A UX Case Study
How we helped students manage their medication better through thoughtful design
Following the Design Thinking methodology to create a solution that truly serves our users
We started by understanding who our users are and what challenges they face. Through interviews with 5 participants, we discovered the real struggles students face when managing their medication.
Student, 20 years old
"I often forget to take medication because the schedule varies and I'm busy at campus. Usually take medication without prescription for minor illnesses, but don't understand the risks of mixing medications."
Medication schedule management still relies on manual alarms and help from others
Medication reminders depend on spouse, not self or independent system
Don't understand risks of drug interactions or consequences of missing doses
Choose medications based on past experience and habits, not professional advice
Don't check expiration dates regularly, only when needed
Our research revealed that this isn't just Bimo's problem. The data shows a broader issue in Indonesia:
Don't consult doctors for minor illnesses
(BPS, 2021)
People practice self-medication
(BPS, 2021)
Have insufficient knowledge about medications
(Yulianti, 2023)
With our research insights, we mapped out the user journey and identified the core problems that needed solving. This helped us focus on what truly matters to our users.
Recognize symptoms
Don't know which medication is appropriate
Clear symptom guidance to help self-medication decisions
Search for medication information
Too much unclear information
Medication recommendations based on symptoms
Check medication stock
Don't know when medication stock runs out
Medication stock recording system for easier checking
Consume medication
Afraid of wrong consumption
Medication consumption reminders to avoid missing doses
Evaluate medication effects
Not sure whether to continue consuming or see doctor
Notifications for when to seek help if symptoms don't improve
Difficulty managing medication consumption schedule consistently
Don't know important information about medications
Risk of running out of medication without realizing it often occurs
Regular, Safe, and Informed Medication Consumption
Improve self-medication quality by helping users consume medications correctly, safely, and without disruption
Provide ease in managing information, schedules, and medication stock automatically and integrated
Measure effectiveness through analysis of consumption compliance and user medication management efficiency
With clear problems defined, we explored various solutions through competitor analysis, feature mapping, and creative ideation sessions to find the best approach.
We analyzed existing solutions to understand what works and identify opportunities for improvement.
| Features | 👑💊Obatku | 💊MyTherapy | 🟢Medisafe | 🌈Drugs.com | 📦MediStock | 🩺Halodoc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medication Reminder | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Medication Stock Management | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Medication Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Medication Expiration | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Medication Side Effects | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Disease Search | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Medication Search | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
Obatku is the only app with all features compared
Automatic reminders to consume medication according to schedule
Helps users not forget to take medication, improves treatment compliance
Increases user retention as the app becomes part of daily routine
Feature to record and monitor the amount of medication users have
Makes it easier for users to know available medication stock and when to buy more
Can be integrated with medication repurchasing, increasing transaction potential
Setting medication dose schedule based on time and frequency
Gives users full control in setting medication consumption time
Increases engagement through features that are personalization and important
Medication expiration reminders to avoid consuming unfit medications
Prevents consuming expired medications that are risky for health
Encourages users to buy new medications, creating monetization opportunities
Information about potential side effects of certain medications
Helps users be more aware of symptoms and risks that may occur
Increases user trust in the app as a reliable source of information
Search for symptoms and possible related diseases independently
Makes it easier for users to understand health conditions quickly
Attracts high traffic and expands user coverage with self-medication features
Feature to search for medication names, uses, dosages, and prices
Makes it easier for users to find medications that suit their needs
Can be linked to affiliate services or e-commerce for medication sales
These questions guided our ideation process and helped us think creatively about solutions.
Create a fully automatic medication management system, so users don't need to remember or record manually?
Transform the "troublesome" experience of managing medications into something "easy and enjoyable" through more interactive UI/UX design?
Eliminate the risk of users missing medication schedules with a system that automatically reminds them according to predetermined times?
With our research insights and feature planning complete, we designed a prototype that follows proven UX principles and addresses our users' core needs.
Experience the complete user journey through our interactive prototype
View PrototypeOur design follows established UX laws to ensure intuitive and effective user experiences.
Using commonly recognized UI to avoid additional time for users to learn new interface workings.
Like task/event system in calendar apps
Resembles common LLM chatbot interface
Prioritizing presentation of information or advanced features gradually to help users focus on main information first.
Main information visible, details hidden
Tab navigation for gradual information
Grouping similar objects closer together so users can more easily understand and organize information.
Schedule cards group related information
Search results grouped in cards
Enlarging buttons/targets and placing them close to user tasks to reduce error risk.
Large and easily accessible buttons
Finger reach area optimized
Three key features that address our users' main pain points
Automated reminders with confirmation tracking to ensure consistent medication intake
Track medication inventory and get notifications when supplies are running low
Get reliable health information and medication guidance through our AI chatbot
We tested our solution with real users through three iterations, measuring usability and gathering feedback to continuously improve the experience.
Iterations
SUS results show that the app is usable, but needs development
SEQ results show that the app is quite easy to use, but can be developed
Success pop-up is confusing because it shows 'Successfully Took Medication' when just creating a schedule
Pop-up back button cannot be clicked
Users are slightly confused because the button is similar to the schedule page
Addition of option to customize medication when adding medication to folder
The app is considered beneficial and has potential, but needs improvement in UI consistency, interaction flow, and information clarity to be more intuitive and efficient for daily use.
SUS results show that the app is already user-friendly and usable
SEQ results show that the app is easy to use and intuitive
There is duplication of information in the causes and symptoms section, confusing users
Users are not sure if the dosage information '500mg' means for personal consumption or just reference
The 'Add Medication' button label is considered inappropriate for context; suggested to change to 'Add Schedule'
Success screen says 'Successfully Took Medication' when the context is adding a schedule is confusing
The 'Add Medication' button is too similar to the one on the Schedule page, making users confused about context
The 'Add New Medication to Folder' action redirects to the initial Medication Stock page, not staying in the selected folder
Overall, users suggest improving wording and navigation to increase flow clarity, consistency between pages, and button context appropriateness, so the app feels more intuitive and user-friendly.
SUS results show that the app is already user-friendly and usable
SEQ results show that the app is easy to use and intuitive
For medications that need to be taken more than once a day, users expect addition of frequency information
Time labels should be more specific to avoid confusion
Users hope there are automatic notifications when medication stock is running low, especially for regularly consumed medications
Medications consumed periodically should have special markers, such as different labels or colors to distinguish priority levels
Obatku has strong potential in helping daily medication management, but needs improvement in visual design, wording, interaction flow, and feature personalization to be more intuitive, attractive, and relevant for active users.
Based on user feedback, we made several important improvements across different iterations.
Medication options are not customizable, can only add those available in Database
Addition of option to add medication from users
'Create New Medication' button added next to search bar
'Add Medication' button is still ambiguous
Change to 'Add Schedule' to be clearer
Button label changed from 'Add Medication +' to '+ Add Schedule'
Less clear about medication variant information
Addition of Medication Variant Explanation
'Paracetamol Variants' header added above medication variant list
No information if medication can be taken more than once a day
Addition of Tooltip
Tooltip 'You can select more than one medication time' added
No option to enter regular medication
Addition of option to add regular medication
'Create as Regular Medication' checkbox added
No information about medication consumption duration
Addition of medication consumption duration
'Start date' and 'End date' information added
Monotonous icons, no markers distinguishing medication types
Replacement of icon colors for each medication type
Medication icons given different colors according to type (green for vitamins, orange for cough medicine)
No notification if medication is running low/out
Addition of notification if medication is out and running low
'Stock Running Low' label with orange color added for medications that are almost out
SUS Score
Excellent
SEQ Score
Very Easy
NPS Score
Promoters
Obatku achieved excellent usability with a SUS score of 92.5, demonstrating that the app is highly user-friendly and effective.