SafeDoser
SafeDoser
Smarter OTC & Supplement Tracking for Everyday Health
Smarter OTC & Supplement Tracking for Everyday Health
Individual Project
Role: product designer(User research, prototyping)
DURATION
may 2025 - jun 2025
TOOLS
Figma, Html, css, js, python
Individual Project
Role: product designer(User research, prototyping)
DURATION
may 2025 - jun 2025
TOOLS
Figma, Html, css, js, python
Overview
Overview
Goal
Goal
Design a lightweight MVP that helps users manage OTC supplements safely with clarity and confidence.
The focus is on preventing dangerous combinations and staying updated on recalls through context-aware alerts and conversational guidance that fit naturally into daily routines.
Design a lightweight MVP that helps users manage OTC supplements safely with clarity and confidence.
The focus is on preventing dangerous combinations and staying updated on recalls through context-aware alerts and conversational guidance that fit naturally into daily routines.
Background
Background
n the U.S., many people self-manage health through OTC medications and supplements.
As usage increases, so does complexity—people often take multiple products without medical supervision.
With frequent FDA recalls and interaction risks, most remain unaware and unprotected.
n the U.S., many people self-manage health through OTC medications and supplements.
As usage increases, so does complexity—people often take multiple products without medical supervision.
With frequent FDA recalls and interaction risks, most remain unaware and unprotected.
Problem
Problem
Existing tools neglect OTC safety—burying recall alerts in complexity and demanding too much input.
Users are left to manage confusing regimens without clear guidance.
Existing tools neglect OTC safety—burying recall alerts in complexity and demanding too much input.
Users are left to manage confusing regimens without clear guidance.
Design Direction
Design Direction
Within a short hackathon, we built a usable, safety-first MVP.
SafeDoser combines pill scanning and logging with context-aware notifications and a conversational chatbot, delivering the right help exactly when it’s actionable
Within a short hackathon, we built a usable, safety-first MVP.
SafeDoser combines pill scanning and logging with context-aware notifications and a conversational chatbot, delivering the right help exactly when it’s actionable
Problem & User
Problem & User
Target Users:
Busy adults building supplement routines
Chronic users of OTC products
Target Users:
Busy adults building supplement routines
Chronic users of OTC products
Key Challenges:
Forgetting doses creates daily uncertainty.
Users can’t easily know if a product is recalled or unsafe.
Generic reminders feel irrelevant, leading to ignored alerts.
Key Challenges:
Forgetting doses creates daily uncertainty.
Users can’t easily know if a product is recalled or unsafe.
Generic reminders feel irrelevant, leading to ignored alerts.
I surveyed 10 potential OTC users aged 18 to 65+ to understand their needs, routines, and frustrations.
Most respondents already use OTC products, and over half take 3 or more at once.
Key pain points included forgetting doses, lack of visibility, and the absence of smart tools for managing multiple medications.
I surveyed 10 potential OTC users aged 18 to 65+ to understand their needs, routines, and frustrations.
Most respondents already use OTC products, and over half take 3 or more at once.
Key pain points included forgetting doses, lack of visibility, and the absence of smart tools for managing multiple medications.
Many users showed interest in recall alerts, smart reminders, and simple scanning feature, but also expressed concerns about privacy and complexity.
Many users showed interest in recall alerts, smart reminders, and simple scanning feature, but also expressed concerns about privacy and complexity.
Survey
Survey
User Research Summary:
To understand real needs, I ran desk research and a survey with 10 OTC users (18–65+).
User Research Summary:
To understand real needs, I ran desk research and a survey with 10 OTC users (18–65+).
68% reported taking 3 or more OTC products regularly.
Half don’t track intake at all
Nearly 70% said they rarely notice FDA recall or interaction warnings until it’s too late.
68% reported taking 3 or more OTC products regularly.
Over 50% do not track their supplement intake at all.
Nearly 70% said they rarely notice FDA recall or interaction warnings until it’s too late.
This research revealed critical gaps in OTC safety: users lack awareness, tracking, and recall visibility. These insights shaped SafeDoser’s direction, delivering clarity through context-aware alerts and conversational guidance embedded in daily life.
This research revealed critical gaps in OTC safety: users lack awareness, tracking, and recall visibility. These insights shaped SafeDoser’s direction, delivering clarity through context-aware alerts and conversational guidance embedded in daily life.
Insights
Insights
01
OTC Is the New Front Line of Care
People use OTC meds more often than they visit doctors, but manage them without help.
People rely on OTC meds more than clinic visits, but manage them with little support.
02
Many Pills, No Tracking
Multi-product use is common; consistent tracking is not.
03
Recall Risks Go Unseen
Most users don’t know when a product is recalled, until it’s too late.
So what:
Current tools are too clinical, too complex, or too generic.
SafeDoser answers with clarity, context-aware alerts, and conversational guidance embedded in daily life.
So what:
Current tools are too clinical, too complex, or too generic.
SafeDoser answers with clarity, context-aware alerts, and conversational guidance embedded in daily life.
By mapping the daily routines of three user types, I identified when and how challenges with OTC medication occur, allowing us to pinpoint where SafeDoser can have the greatest impact.
By mapping the daily routines of three user types, I identified when and how challenges with OTC medication occur, allowing us to pinpoint where SafeDoser can have the greatest impact.
To ground the design in real-world needs, I created two personas that highlight where third-wave interaction design can bring unique value — through context-aware, conversational, and shared experiences.
To ground the design in real-world needs, I created two personas that highlight where third-wave interaction design can bring unique value — through context-aware, conversational, and shared experiences.
problem statement
problem statement
“Users lack timely and understandable guidance on supplement recalls and interactions, as existing reminder apps provide only generic, time-based alerts.”
“Users lack timely and understandable guidance on supplement recalls and interactions, as existing reminder apps provide only generic, time-based alerts.”
Goals & Principles
Goals & Principles
Hypothesis
Hypothesis
If safety information is delivered via context-aware notifications and conversational interactions, users will feel safer, more confident, and less burdened.
If safety information is delivered via context-aware notifications and conversational interactions, users will feel safer, more confident, and less burdened.
How might we design a supplement safety service that adapts to real-world contexts and allows natural conversations, so alerts feel timely, clear, and seamlessly integrated into daily life?
How might we design a supplement safety service that adapts to real-world contexts and allows natural conversations, so alerts feel timely, clear, and seamlessly integrated into daily life?
Design Goals
Design Goals
Deliver timely, relevant alerts by adapting to user context
Provide plain-language guidance on recalls and interactions
Reduce cognitive load by simplifying complex data
Build trust and confidence in safety decisions
Deliver timely and relevant alerts by adapting to user context (e.g., location, daily rhythm).
Provide clear, natural language guidance on recalls and interactions.
Reduce cognitive load by simplifying complex medical data.
Increase trust and confidence in supplement safety decisions.
Design Principles
Design Principles
Contextual Relevance
Clarity over Complexity
Conversational Experience
Seamless Integration
Contextual Relevance
Clarity over Complexity
Conversational Experience
Seamless Integration
Flows & Structure
Flows & Structure
The app centers on supplement registration, context-aware notifications, and a conversational chatbot, ensuring safety info arrives at the right moment and in plain language.
From onboarding to pill logging, flows prioritize speed, clarity, and context—no forms, no jargon, just timely nudges.
The app centers on supplement registration, context-aware notifications, and a conversational chatbot, ensuring safety info arrives at the right moment and in plain language.
From onboarding to pill logging, flows prioritize speed, clarity, and context—no forms, no jargon, just timely nudges.
From onboarding to pill logging, the flow prioritizes quick actions, simple visuals, and context-aware safety alerts. No forms. No medical jargon. Just timely nudges and clear answers.
From onboarding to pill logging, the flow prioritizes quick actions, simple visuals, and context-aware safety alerts. No forms. No medical jargon. Just timely nudges and clear answers.
screen flow
screen flow
Prototyping
Prototyping
Hi-fidelity prototype
Hi-fidelity prototype
Refined for clarity and safety, balancing simple visuals with adaptive alerts and conversational flows.
Validated through design critiques and built quickly within the hackathon timeline.
Every screen was tuned to support clarity, adapt to real-life contexts, and save time.
Refined for clarity and safety, balancing simple visuals with adaptive alerts and conversational flows.
Validated through design critiques and built quickly within the hackathon timeline.
Every screen was tuned to support clarity, adapt to real-life contexts, and save time.
These changes were driven by user pain points and tested through design critiques, ensuring that each screen delivers clarity, adapts to real-life contexts, and saves users’ time.
These changes were driven by user pain points and tested through design critiques, ensuring that each screen delivers clarity, adapts to real-life contexts, and saves users’ time.
Interaction Details
SafeDoser moves beyond static, time-based reminders toward context-aware and conversational experiences integrated into daily life.
Context-aware Safety Alerts
Notifications adapt to the user’s real-world context rather than just the clock.
Example:
A recall alert appears only when the user is near a pharmacy where an exchange is possible.
Why it matters:
In daily life, users ignore generic alerts, but context-driven messages appear only when actionable. This ensures safety without unnecessary interruptions.
Impact
Timely, relevant safety nudges
Lower notification fatigue
Increased confidence in supplement safety
Conversational Guidance
A built-in chatbot allows users to ask questions naturally, using text or voice, about supplement–drug interactions.
Example:
“Can I take Vitamin D with my heart medicine?” → Clear, jargon-free answer from FDA data.
Why it matters:
Medical information is often too complex and overwhelming. By transforming it into exploratory dialogue, users gain clarity, trust, and autonomy in decision-making.
Impact
Reduces cognitive load
Supports user-driven exploration
Encourages safer, informed supplement use
Interaction Details
SafeDoser moves beyond static, time-based reminders toward context-aware and conversational experiences integrated into daily life.
Context-aware Safety Alerts
Notifications adapt to the user’s real-world context rather than just the clock.
Example:
A recall alert appears only when the user is near a pharmacy where an exchange is possible.
Why it matters:
In daily life, users ignore generic alerts, but context-driven messages appear only when actionable. This ensures safety without unnecessary interruptions.
Impact
Timely, relevant safety nudges
Lower notification fatigue
Increased confidence in supplement safety
Conversational Guidance
A built-in chatbot allows users to ask questions naturally, using text or voice, about supplement–drug interactions.
Example:
“Can I take Vitamin D with my heart medicine?” → Clear, jargon-free answer from FDA data.
Why it matters:
Medical information is often too complex and overwhelming. By transforming it into exploratory dialogue, users gain clarity, trust, and autonomy in decision-making.
Impact
Reduces cognitive load
Supports user-driven exploration
Encourages safer, informed supplement use
Learnings
Learnings
From research and design critiques, we learned that:
From research and design critiques, we learned that:
Key insights:
Relevance matters more than frequency — users ignore generic alerts but respond when context makes them actionable.
Clarity reduces stress — people want plain, direct guidance, not complex medical terms.
Dialogue builds confidence — a chatbot lowers the barrier for asking questions and supports safer decisions.
Key insights:
Relevance matters more than frequency — users ignore generic alerts but respond when context makes them actionable.
Clarity reduces stress — people want plain, direct guidance, not complex medical terms.
Dialogue builds confidence — a chatbot lowers the barrier for asking questions and supports safer decisions.
Outcome
The MVP reframes supplement safety with adaptive, user-centered interactions—transforming it from static reminders into a personalized safety companion.
What’s next
Expand barcode database integration for faster, accurate registration
Add calendar sync & missed-dose tracking to fit real routines
Enhance chatbot for more proactive, supportive guidance
Outcome
The MVP reframes supplement safety with adaptive, user-centered interactions—transforming it from static reminders into a personalized safety companion.
What’s next
Expand barcode database integration for faster, accurate registration
Add calendar sync & missed-dose tracking to fit real routines
Enhance chatbot for more proactive, supportive guidance
Read more of my other projects
Read more of my other projects
