Tag Archives: pill box

This biodegradable prescription pill bottle is an open-source design made from paper & its child-proof!

Posted on by




Prescription medications are only packaged in stores in plastic containers and about 90% of them are not recycled, according to Tikkun Olam Makers, an Israel-based collective, that is constantly working to solve social and environmental problems with innovation. To battle plastic waste generated from the pharmaceutical industries they’ve created the Prescription Paper Pill Bottle and yes, it is child-safe!

Each year 4-5 billion bottles made of polypropylene plastic are made for prescription medication and then end up as non-biodegradable waste which means it can’t be naturally broken down and adds to the pollution levels. Usually, these pill bottles are small and end up in landfills or water dumps creating microparticles and toxic waste that is dangerous for the environment. Tikkun Olam Makers designed a paper pill bottle that’s 100% compostable, biodegradable, meets FDA regulations for water, light, and child resistance! When the bottle is empty, it can be composted to add more value to the soil without leaving behind any harmful waste.

“The Prescription Paper Pill Bottle, a first of its kind, is 100% compostable and biodegradable. Its open-source design adheres to FDA regulations for durability, light, water, and child resistance. It’s available to any pharmacy for filling prescription tablets and capsules. Once used then emptied, the paper bottle can be tossed into any compostable bin with its Rx label to decompose and be reused as fertilizer to safely replenish the soil in fields, gardens, and landscapes,” says the team. Tikkun Olam Makers made it an open-source design which means anyone anywhere in the world can use their method and make their own paper pill bottles by downloading the .stl file that contains the attendant images and assembly instructions.

Designer: Tikkun Olam Makers

Designing products that break biases with Render Weekly and Ti Chang!

Posted on by

If you are a part of our Instagram community, you could have not missed this viral (and controversial!) post that shed light on gender bias in the design world. As conversations progressed, I realized the bias goes beyond genders and there are MANY segments of our audience who are underrepresented. We need to talk to and more about women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled groups – pay attention to their experiences, their needs, parts where they have felt left out of consideration when using a product or service. The post was a conversation starter but it needed to be followed by action, so Yanko Design teamed up with designer (and powerhouse) Ti Chang as well as Render Weekly to encourage participation from the global community with the aim of designing to break a bias.

“This is a chance to start to redesign products and experiences that do not address the needs of womxn and many underrepresented groups and historically marginalized communities. Let’s reimagine what could be! Let’s get these ideas out there by collaborating with EACH OTHER! Talk to your community, reexamine your privilege, reach out to this community and see if you can team up with them! Offer to realize other people’s ideas if you are super strong in rendering! If you have a great idea reach out to someone who is a great sketcher! Just get these ideas out there for us to see what a more equitable world COULD look like,” said Ti Chang.

Here are some of our favorites from the #RWDesignBias challenge –

CURVD by Amin Hasani

Hasani is one of the co-founders of CURVD, a universal mug that works for everyone! “Disabilities do not exist, design flaws do. When a product fails to serve a person, that person is not disabled, the product just wasn’t designed right. The CURVD mug was designed to allow all hands, regardless of their hand capability or shape, to be able to enjoy a beverage without limitations,” says Hasani. The mug was launched as a human-friendly design with a patented handle that allows all people, regardless of their hand capability, to be able to enjoy a beverage without limitations. Enjoying a warm beverage is a universal joy and deserves a universal design.

Maria Contraceptive Pill Dispenser by Romane Caudullo and Theotim Auger

Maria is a smart pill dispenser specially designed for the contraceptive pill with the aim to free women from pill omission pressure and its side effects. “Because, while the pill benefits the whole couple, the woman is often alone in managing this contraceptive, the constraints, and stress associated with it. It seems to us right and necessary to use design to improve this treatment,” says the team. Maria makes it easy for women to take the pill and improves its effectiveness by making the process more efficient. A much-needed redesign that comes 60 years after the FDA approval of birth control pills!

 

Changing Station by Claudia Miranda-Montealegre

Baby stations in public are only found in women’s bathrooms and do not take into account the needs of male caregivers. The current design does not feel safe, or hygienic, which leads to people using surfaces that might not be ideal (cars, floors, and counters/tables). This puts the burden on the female partners and takes away equal access from male partners. This conceptual baby changing station has a touch-less opening system, includes UV and alcohol self-cleaning capabilities, as well as integrated adjustable lighting. It upgrades the safety features to provide a comfortable experience for parents and infants alike. It also includes details such as hooks for bags, safety belts that can be adjusted using one hand, and a diaper dispenser for a seamless experience.

Pivot by Iris Ritsma

Even in 2020 majority of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is still being designed for the male body including body armor which is made to protect people from being harmed or even killed by gunfire. 71% of women working in emergency services wear PPE that is designed for men – it doesn’t fit women, their bodily movement, health issues, and more. Pivot is a soft concealable armor designed to optimally fit the anthropomorphic characteristics of women’s bodies. Each size comes with three variable chest sizes and the diagonal straps fit neatly around women’s naturally tighter waist with raised sides on the bottom provide extra freedom of movement in the hips. Pivot provides optimal protective coverage, maximizes women’s mobility, and increases women’s comfort significantly.

Liberia by Nipuni Siyambalapitiya

Current luggage scales in the market assume that most people can lift up a 50 lb/23kg on a hook/strap and weighed, it doesn’t take into account the elderly or those with disabilities. Liberia is a pneumatic luggage scale that allows you to weigh your bag WHILE packing! It is a pillow-like scale and accompanying app. It comes with an electronic air-pump that inflates it and a pressure-sensitive valve that records change in air pressure inside the scale as the weight on top changes. Buttons and tabs are large enough for people with low grip strength and have different tactile qualities, making it easy to maneuver the scale even if you can’t see too well. Simply place the deflated scale on the floor, put your bag on top, inflate the scale via the app and start packing while Libera tells you the weight in real-time.

Interruption Buzzer for women by Kristi Bartlett

Trump interrupted Hilary Clinton 51 times during their debate and in 2020. This buzzer is inspired by the board game Taboo and aims to make group discussions easier. The AI-enabled meeting assistant combats the phenomenon of women being talked over in meetings. Put it in the center of the table at your meeting and adjust the dial to reflect the gender makeup of your group to make sure the contributions follow the proportions. The device will buzz annoyingly and loudly when it detects a woman being interrupted by a man or another woman. It will also turn blue if it detects that men are speaking more than 50% of the time and pink if the same applies to women. The goal is to keep your meetings purple – equal chances!

Diffuser by Caterina Rizzoni

This diffuser re-imagines blow-drying curly hair, using a handheld form factor to help users offset discomfort and pain when using diffuser attachments on traditional dryers. Caterina spoke to over a dozen curly-haired womxn and relied heavily on design for usability. She aimed to reduce the ergonomic pain points present in the current design. This dryer was designed to protect naturally curly hair – the extra deep bowl saves room for curl pattern formation, while the dished fingers naturally conform to the user’s head. The use of metal for the diffusing end allows for even more drying from radiant heat, which means less airflow and less frizz! The soft braided cord easily swivels out of the way during use, and the soft heat-resistant over-mold on the body is easy to grip + easy to clean. Curly hair people are often forgotten like left-handed people and we need to break this bias.

BAGPAL by Tim Zarki

Public restrooms lack hooks to hang your bag from, and no one likes putting their bag on the gross public restroom floor. It is an uncomfortable and stressful experience, especially for women as they carry bags more often than men. BAGPAL can be used to hang your bag when you are using a public restroom and need both hands to change a tampon or pad. It is a multipurpose hook-shaped product that travels with you to hold your things when you can not. It has a strong stainless steel skeleton and colorful waterproof skin that is easy to clean when you wash your hands. With the pandemic, people are all the more careful of common surfaces and we don’t want to carry germs back home with us on our bags!

A removable pillbox + water bottle so you’ll never forget to take your daily supplements

Posted on by

Back in 2018, Joop Opmeer, the young inventor behind the YOS bottle, noticed how his mother would forget to take her medications on time, sometimes skipping an entire day. It’s a task that’s easy to forget, but one that can have serious health consequences depending on the necessity of that medication. However, Joop’s mother isn’t the only one making these mistakes. In his home country, The Netherlands, 68% of people who take daily supplements or medication forget at least once a month. To make their lives slightly more convenient, Joop designed a portable pillbox that someone would be less likely to forget. This was the inspiration for the YOS bottle.

YOS, which stands for Your Organized Supplements, is a reusable water bottle with a detachable pill holder. The bottle holds 375ml and the pillbox has seven compartments (labeled for each day of the week). Although, if the containers are too small, YOS offers a larger, 4-compartment box as an alternative. The bottles also come in four vibrant colors, so you’ll want to take it everywhere you go. They are also dishwasher safe, which adds to their convenience.

The YOS is more than a clever, functional product. The company itself has a mission that buyers will feel good about supporting. First, YOS products are made with recyclable materials, helping to reduce waste and promote sustainability.  Second, a portion of their sales goes to a research foundation for pancreatic cancer research. So, in addition to getting a useful product, you are also supporting a business that helps its community.

Personally, as a younger person who doesn’t take daily medication, I still think this product would be useful in my life. For instance, refillable water bottles have grown more popular as more people decide to reduce their environmental footprint, especially within my age demographic. Also, I frequently hike and take boxing classes, and I may need an Advil if I overexert myself. Or, more likely, I would use the pillbox as a snack compartment, especially for trail mix. So, you can see that although the YOS bottle caters specifically to individuals who take supplements, its appeal is universal. After all, we all need water to survive.

Designer: Joop Opmeer

Click Here to Buy Now!

A bread-shaped pill box pops up from this toaster to playfully remind you to take care of yourself!

Posted on by

One of the little joys of life is a perfectly browned toast and you know that you will get a perfect one each time the 3 minute timer is up! Charles Strite invented the automatic toaster that saved so many slices from being burned to a crisp because it is the most human thing to forget – and we forget things all the time, right from drinking enough water to getting up from our desks. However, taking care of ourselves and having medicines on time is something we can’t forget so a team of designers came up with a simple yet genius idea of combining reminders to take our pills with a playful toaster.

This 2020 European Product Design (Design for Society/Design for Elders category) award-winning product is a pillbox that stores a week’s worth of medication divided into days and pops up when it is time to take your daily dose. The traditional pillboxes can make you feel self-conscious but if you have one shaped like bread, everyone around you is going to ‘loaf’ it and want one too – bread has the power to make everyone happy! This toaster works for everyone but was specially made keeping the elderly demographic in mind as they tend to be more forgetful. This playful pillbox and reminder device bring some familiar relief while helping people to take their medication on time. Keep in mind that the older generation may not be most comfortable with using smartphones to set reminders or may not recognize the difference between alarms/reminder tones but the toaster helps because they don’t have to learn how to operate something new. Also, if you miss a reminder on your phone it won’t ring again but the bread slice pillbox will remain popped up which is a second visual reminder to take your medication if you miss hearing it.

You have three slices of “bread” that contain a week’s worth of medication and pop up at regular times each day along with flashing lights and vibrations. The toaster’s form also appeals to the emotional needs of users and reduces the depression caused by long-term medication through its bright colors and familiarity. The Toaster Medicine Box was a 2020 European Product Design Award winner in the Design for Society/Design for Elders category.

Designers: Ding Xiong, Liu Shan, Yang Yunyi of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Xu Mengzhen of Fuxi Laboratory of China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

This smart pill bottle was designed to change user behavior and fight the opioid epidemic

Posted on by

More than 750,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. Two out of three drug overdose deaths in 2018 involved an opioid – the crisis is an ongoing epidemic where the medicine has taken an evil form. Opioids are prescribed drugs that can become addictive leading the patient to soon go from legal opioids to finding illegal opioids which soon turns into full-blown drug addiction. The drugs formulated to replicate the pain-reducing properties of opium binds to the parts of the brain that not only control pain but also emotion, making the user feel good with a rush of dopamine when they take it. In America, an estimated 10.3 million people above the age of 12 misused opioids in 2018 alone.

We need to understand that it starts with emotion and behavior before it becomes a problem, and good design has the power to change our behavior which can be a pillar of support to the medical and mental health professionals doing their best to fight this epidemic. Meet Pilleve – a smart pill bottle that aims to fill in the gap between opioid prescription and addiction. As a part of the larger solution to the misuse of opioids, this integrated pill bottle comes with a connected smartphone application that can accurately monitor a patient’s intake in real-time while securely holding opioids at all times. Many of the prescription bottles come with a child safety lock but not an adult safety lock, and that is what Pilleve was designed for. The goal is to help the user control and be accountable for their own intake right from the beginning which inculcates a sense of responsibility and decreases the chances of the user losing self-control when it comes to medication. If in case they do, the real-time monitor can alert family or local authorities to take timely action and even save lives.

The bottle is like a modern lava lamp with a minimal aesthetic, it almost looks like something Apple would make if they ever decided to venture into medical product design. The white bottle can be depressing on its own but the warm yellow transparent pill container gives it a pop of color and a friendlier vibe. It also comes in a slightly darker aesthetic with a black base and blue container. The dispenser has a toggle slide switch which can be used to dispense the exact amount of dosage needed and make it a habit right from the first day of your prescription course. It also helps to reduce the plastic waste generated each time you have to get a new container. Pilleve is the size of a coffee cup making it easy to carry and store anywhere while still being discreet. Its simple mechanism integrated with the smart app gives us this efficient pill dispenser that can encourage forming a healthier relationship with medicine and can save up to 130 lives a day. As a design community, we can play a pivotal role in helping the medical community curb this epidemic by shifting user perception by changing the way they interact with pills – we shouldn’t be afraid to take medicines in times of need.

Designer: Vuk Dragovic

This water bottle and pillbox hybrid was designed to restore young cancer patients’ confidence!

Posted on by

Pengu was born out of empathy for those diagnosed with cancer. It is heartbreaking and life-changing at any age, but more so when you are a teenager or young adult (TYA) because it takes away from their chance at having a normal developmental trajectory during a phase of life that is crucial for social, cognitive, and emotional development. Pengu was designed to improve the quality of life for TYA cancer patients on hospital leave or in remission by helping them feel and live a little more independently.

At this age, usually, a TYA patient would be moving out for school, getting their own space, experimenting with career options, and more but it all comes to a giant pause as their life suddenly revolves around health appointments. The constant monitoring and check-ups are bound to make anyone feel like they don’t have control over their life, and especially with a disease like cancer, so Pengu – a water bottle and pill holder hybrid – is a small product that can make a big impact by giving them a little control back. It helps to smoothly facilitate two critical things for the patient – taking their medication on time and hydrating enough. These two tasks are things the best of us forget all the time, but it is something vital for a patient’s recovery and therefore can’t be missed. With Pengu, the user will not have to feel conscious about having a big pillbox and the medicines will be easier to access compared to being in their bags. When the user starts to streamline their own basic needs of taking medication and drinking water, it starts to slowly build back their confidence about being able to leave home and readjust to life outside cancer. Besides, Pengu is sleek, minimal, and stylish so it takes away the feeling of “people are watching me when I have my pills.”

The name might hint on the fact that the form was inspired by the emperor penguin and their chick. “The subtle ribbed touch points on each side represent the flippers, whilst the shut line of the lid represents the beak. The pill holder slots into the base of the bottle, similarly to how the penguin would shield its chick from the cold,” explains Spence. Even the CMF was thoughtfully picked out to mimic the water-resistant feathers of the penguin. The jet black color is bold yet minimal and the bottle is powder-coated in stainless steel for sturdiness and insulation. Since it is still a concept, it would be fun to see if there was a digital element to it like subtle reminders to hydrate or take pills. The penguin is a symbol of resilience – no matter how harsh the storm, they must keep moving forward to survive and it is a beautiful reminder to those fighting cancer every day.

Designer: Shane Spence

These 3 smart objects remind senior citizens to take pills, read without strain and stay connected!

Posted on by

There are not enough product designs that focus on the senior citizen demographic. As life around us speeds up, we incorporate gadgets that help us keep up. But for those who are much older, life is slowing down and they need gadgets that keep up with their pace to make life convenient for them. It is kind of like the fear of missing out if they don’t adapt to the faster tech, but that is the beauty of design – with products like Familia they don’t have to worry about missing out anymore!

Familia is a collection of smart objects that aim to restore dignity to seniors by making them feel less dependent and more confident. These are specifically created to appear like everyday objects with minimal aesthetics and simple UI to make sure it isn’t another thing they have to learn to operate. As people grow old they often tend to hide things that make them feel “old” and with a help of this smart clock, lamp/magnifying glass, and digital mirror, senior citizens can live without being stigmatized. Each object offers subtle functionalities that respond to challenges faced by the elderly ranging from memory loss and health issues to vision damage and isolation.

The smart clock performs all its expected functions and also features a reminder cuckoo bird that will pop out to deliver the medication which helps the user to not miss any dose. Medicines are not happy reminders and a small detail like the cuckoo bird adds playfulness that resonates with all ages. The mechanism is based on a 28-compartment wheel operated by a PCB which, by turning, pours the programmed dose of medication into the cuckoo cup that pops out at set times. Another object with a dual purpose is the lamp that doubles up as an illuminated magnifying glass that can also be used by any age group. It is a standing desk lamp that you can grab and turn around for reading because the luminous magnifying glass helps to see clearly. The final object is the mirror which is about looking at ourselves and at the same time at the ones we love – poetic and functional. “Because younger and older generations don’t use the same tools of communication, we designed an object that bridges this gap. On one side it is an app and on the other side, it becomes an automatically updated picture frame. The mirror is designed to facilitate the dialogue between family members and strengthen family ties,” said the designers.

While the objects are meant for the elderly, inclusivity is key and all of these can be used by children and young adults as well which helps to reduce stigmas around the challenges faced by the older generation – it is not a weakness if everyone has it and overcomes it with objects they cherish!

Designer: Studio Fantasio

This article was sent to us using the ‘Submit A Design’ feature.
We encourage designers/students/studios to send in their projects to be featured on Yanko Design!

Liif Smart Pill Box Reminds You to Take Your Medicine: Popper Pinger

Posted on by

Pill boxes or pill organizers are often marked with the days of the week to remind you when you should take your medicine. But that’s a passive notification. If you forget to take your medicine you might not remember until you see the pill box. Tricella aims to solve that dilemma with Liif, a pill box that reminds you to take your medicine by sending notifications to your mobile device.

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 620x541magnify

Liif sends alerts to your phone via Wi-Fi and uses Bluetooth or NFC to set up its app. The app also has a calendar that shows you when you forgot to take your medicine. Other people can also install the Liif app on their mobile device and be notified if you forgot to take your medicine. An optional Liif hub that can send alerts to other phones if you don’t own a mobile device. Unfortunately, as of this writing Tricella has no detailed explanation or demonstration of Liif’s set up process on its website.

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 2 620x372magnify

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 3 620x403magnify

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 4 620x308magnify

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 5 620x390magnify

liif bluetooth pill box by tricella 6 620x348magnify

Liif comes in two sizes and is available from Tricella’s online shop. Liif Today has four chambers and is suited for medicine that need to be taken at different times of a day, while Liif This Week costs $55 and has seven chambers for medicine that need to be taken once a day throughout a week. Liif Today costs $45 (USD) while Liif This Week costs $55. At nearly 10 times the price of ordinary pill boxes, I suggest you ask Tricella for more information on how Liif works before you buy it.

[via psfk]

Typo Pill Cases Help You From Making Mistakes with Your Pills

Posted on by

Do you need to take pills every day? Yeah, I hate it as much as you do – but it’s your health, right? It’s easy to forget whether or not you took your daily regimen, so it’s always a good idea to get a pill case to make sure you don’t skip or double-dose your meds or vitamins. And what better way to do this but with some pill cases that look like computer keys?

keyboard pill cases

Designed by Matt Carr for Umbra, these clever pill boxes look just like the keys you’d find on your PC keyboard, but instead of being in QWERTY format, they’we in SMTWTFS format – not the easiest thing if you prefer your sentences with vowels, but great if you want to keep track of your pills. Still better than DVORAK, I suppose. In addition to the 7-day/7-key Typo Pill Case, there’s a set of 3 cases which look like the Shift, CTRL and ESC keys. Now I don’t know what days of the week those are supposed to represent, but they still look cool.

Both sets are available direct from Umbra, with each selling for $6.00(USD).

[via bltd]