Take
"Take" is a new digital product that makes the “In-Take” medication experience safe and convenient for the elderly who take multiple medications.
Project Type
UX Case Study
Solo Project
Design Challenge
Duration
2 weeks
Feb 12, 2024 –
Feb 24, 2024
Role
UX/UI Designer
Branding / Art Director
Motion Designer
Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe AfterEffects
Adobe Premiere Pro
Take is a new paradigm of safe medication for the elderly.
In my senior thesis project, I embarked on a short two-week UX product design sprint, opting to tackle the challenges faced by my loved ones. Being distant from my grandparents in Korea, whom I dearly miss, this project offered me an opportunity to reflect on my journey as a designer and reconnect with the reasons that compelled me to pursue this path.
Design Solution
"Take" is a new digital product that makes the “In-Take” medication experience safe and convenient for the elderly who take multiple medications.
Stage 1: Awareness
Awareness is the first step for users to be aware of their medication.
Following the notification from the Take mobile app and watch app, the user notices it’s time to take their medication.
In this stage, users can check the lists of the medications and the detailed medication information.
Users can check the appearance of the medication at various angles and sizes.
Take mobile app is syncing the data with the Apple watch app.
The main pages of the watch app have an identical structure to the mobile app.
Users can check the list of the medications and move on to the Verification Stage.
Stage 2: Verification
In the Verification Stage, users can see the life-size 3D Rendered Image that visually matches the actual medications.
Users can directly place the medication next to the screen and verify whether it is the medication they should take.
Hold Gesture Detection
After users verify the medication, users follow the instruction to hold the medication.
Stage 3: Intake
When user put the medication into their mouth, the watch’s on-device gyroscopes and accelerometers detect the action of taking the medication. The confirmed data will be recorded and shared with the user’s medical advisors.
Apple Watch vibrates while the users are taking the medication to let the users know that they are holding the medication properly.
Problem Research
Background
The elders over 70 years old commonly struggle with medication problems at the primary care level.
Target Users
The elders over 70 years-old who regularly intake medications
Research Implication
14 Medications
My grandmother, who underwent back disk surgery last summer, is taking an average of 14 medications a day.
Unsure
The most uncomfortable situation they face when taking medications is the moment they are unsure about whether they are taking the right medicine.
Count by hands
They always count the number of medications to prevent the situation of taking the wrong medicine or overdose.
Mr.Kim & Mrs.Shin can’t represent the entire target users.
One more step
Additional Desk Research
I further desk-researched the fundamental medication pain points experienced by the elders.
<High Prevalence of Medication Non-Adherence in a Sample of Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Adult Protective Services-Validated Self-Neglect>.
Have you heard about
Medication non-adherence?
when patients don't take their medications as prescribed.
Pain Points
What can be improved in the elder's current medication experience?
Possibilities of many medications
Older people, on average, are taking a lot of drugs.
As a result, there is confusion in identifying and taking dozens of different medications, which is a serious problem that can lead to taking or misusing the wrong drugs.
Non-adherence in medication
Non-adherence with medication has been a severe problem among patients.
Its severity was conspicuous in the older patient group. Studies have shown that the non-adherence problem prevails among patients over 65.
Design Opportunity
How might we solve user's pain-points in the medication process and improve their experience to be safer and more convenient?
Solution Ideation
Problem Context
The general medical treatment process for the elderly consists of three stages
1. Medical Diagnosis/Prescription, 2. On Medication, and 3. Treatment / Post-Care.
Among them, two Pain Points were observed at the stage of “On Medication”, and I intended to design a digital product that improves the experience of this stage of “On Medication.”
Competitive Analysis
Most of the medication app products on the market focus on the early stage of medication.
User Persona
Ellie is using medication treatment at home according to the guidelines of his medical advisor.
Solution Ideation
Customized solutions are designed for each stage of "on medication."
Key Solutions
Stage 1 : Awareness
When the user scans the prescription with Take, key medication information such as medication details and time of administration is registered and shared with their medical advisor.
Stage 2 : Verification
Based on the prescription submitted by the user, Take shows a life - size 3D-rendered image that visually matches the actual medications. Users can directly place the medication next to their Apple watch and verify whether it is the medication they should take.
Stage 3: Intake
Based on the prescription submitted by the user, Take shows a life-size
3D-rendered image that visually matches the actual medications. Users can directly place the medication next to their Apple watch and verify whether it is the medication they should take.
Technical Background: Apple Watch's "Assistant Gesture" and "Gyroscope Sensor"
Technical Background
Assistant Gesture
Apple Watch's Assistive Gesture is an accessibility feature that uses hand gestures and arm movements to work with the watch. It detects the muscle movement of the user's hand. I use this Assistant Gesture when the users hold their verified medication.
Gyroscope and accelerometer
Apple Watch's Assistive Gesture is an accessibility feature that uses hand gestures and arm movements to work with the watch. It detects the muscle movement of the user's hand. I use this Assistant Gesture when the users hold their verified medication.
User Flow / Sitemap
Storyboard
Let's follow Ellie's journey with Take!
Following the notification from the Take app, Ellie notices it’s time to take her medication. Ellie also checks the list of the medications in this stage.
Stage 2: Verification
Ellie checks the life-size 3D image to validate whether she's taking the right medication. After Ellie verifies, Ellie holds the medication with her hands wearing an Apple Watch.
Stage 3: Intake
The Take app detects the Ellie's holding gesture by Assistant Gesture technology. When she puts the medication in her mouth, The Take app confirms the intake by tracking Ellie's action with a Gyroscope Sensor.
Design System
Design System
Branding and design systems played a vital role in creating a new digital experience for the older generation.
Typography
I focused on small parts, from typography to logo design, for the goal of Pixel Perfection.
Wireframe / Grid System
As seen at the wireframe stage, the initial design direction was minimal and technical. However, through interviews and research, I learned about digital design for older people. In the final design, I could focus only on accessibility and usability.
Colors
3D Models
Reflection
What I learned from the project
1. Technology doesn’t have a meaning itself.
We, designers, are the people who use this technology to improve users' experience and lives. Assistant Gesture / Gyroscope Sensors are incredible technologies developed by Apple. We've been using the Assistant Gesture when we check the notifications with a quick gesture.
In this project, I tried to approach the technology from a different perspective and integrate the existing action-detecting technologies into users' medication flow.
2. It was Love that brought me to Design.
Since introducing myself as a designer, I tried to live with design and integrate design into my life. But sometimes, I needed time to think about why I became a designer; what does it mean for me?
While doing this project, I felt something emerging from inside, and I realized that I was designing for the people (my grandparents) I loved the most. Yes, It was Love that brought me to Design.
If I have a small team and a few more weeks.
1. I would add a “mandatory/compulsory” feature for specific medication treatments.
Research shows that “Medication Non-adherence” is a much more serious problem than I thought. Especially for the older patient group, chronic disease patient ground, and a group suffering from a disease whose symptoms are not objectified, non-adherence is an urgent problem.
I would add one more mandatory step, which makes the user take a photo of their medication intake with the digital watch’s camera.
2. I would make a paper catalog with image instructions for the target audience.
According to my research, older users tend to follow the instructions exactly when they use a new digital product or device.
To maximize the solutions in the Verification and Intake stage, I would make a paper catalog for the potential users.
