Remedy is a mobile medicine reminder app that aims to resolve the growing problem of senior medicine non-adherence by pushing IOS notifications to mobile and watch devices.

Overview

Roles:
UX/UI Designer, UX Researcher, Information Architect

Tools:
Figma, Zoom, Canva, Google Forms, Google Slides

Process:
2 week Design

Target Audience:
Specifically Seniors (elderly adults) and their caretakers, open for all adults to use

Deliverables:
User Persona, Empathy Map, User Flow Chart, Sketches, Paper Prototype, Wireframe, Lo-fidelity Prototype, Hi-Fidelity Prototype

Constraints:

Survey results did not overturn a large sample size given time constraints

Problem

Adults, specifically seniors, are often faced with the task of taking their medicine. And since seniors rely heavily on their medicine to ensure a healthy life, forgetting to take them could have severe health consequences.

Seniors need a simple tool that can remind them when it’s time to take their next medication.

Solution

Remedy is a mobile medicine reminder app that aims to resolve the growing problem of senior medicine non-adherence by pushing IOS notifications to mobile and watch devices. The app encourages the help of a caretaker to set up the onboarding process for the individual, making the experience of the end user seamlessly simple. All they need is their iPhone or Apple Watch nearby to receive a reminder!

Process

 

Defining the Problem

The idea of the app was inspired by my client, Leslie. The client was interested in finding a way to make it easier for adults to remember to take their medication. When we discussed in depth the project goals, we ultimately decided on a mobile application that would push reminders to IOS devices, such as an iPhone and Apple Watch.

To help resolve medicine non-adherence due to forgetfulness, the Remedy app should:

  1. Ensure a user receives a reminder on their iPhone or Apple Watch when it is time to take their medicine

  2. Ensure a user can schedule their medicine

  3. Ensure a user can view what medicines they need to take for the day

Conducting User Surveys

To gain more insight about my target users, I needed to do some research. I sent out a survey that asked questions that aligned with medicine non-adherence due to forgetfulness.

Among the 12 individuals who responded, roughly 83.3% take or cares for someone who takes medicine everyday. And among the 12 responses, 66.6% admit that they always or sometimes forget.

By understanding that forgetfulness is linked to older adults not taking their medicine, I decided to do some extended research about this topic to help me understand the project goals one step further.

According to MediPense, “Seniors are the fastest growing segment of our society, the largest consumers of health care dollars, resources, and medications. Yet, over 55% of them do not properly take their medications. Studies indicate up to 30% of all hospital readmissions are due to medication non-adherence.”

Who are the Competitors?

I continued my research by learning about other competitors on the market. I decided to select two mobile apps to compare: MediSafe and MyTherapy.

Development of Empathy Maps and Personas

Cameron is a caretaker to her mom. She balances her household of 3 young children, performing daily care routines all throughout her day. She is in need of better organizing her mother’s medicine schedule, rather than relying on her memory.

 
 

Samuel is an elderly male who lives independently. He enjoys his freedom but has realized his memory isn’t as sharp. He has been forgetting to take his medicine when he’s busy doing an activity. To make sure he maintains his health, Samuel is in need of an app that will send a reminder to his Apple Watch to remind him to take his medicine.

Problem Discovery

From the research I've performed and the insights I've gained, it helped me define clearly what the project goals were, who it is for, where the product will be built on, and why I'm designing this product.

How might we design a product that helps users feel confident in remembering to take their medicine by creating a reminder?

User Stories

I generated user stories based on my research. I thought about what tasks my users wanted to perform and categorized them based on level of importance. I also included a stretch goal by including a user story related to a non-screen device.

    1. As a user, I want to schedule a reminder for my medication, so that I am reminded when to take them.

    2. As a user, I want to view what medicines I need to take for the day, so I have an overview for the day.

    3. As a user, I want to be reminded on my iPhone or Apple Watch when it is time to take my medicine, so I don’t forget.

    1. As a returning user, I want to connect with my doctor, so my doctor can track my medicine.

    2. As a user, I want to snooze my reminders, so that I am reminded again to take them.

    3. As a user, I want to have a an account settings, so that I can change my personal information.

    4. As a returning user, I want to share my account with my caregiver, so they can easily set up for me.

 

User Flows

User flows were developed based on high-priority user stories.

These 3 stories were tasks that a user should be able to perform when using the application.

Creative Brainstorming: Crazy 8’s and Storyboarding Activities

To prepare for the wireframe process, I engaged in several brainstorming exercises. First, I sketched notes that included images and words related to the project's goal, keeping in mind a "Less is More" approach and mindful design for seniors. Then, I used the Crazy 8's exercise to generate visual elements that I felt were necessary. Finally, I created storyboards to visualize a user's experience with the application, capturing their perspective and understanding what motivates them to use it. These exercises helped me prioritize the user and keep them at the center of the design, aligning the problem, goal, and user.

  • Sketch Notes

  • Crazy 8's Exercise

  • Solution Notes

  • Storyboard

Wireframe Development

I opted to create wireframes by hand. Since I was still in the exploratory phase of design, I found that using pen and paper allowed me to quickly jot down my ideas. Using the insights gained from the Crazy 8's exercise and solution notes, I was able to create wireframes for the screens necessary to design the mobile application.

Paper Prototyping

As a quick way to view a user’s experience in the app, paper prototyping was an effective strategy. I did this with the intention of being able to quickly reiterate. Looking at the photos here, you see a select few screens - Login, Home, and a Scheduler.

Referring back to the project goals, I needed to make sure that my users were able to schedule their medicine and view what medicines they needed to take for the day. So, I conducted 2 usability tests with the paper prototype which signaled to me where potential confusion and pain points could be.

By performing the usability tests on 2 individuals, I learned that the home screen and scheduler needed improvements. While the home screen allowed the user to view their medicine for today, it didn’t offer the flexibility of viewing what may be scheduled yesterday or the following day, which limits the user’s accessibility. The scheduler screen also presented an issue because the time range to take the medication presented an issue. My testers didn’t want to include a time range - in fact, they found it a bit odd. Their feedback was to have one time selection.

Low-Fidelity Prototypes

Login.jpg
Notifications.jpg
Home (1).jpg
Set-Reminder (1).jpg
View-Calendar.jpg
Reminder Notification.jpg

Making Reiterations

After receiving feedback, testers experienced some confusion on the Set Schedule screen. It presented an issue because it wasn’t accounting for frequency. By understanding a user better, I could see now the importance of including this into the design. This would speed up their onboarding experience for scheduling a medication.

Branding and Typography

Branding was a challenging task. I wanted to make sure that the product appealed to the target audience and aligned well with the product.

Originally, my client and I brainstormed the app name to be Pillin’ Good, However, moving forward into high-fidelity prototyping and thinking about how to brand the product, we decided it would be best to stray away from a play-on-words app name. We decided to move forward in branding the app with a name that entrusted trust, reliability, and sophistication.

This is how Remedy came to be. The prefix Re- means to repeat or do again. Combining it with med- to signify medicine. This immediately got me thinking of the word “Remedy” which means to heal, treat, or set right. Branding the app with a name that instills confidence in their health felt very fitting.

The color palette was intentional for call-to-action buttons, text areas, and font colors. Colors were used to give a sophisticated and simplistic feel to the app, coupling it with the Mulish font, which was a larger font that was easy for users to read. The only change in font that is represented in the app is the app’s name and greeting where the Satisfy font was used.

Performing a Usability Testing

Tester L and Tester K represented the caretaker’s experience. They were tasked with moving through the onboarding experience and setting up reminders for the end user (senior). With their feedback, it was clear that the business and client goals could be met. Tester K and L were both looking for a more personalized experience and would have liked to have the option to Snooze.

Tester M represented a senior. When asked what she would do when presented with a phone screen notification, she knew it that it signified it was time to take her medicine.

Developing High Fidelity Prototypes

High Fidelity Prototype

With research and usability tests completed, I developed High Fidelity Prototypes of the Remedy app. Seeing the design come together with the help of surveyors and testers added to the value this product could bring to seniors. Throughout the design sprint, the primary focus was to accomplish 3 things:

  1. Ensure a user receives a reminder on their iPhone or Apple Watch when it is time to take their medicine

  2. Ensure a user can schedule their medicine

  3. Ensure a user can view what medicines they need to take for the day

Interactive Prototype

 04 | Final Takeaways

Learnings:

  • The Remedy app intentionally tries to resolve the senior medical non-adherence issue and it does so, by offering a low technical application catered to the senior population.

  • Designing the Remedy app motivates me to learn more about the end user because I can personally understand the importance of having an app like this around. Remedy has the potential to impact people’s lives in a significant way.

  • I learned the importance of paper prototyping and sketching. By utilizing pen and paper in my work, I was able to iterate quickly before designing digital wireframes. This saved me a lot of time and allowed me to continue moving forward in the design process.

Next Steps:

  • Create the onboarding experience for caretaker to manage senior medication and reminders.

  • Design interactions on screen to offer a more intuitive experience

  • Design the experience for “Schedule My Medicine”