Problem x Research x Solution
Task:
The workshop was designed to observe/find some problems in any products/services in our immediate environment. List out your problems and then categorise them into domestic, behavioural, political, environmental, etc. Discuss the issues with your peers and work on the problem you feel there is potential.
Problem:
While popping out the pills/capsules from blister packaged medicines, consumers don’t think of losing vital information like manufacturing, and expiry dates printed precisely on the back of the strips. Hence, when they try to take the same medicine again, they are left with partial or no vital information.
Research:
I conducted observational, primary and secondary research for this task. All the research with the bibliography is very well presented in my submitted presentation.
Solutions:
A little more space can solve the issue - By increasing the size of blister packs by 0.5 - 1cm in width or length(depending on the shape/size of the pack), and printing important communication like manufacturing and expiry dates on that extra space will help in retaining all the information.
Scan it & Save it! After purchasing the medicinal blister packs, we can scan the package and save its data in the mainly designed app. The app will save the important data of that medicine like mfg., expiry dates, batch number, name, etc. and can be accessed anytime when needed. So, while popping up some pills, the consumer doesn’t need to worry about losing the information printed on the pack as long as they have this app.
LEARNINGS:
While working on this particular assignment, I learned that not every time you would need to have exceptional solutions, but the process of approaching the problem and how you try to resolve it is important.
Working on the problem to solve it within a given period, my ability to think critically developed, and I was trying to implement it quickly to achieve the results.
As I was working on crucial and sensitive problems like medicines, I realised that I should research the exact data and terms related to it as the effects of the pharmaceutical industry are serious and mature.
Once I found the solution, questions were coming to my mind like “Is this the problem suffered just by me or others are facing it too?” Or “Is this the solution feasible or not?” So, to get the answers, I conducted an introductory user survey and roamed on the streets of the Epsom, talking to the local people about this and understanding their perspectives. It was challenging but worth it, and I felt that the consumers tested my product directly.
The creative freedom given to us for this problem finding and solving workshop gave me the broader horizon to discover endless possibilities to solve it with innovation.
This workshop taught me to categorise the problem into different segments like Human behavioural, political, environmental, infrastructural, design flaw, etc. It made me think to solve it according to the categories.
Seeing and understanding my peers work, I was motivated to work harder and got inspired by their creative presentations. I tried to learn something new from each one of them.
REFLECTION ON FEEDBACK:
The first feedback I received was how I found the time to do the experimental research like physical consumer survey, and my reply was that I needed to know at least a few feedbacks from the local people according to the target audience, so I took out the time for it.
Many of them appreciated my second solution as they found it more functional and innovative. Though it was a hypothetical solution, I think it has the potential.
One of my peers asked me, “While doing the consumer survey and documenting them through photographs, did you take the consent from them before clicking their pictures as well?” - I said, Yes! At this point, I realised that this was an interesting observational question asked by my peers. It is imperative to take consent from them because they should be comfortable getting themselves documented for something unknown to them.
According to our lecturer Tom Walker, I perfectly understood the brief. I took the correct approach to solve it as I observed the problem from every aspect, touched the edge of deep research, and tested the product by conducting a consumer survey.
Also, there were some questions asked by my peers like “why blister packs are used for packaging the pill/capsules?”. As I already researched that, I was able to answer them with clarity.
Feedbacks given to me weren’t very critical or complex; maybe I did a good job or was able to make them understand in a better way. I feel that there is always an area of improvement, so I will try doing much better than this time.
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