2015
Otsuka Digital Medicine System
Otsuka Digital Medicine System
Medicine system designed to help patients and their healthcare team stay on top of their treatment.
Medicine system designed to help patients and their healthcare team stay on top of their treatment.
Product Design
Product Design
Product Design
Problem to solve
Anyone who relies on a daily medicine has second guessed whether or not they took their prescription. Forgetting even a single dose of the drugs they rely on can have serious effects.
Anyone who relies on a daily medicine has second guessed whether or not they took their prescription. Forgetting even a single dose of the drugs they rely on can have serious effects.
Solution and opportuinity to create
The Pharmaceutical Company recognized that these patients were missing a systematic approach to objectively detect medication ingestion. They collaborated with us to create an application to help monitor how medications are consumed. In collaboration with a global team of software engineers, QA testers, I helped to create a suite of mobile and web applications. These applications are used by Patients, HCPs, friends and family, human factor studies, and as training tools for product support.
The Pharmaceutical Company recognized that these patients were missing a systematic approach to objectively detect medication ingestion. They collaborated with us to create an application to help monitor how medications are consumed. In collaboration with a global team of software engineers, QA testers, I helped to create a suite of mobile and web applications. These applications are used by Patients, HCPs, friends and family, human factor studies, and as training tools for product support.
My contribution
As a designer responsible for the mobile section of this project, I both led it and corresponded with our globally diverse development teams while building out the designs. I participated in multiple rounds of research and usability studies. I produced sketches, wireframes, and mockups. I delivered final documentation, supervised development, verified the live product, and iterated again for multiple rounds.
As a designer responsible for the mobile section of this project, I both led it and corresponded with our globally diverse development teams while building out the designs. I participated in multiple rounds of research and usability studies. I produced sketches, wireframes, and mockups. I delivered final documentation, supervised development, verified the live product, and iterated again for multiple rounds.
The way the system works
A smart pill, a wearable patch, an app, and a dashboard work together to help the patient, the healthcare team, and the support network stay on top of the patients treatment plan. It functions as shown below:
A smart pill, a wearable patch, an app, and a dashboard work together to help the patient, the healthcare team, and the support network stay on top of the patients treatment plan. It functions as shown below:
The mobile app
The app that is connected via Bluetooth to the patch that is wore by the patient collects data. The data is useful not only to the patient but also to the caregiver network.
The app that is connected via Bluetooth to the patch that is wore by the patient collects data. The data is useful not only to the patient but also to the caregiver network.
The app automatically logs
The app automatically logs
Pill
Pill
Activity level
Rest time
Rest time
The app allows to select
The app allows to select
Mood
Mood
Rest level
Missed pill reason
Missed pill reason
Gathering inspiration
The design brief and the medical research that the company provided became the backbone of the design process. I began to look into the market, as well as a list of direct competitors to examine, gather inspirations for various features of the app like patient onboarding, patient to support network connection, and display of customer data. The ultimate goal was to scope out the patient support market, get inspired, and find opportunities for innovation on our part.
The design brief and the medical research that the company provided became the backbone of the design process. I began to look into the market, as well as a list of direct competitors to examine, gather inspirations for various features of the app like patient onboarding, patient to support network connection, and display of customer data. The ultimate goal was to scope out the patient support market, get inspired, and find opportunities for innovation on our part.
User flow
Along with the process of gathering inspirations and create a compititive analysis, I started mapping out the possible user flow. This was a collobarative process along with account manager, the subject matter expert on the client side and the engineering lead. After many iterations I arrived at version 1.0. After presenting the version and taking inputs from the stakeholders and the managers I created a couple more iterations and came with a final version that formed the baseline to the design archtecture of the app.
Along with the process of gathering inspirations and create a compititive analysis, I started mapping out the possible user flow. This was a collobarative process along with account manager, the subject matter expert on the client side and the engineering lead. After many iterations I arrived at version 1.0. After presenting the version and taking inputs from the stakeholders and the managers I created a couple more iterations and came with a final version that formed the baseline to the design archtecture of the app.
Ideation & whiteboarding
Along with collaborative whiteboarding (with design leads, SME’s) and paper sketch iterations as directional discussions artifacts, I documented the major touchpoints and interactions of the app. I took feedback from our multiple different departments, and although one department’s interests would sometimes conflict with another department’s, we were able to begin closing in on a design.
Along with collaborative whiteboarding (with design leads, SME’s) and paper sketch iterations as directional discussions artifacts, I documented the major touchpoints and interactions of the app. I took feedback from our multiple different departments, and although one department’s interests would sometimes conflict with another department’s, we were able to begin closing in on a design.
Wireframes & annotations
I worked under ever shifting timelines and client expectations. With tight time constraints, I focused exclusively on wireframing high impact pages and specific modules whose functionality needed to be laid out for our developers. This provided enough of a direction for us to communicate the design to the necessary stakeholders and still hit our deadline.
As the interactions and components were new for all the team members one of the visual design team members created each component and laid out patterns that will be used for user interaction.
I created macro and micro interactions to show the interaction across various screens and within a single card. All the screen interactions were annotated and sent over to the engineering team. Each feature was broken down in smaller design artifacts and annotated to explain the use case. It turned out to be a monumental task especially when it came to version controls.
I worked under ever shifting timelines and client expectations. With tight time constraints, I focused exclusively on wireframing high impact pages and specific modules whose functionality needed to be laid out for our developers. This provided enough of a direction for us to communicate the design to the necessary stakeholders and still hit our deadline.
As the interactions and components were new for all the team members one of the visual design team members created each component and laid out patterns that will be used for user interaction.
I created macro and micro interactions to show the interaction across various screens and within a single card. All the screen interactions were annotated and sent over to the engineering team. Each feature was broken down in smaller design artifacts and annotated to explain the use case. It turned out to be a monumental task especially when it came to version controls.
Final designs
In collaboration with the visual design team, we created design specs to show colors, patterns, spacing and icons. Some times the design document that the engineers used to code showed the interaction between the screens due to the “throw over the wall” framework.
In collaboration with the visual design team, we created design specs to show colors, patterns, spacing and icons. Some times the design document that the engineers used to code showed the interaction between the screens due to the “throw over the wall” framework.
My learnings
Even though it was challenging at first, it was so rewarding for me. I loved seeing our team dynamic evolve as time went on and getting more comfortable with each other. Working closely with Product owners and engineers provided an insight in to when to create components and when to adapt.
Presenting my work to non-designers and stakeholders throughout this process, I learned to evolve my design presentation style in a way that was understandable to someone who wasn't directly involved in the process and support my design decisions with evidence.
COVID affected my team just like everyone around the world and just like everyone else, this was a unique time collaborating remotely. There's definitely something about physically working around other people that I miss, but this constraint offered a unique opportunity to learn how to work efficiently and effectively without the proper resources/materials. I realized how important it is to document everything you're doing and explain concepts clearly to the users you're working with.
Advocating for the end-user
Usability testing was humbling because I was reminded that my assumptions are definitely not always right. Validating often and iterating and validating again provided deep insights in the day today touchpoints of the advisor.
Even though it was challenging at first, it was so rewarding for me. I loved seeing our team dynamic evolve as time went on and getting more comfortable with each other. Working closely with Product owners and engineers provided an insight in to when to create components and when to adapt.
Presenting my work to non-designers and stakeholders throughout this process, I learned to evolve my design presentation style in a way that was understandable to someone who wasn't directly involved in the process and support my design decisions with evidence.
COVID affected my team just like everyone around the world and just like everyone else, this was a unique time collaborating remotely. There's definitely something about physically working around other people that I miss, but this constraint offered a unique opportunity to learn how to work efficiently and effectively without the proper resources/materials. I realized how important it is to document everything you're doing and explain concepts clearly to the users you're working with.
Advocating for the end-user
Usability testing was humbling because I was reminded that my assumptions are definitely not always right. Validating often and iterating and validating again provided deep insights in the day today touchpoints of the advisor.