Vita Buddy
A routinized habit building platform that reinforces consistency when taking medications and supplements by ensuring a positive and interactive experience. Through specified location reminders and friendly accountability, there’s fewer chances in forgetting your daily needs!
Role
UX Design from start to finish
Timeline
April 2022 to July 2022
Background
As my network expanded, I began to notice the influx in peers who were open about their daily prescribed medications. When out at gatherings, some alarms would go off causing individuals to either take their medications, or express their frustration of not having it with them. This was the first time that I was exposed to the reality in which medicine plays a key role in many people’s lives.
The Problem
Taking medications and supplements on a daily basis is known to improve one’s overall health, however, many individuals struggle to maintain consistency.
Research
Competitive Analysis
Because there are plenty of medication app reminders on the market, I wanted to assess four different ones to understand their strengths and weaknesses to determine areas for improvement. To further analyze each app, I also dissected their App Store reviews to gain direct insight from other users.
One-On-One Interviews
Wanting to learn more about first-hand daily medication users, I conducted six interviews among those whom fit the criteria. The main objective was to learn of their current scheduling methodologies, reasons for habitual difficulty, and solution anticipations. I also wanted to verify that users could maximize functionality with other routine-like needs, such as taking supplements.
Extra Accountability
Users simply forget to bring their medicine while out, resulting in turning off their alarms.
Positive Motivation
Users who have negative relationships with medicine fail to take their medication on time.
Key Insights
Organized Interface
Users value an intuitive yet comprehensive list to visualize their medications and be able to share with medical professionals.
Necessary Privacy
Medicine is a private matter for many, therefore, security parameters are essential.
Flexible Customization
Users want an easy way to adjust their medication information to reflect their current need.
Secondary Cause
Users express their desire to be consistent with daily vitamins and supplements.
User Personas
To hone in on specific focus areas, I created two primary personas that are representative of my user research and insights.
How might we support users
in remembering to take their daily medications and supplements?
Ideation
With a refined HMW question to keep in mind, I began a Crazy 8’s design sprint to brainstorm potential solutions.
There was a point when I was heavily intrigued by the idea of a medicine box with a built in alarm, but given the lack of time, budget and accessibility, I opted to combine an assortment of other ideas into a single app.
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Version I
Insights
High-Fidelity
ITERATED DESIGN
Gathering the feedback from the initial usability study, I categorized the findings into various priority groups (P0, P1, and P2). Considering all the “What Needs To Be Fixed” were simple, I was able to implement each bullet into the final high-fidelity prototype. The changes are reflected in the following mockups below. This iteration was then sent out for a round of usability testings, however, participants provided only positive feedback.
What Users Liked
- List of medications is clear and legible
- Progress wheel is rewarding and motivating
- Friends feature makes taking medicine fun
- Location reminder is useful for busy bees
What Needs To Be Fixed
- Medication details can violate privacy
- Pill Buddy is not an encompassing name
- More options for time reminders
- Add 'Symptoms' to information
PLAY ON WORDS
finding the name of the app
Version 1 “Pill Buddy” - Because medicine comes in all shapes and forms, the word “pill” was too limiting and exclusive.
Version 2 “Vita Buddy” - The latin definition of “Vita” is life. There’s also vitamin. Anyways, “Vita Buddy” or Life Buddy.
Usability Testing
Unmoderated Usability Study | United States, Remote | 6 Participants | 20 to 25 minutes
In both usability testing segments, users were tasked to complete a list of prompts and vocalize their thought process.
Storyboard
VIDEO ROADMAP
To better demonstrate how Vita Buddy would be implemented in the real world, I sketched a storyboard to tell the story of how our persona, Paula, would discover, utilize, and benefit from the app. This will also be the guiding blueprint for a video production. Coming soon.
Design System
Enlist the Help of Vita Buddy
Privacy First
Considering the sensitive nature of medication data, facial recognition and or passcode must be verified before accessing the app! This will give users reassurance that their information is safe and can only be retrieved by them.
Interactive Progress
As you check off your Today’s Medicine Cabinet list, the wheel will progress in accordance. A confetti animation motivates users, adds some positive pizazz, and celebrates completion! A daunting task doesn’t seem too daunting now - does it?
Location Reminder
Out and about without your meds? Don’t want to deal with constant time alerts? Set a reminder for when you’re at a specific location and Vita Buddy will notify you once you’re there, ie. home!
Customizable & Comprehensive
Add any kind of medication or supplement to your medicine cabinet! Tailor each input (type, schedule, symptoms, refills, etc) to cater to your specific needs. The Medicine Cabinet is your one stop to quickly and conveniently access your data.
Friendly Accountability
Add your friends so you can all help each other out! Choose between notification, phone call, and sms to gently remind them that they’re not on track.
Reflections & Takeaways
Medical impact is rewarding
Throughout the duration of this project, I learned a wide array of medicinal impact on a user’s state of being, physically and mentally. I enjoyed the process of unraveling a more sensitive yet imperative topic that affects many humans from all around the world. Knowing that Vita Buddy can positively impact many people’s quality of life, makes the process even more worthwhile. In addition, although I have always ensured awareness and sensibility during my user research and interactions, this journey allowed me to better navigate my communication skills given the delicate subject.
Pivot when necessary
When envisioning the final product, I anticipated motion graphics to be a key feature in celebrating a user’s success. Unfortunately, I learned that what seemed to be an easy task, was actually quite complex and time consuming. Instead of completely abandoning the idea, I learned to pivot from my expectations and still managed to create simple animations that conveyed the same meaning.
Moving forward
In future iterations, Vita Buddy would build on its motion animations and find an appropriate way for users to challenge their friends. This would spark higher levels of confidence and friendly competitiveness, resulting in higher engagements. There could also be the potential of a tangible product that works concurrently with the app!