Project Brief
As part of our 5-person team, we designed the product Zynda to alleviate the expanding crisis of prescription drug abuse. I worked mainly on creating the brand identity and the mobile app design.
Role
Design Lead
Timeline
Nov 2020 (2 weeks)
Team
Nicole Zhang, Mia McCarthy, Valentino Andrewin, Adil Khadri, Haley Ho
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
How might we design a practical solution for young people and their parents to properly store and manage prescribed medications in order to prevent addiction in the future.
THE PROBLEM
“one in four teens reported having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime”
One in Four Teens at Risk
Access Prescription Drugs from Parent's Medicine Cabinet
“more than 42 percent of teens who have misused or abused a prescription drug obtained it from their parent’s medicine cabinet”
THE SOLUTION
Zynda
Zynda is a locked pill container that prevents future prescription drug addiction and overdose.
Dispensing
When it’s time for a dose, the container unlocks with a green light, and the child-proof mechanism opens with a thumb push.
Setup
Guardians fill the container and set the medication schedule using a smartphone app, while the display provides key medication information.
Portability
The Zynda’s compact design fits into a back pocket and is easy to handle, replacing bulky cylindrical containers.
Product Mechanics
Single-Pill Dispenser
An internal container holds only one pill at a time, mechanically sliding open to release the pill and then closing automatically.
Button Mechanism
The dispensing button uses a spring and two-gear system, springing back to its original position once the user releases it.
Color Customization
Users can choose from a variety of colors, including space grey, champagne gold, berry red, and air force blue, to suit their personal style.
Mobile App Design
The simple and intuitive app design makes it easy for parents to track and control their teen’s dosage, preventing the likelihood of future overdose.
Scanning
Allows parents to unlock their teen’s Zynda for refills by scanning a code.
Confirmation
Prevents accidental unlocking of the pill container with a confirmation step.
Profile
Manages user connections to multiple Zyndas and personal settings.
Business Model
According to the American Association of Anesthesiologists, 50 percent of parents don’t store their medication in a safe place, making it easy for teens to gain access to them. Since Zynda’s focus is on preventing future overdose, we are targeting our product towards parents who either want a secure place to store their medication, or who want to safely manage their teens’ medication intake.
While other smart medicine products like Hero and Pria are bulky and expensive, and traditional solutions like Pillsy are more administrative, Zynda offers a portable, preventative, and affordable solution tailored for adolescents and young adults.
Competitive Analysis
Go-to Market Strategy
Our primary sales channels will be through pharmacies and storefronts. By offering the parent our product while buying the prescription, they are more likely to understand the importance of properly managing their teen’s medication.
In order to expose more parents to Zynda, we plan on advertising our product on Facebook since our target market are the parents of young adults and adolescents that might be at risk of overdosing on pain medications and need a preventative measure.
Price Breakdown & Selling Price
This is the price breakdown of the cost per unit to make our pill dispenser. We accounted for the display dot matrix, the computer, battery, communication software, circuit board, and outside material.
So in total, our pill dispensing device will cost approximately $15 to manufacture, and our selling price will be $40 dollars.
THE PROCESS
Ideation
The presentation of Zynda during one of our biweekly sessions during the Innovator Forum class garnered support, with our industry guest Hamet Watt, a well-known entrepreneur, recognizing the project’s potential. The experience reinforced the realization that product design has the power to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.
THE RESULT
If I had more time, I would refine Zynda to fully target both adolescents and guardians, ensuring both parties feel supported in managing medication safely.
REFLECTION
For adolescents, I would integrate more interactive features, such as gamified educational elements and self-reflection tools to increase engagement. For guardians, I would enhance monitoring capabilities by providing more detailed insights into medication patterns and offering tailored advice based on usage trends.