MedMem is a senior capstone project intended to help individuals with medical memory loss manage their medications independently. Our team addressed this problem using a human-centered design approach with a focus on three phases of the design process: user research, ideation, and prototyping.

To ensure that we maintained a deep understanding of our user groups, we focused heavily on user research throughout our project. We began with a literature review to frame our understanding of memory loss and medication adherence. We then ventured into the field and conducted four foundational interviews with five members of our target audience: one doctor, one Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patient and caregiver team, and one Dementia patient and caregiver team. These interviews gave us further insights about the difficulties of managing medications and allowed us to truly empathize with our users.

After performing thorough user research, we began brainstorming design solutions. Each team member generated numerous sketches outlining features of potential products. The team then came together and compiled ideas. In the end, we decided on a three prong approach to medication management. This included customizable pill boxes, a portable reminder system, and a notebook for recording important medical information.

During the final phase of our project, we made our ideas tangible by creating a series of prototypes. This allowed us to both evaluate the feasibility of our design and help users visualize our product. Over a four week period, we were able to experiment with rapid prototypes, collect user feedback, generate refined digital models and build a set of refined conceptual prototypes.

The final product utilized a variety of prototyping techniques and materials that created the illusion of a functioning system. Overall, our prototypes effectively demonstrated the purpose of our designs and the importance of the MedMem system as a tool for medication management.