experience.

From my interviews, each participant emphasized having a daily routine. Noticing this, I wanted to include a feature that allowed users to visualize their medications/supplements. Thus, allowing users to feel more prepared and in control of their situation.

After figuring out which features were most important, I mapped out the user flow to see how a user may navigate around the app. 

Wireframes.

Once I made the user flow, I sketched wireframes based on this journey throughout the app.

Because of time constraints, I wasn’t able to test my wireframes and focused on testing once I had my full UI design. However, in future projects, I would make sure to test my wires to identify any confusion or problems with features and UX before moving on to design.

Branding + UI.

Drawing Inspiration From Calm Aesthetics.

Once I had my wireframes finalized, I moved on to branding for my new app. Although I didn’t have a client for this project, I wanted to create a branding and style option as if I were going to present to a client.

My design was inspired by a mixture of colors that felt of calm, sincere, and still anchoring. I wanted to focus on people and humanize the experience of taking medications and supplements. I learned in the interviews that people need someone to hold them accountable, so I used people-like icons to help create a community feeling.

Testing.

Honing in on the final design.

After completing my designed screens, I conducted remote usability testing over Zoom. I interviewed five people and gave them each four tasks to complete that corresponded to the onboarding and the four navigation tabs.

Conclusion.

What I Learned.

This project was such a great opportunity to learn about the intersection of medication and technology. I found the initial user interviews especially valuable to understand not just potential users for this project, but the pain points and joys. I can take this knowledge forward with me as I hopefully work on more projects in this space.

For future iterations, I’d like to incorporate:

• Additional incentives, like a rewards screen for staying on track for certain periods of times.

• Ability to refill prescriptions or order additional supplements within the app.

• Auto complete feature when entering medications or supplements.

• Community based feature to allow users to connect with others.

• Journal to track how medications/supplements make the user feel.

• Synchronization with the health app provided on mobile devices.

• Ability to export data.

My hope for this space is that more people are made aware of the options. The users I spoke with thought the app I developed was a very good idea, without knowing that there are similar products that already exist. I hope that this technology spreads and more people can stay on top of their health.