Product Design: An Interactive Pillbox for the Elderly

As a full-year Senior Thesis Capstone Project in Graphic Design, I chose to redesign a pillbox so that it not only organizes pills, but helps elderly users remember to take them. I began my design process by brainstorming a variety of initial concept sketches with different reminder techniques, based on some struggles my grandma often experienced. I then researched many existing pillbox designs to see what options already exist for elderly users. 

As another part of the research process, I chose to interview 18 users in the elderly population (age 60-100) to see what struggles they often encountered with remembering to take their pills. I also showed them some of my concept sketches and asked them which designs they would prefer.

Before conducting my interviews, I underwent an approval process with the Human Subjects Review Board at Roger Williams University to ensure my interview questions were ethical to ask the elderly population. I earned my CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) certificate for Social & Behavioral Research, and the board approved my certificate and research proposal. 

After conducting the interviews, I created a variety of user personas as part of the UX design process. I then created my final concept for the “smart” pillbox based on all of my research findings. The most common problems that were reported were elderly users forgetting which pill they needed to take (what day of the week it is), and forgetting to take their pills with them on the go.

My design accounts for these struggles by lighting up individual days of the week to eliminate accidentally taking the wrong day’s pills. I also designed a charging base that holds portable pill containers to bring your pills with you on the go. The charging base idea stemmed from elderly users struggling with batteries (arthritis). I also included a light around the border of the pillbox as a visual indicator that it is time to take your pills. 

To illustrate this concept, I built a physical prototype using an arthritis-friendly pillbox and a portable pillbox that I purchased. I used a drawer to act as the charging base and lights to show how the concept would light up. I also created an explanatory graphic in PhotoShop, a package design, and a brand identity to market the product. I named it “PillPro” and designed the logo while utilizing different shades of blue, since blue is the most trusted color in medical devices.

I then presented my research and product design at the Student Academic Showcase Honors (SASH), where Roger Williams University wrote an article about my design. Feel free to check it out at the link below!