Prescription Bottle Re-Design
The Challenge
Every time a drastic change in features or structure is implemented in a product, companies require to ensure those changes enhance the way customers interact with their product.
For this project, A pharmaceutical company (name hidden) developed a new design of prescription bottles for their senior product line. The company wanted to know how users interact with these new bottle designs.
Bottle Modifications
Shape
Cap
(Locking mechanism | Cap Size)
Label
(Not described in this study)
Study Description
Objective: Capture customers' experience, perception, and performance parameters with the new bottle features at the moment of holding, opening, and closing the bottles
Research Questions
- How much force is required to open and close the bottles?
- Does the new cap design represent a hazard to children?
- What is the ideal force to open and close the new bottle design?
Participants
- 36 participants recruited (18F - 18M)
- 3 different age groups
8 - 12
20 - 40
65 - 85
Methodology
-Experiment
-Evaluative Research
- Ergonomic Analysis
- Unestructured Interview
36 participants from 3 different age groups (12 participants in each group). The 65-80 group was defined to evaluate the direct group of customers. The 20-40 group was defined as a control of the experiment. This group will ensure the correct functionality of the new product features and provide constant measurements for the quantitative metrics. Finally the 8-12 group was defined to test the security features of the new cap.
Sensors
Sensorized Bottles
Video Recording
Interviews
Data Collection
Procedure: Participants were presented with 2 prescription bottles. One with touch-pressure sensors distributed across the bottle to collect points of contact and the magnitude of the force applied during the interaction (open/close). The other bottle was left with no alterations as a method of control to ensure the sensors in the first bottle did not influence the performance. Each participant was required to pick up a bottle, open the bottle, and then leave the bottle and cap over the initial point. Once that action is completed, participants had to pick up the opened bottle and the cap and close it. The task was repeated 10 times while alternating between bottles. A total of 120 data points for each age group were collected.
Insights
The study had an Non-disclosure agreement (NDA), so the results presented are general descriptions of some of the results obtained.
42%
of participants in the 65-85 group could not open the bottles.
The force applied was not a problem, but the form of interaction was a limitation.
100%
of participants in the 20-40 group successfully opened and closed the bottles.
16.7%
of participants in the 8-12 group successfully opened and closed bottles.
Force measurements were collected to adjust cap design restrictions.
0%
of the 8-12 group could insert the new cap in their mouths
(intended as an additional form of protection)
Force measurement ranges for each age group were collected and adjusted to suggest modifications and ensure a successful interaction of the 65-85 group and protection of the 8-12 group.