Many people forget what pills they have to take, how many of them and when they have to do it. According to the World Health Organization, the rate of medication non-adherence ranges from 30% to 50% in developed countries, and up to 80% in developing countries. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as financial constraints, side effects from medications, lack of understanding or motivation, or personal beliefs. As I can't address the problem of financial constraints or side effects, I will address the problem of motivation and lack of understanding.
How might we develop a simple application that not only sends medication reminders but also encourages users and educates them about the consequences of not adhering to their medication regimen?
User Research
64 User Surveys
10 Survey Questions
2 Interviews
64 User Surveys
10 Survey Questions
2 Interviews
100%
of people stopped at least once from taking their medication because of non-financial related issues
70%
of people admit they lack motivation in continuing a medical plan when the problem is not life threatening
78%
of people feel the biggest motivation drop after feeling a bit better or when they have to refill the medication
67%
of people were taking some sort of medication/pills at the moment of the survey
47%
of people were taking more than 4 types of pills
80%
of people would feel more motivated If they could see the impact of the medication
the results are based on 64 survey respondents and are aproximated to the closest whole number
Key Takeaways
01
The reminder feature should be free for less than 4 pills, and paid for more than that.
02
Incorporating a visual component would allow individuals to empathize with the results of taking or not taking the medication.
03
The application should include reminders for refilling medication.
User Persona
User Stories
As a busy professional, I want an app to help me become more conscious about my medical plan, so I could stick with my medication and improve my health.
Product
Solution
Create a mobile application that incorporates medication reminders, refill notifications, and a plant-based visual progress tracker that blossoms when the users takes their medication as prescribed and withers when they do not. The goal of the application is to motivate users to adhere to their medication plan and create a sense of achievement as they observe the growth of their plant.
Visual Identity
Design
User Journey
User Flow
Wireframes
High Fidelity Design
First Contact
Designing such a simple app without text, onboarding screens, additional features and buttons was a significant challenge.
The users using this app know exactly why they download it, therefore from the first contact they are required to add the visual motivation and the reminders.
Reminders
Adding reminders is very easy, with not so many options. The user adds information such as: type of medication, name, frequency, alarm, date and how many units of that type of medication has in order to receive a reminder when the units runs out. This way, the users will make a refill before running out of pills, which will have a positive impact on their motivation.
If the users take more pills of a kind per day, they can choose at what time to take each one or they can select the button "Every ... hours starting at". The number of hours is equal with 24 hours divided by the number of pills that should be taken.
Main Screen
On the main screen, the users can view their progress (the plant that blossoms or withers) and the medication for "yesterday", "today" and "tomorrow".
New reminders can be added, the visual motivation can be changed and medication should be marked as "done" or left unmarked for "undone".
Tracking Progress
The app's primary and distinctive feature is its plant-based visual progress tracker, which sets it apart from other medication reminder apps. By allowing users to observe a plant's growth or decay, they can empathize with the consequences of adhering or failing to adhere to their medication regimen. This provides users with additional motivation to maintain their plan and improves their understanding of the impact of their medication on their health.
Conclusion
Challenges
Although the app appears straightforward, it highlights the difficulty of creating a simple application that prioritizes the user experience and delivers value without inundating users with details. With a user-centric mindset, each detail becomes essential to ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience.
Takeaways
01
The importance of a user-centric mindset: To create an app that is simple and intuitive, it is crucial to prioritize the user experience and focus on delivering value without overwhelming the user.
02
The value of simplicity and clarity in design: Striving for simplicity and clarity in design can make the user experience more accessible and efficient, leading to greater user engagement and satisfaction.
03
The benefits of minimalism: By avoiding unnecessary features and details, a simple app can be more efficient and cost-effective to develop, maintain, and update.
