Improving the return rate of a smart pillbox in a circular economy

Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma
pillbox in a ci cula economy
Mas e Thesis
By Yi eng Mao
In eg a ed P oduc Design
F om p oduc edesign o comp ehensi e guidelines
32
Acknowledgemen s
Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox
in a ci cula economy
F om p oduc edesign o comp ehensi e guidelines
Mas e Thesis
Yi eng Mao
MSc. In eg a ed P oduc Design
Facul y o Indus ial Design Enginee ing
Del Uni e si y o Technology
G adua ion Commi ee
Chai | D . Je emy Faludi
Facul y o Indus ial Design Enginee ing - Ci cula P oduc Design
Men o | MSc. Tama a Ho eling
Facul y o Indus ial Design Enginee ing - Design o Sus ainabili y
Facul y o Indus ial Design Enginee ing
Del Uni e si y o Technology
Landbe gs aa 15, 2628CE Del
he Ne he lands
Digi al Heal h in he Ci cula Economy
(DiCE p ojec )
h ps://ci cula digi alheal h.eu/
O e he cou se o his p ojec , I ha e del ed deeply in o i s in icacies
and challenges. The ui ion o his endea o owes much o he in aluable
con ibu ions and guidance o nume ous indi iduals. I ex end my
p o ound g a i ude o my supe iso y commi ee, P o . Je emy Faludi and
MSc. Tama a Ho eling. P o . Faludi's me iculous a en ion o de ail and
unwa e ing commi men ensu ed he p ojec 's di ec ion and momen um.
MSc. Ho eling's consis en suppo and di ec ion we e ins umen al,
especially du ing momen s o unce ain y.
My app ecia ion ex ends o Suzanne Tholenaa om Games o Heal h,
whose expe ise en iched my unde s anding o nudging and p o ided a
clea e pe spec i e on ou a ge demog aphic.
I am also indeb ed o my ellow designe s, whose collabo a i e spi i and
c ea i i y we e pi o al in shaping he p ojec 's ajec o y.
Las ly, o all who ha e bols e ed me bo h pe sonally and p o essionally,
enabling my dedica ion o his p ojec , I exp ess my hea el hanks.
54
Abs ac
This s udy explo es nudging s a egies o imp o e use abili ies in o de
o p omo e he olun a y e u n o digi al heal h p oduc s, wi h a ocus
on he sma pillbox. The wo objec i es we e o c ea e speci ic design
ecommenda ions o he sma pillbox and de i e gene al design guidelines
o suppo a ci cula li ecycle o u u e digi al heal h inno a ions. The s udy
e ealed ou key design aims: enhancing use abili ies, es ablishing eliable
e u n mechanisms, educing pa icipa ion ba ie s and explo ing he wide
ange o po en ial applica ions.
The in es iga ion combined ho ough analysis, engaging use s and e ining
designs h ough i e a ions. The key indings emphasized he c ucial ac o s
o p oduc ha dwa e design and s a egic communica ion in in luencing
use s' abili ies and willingness o e u n he sma pillboxes. Inno a ions in
designing sma pillboxes, such as s a e swi ches, clea p in ed ins uc ions,
and digi al eminde s, ha e been in oduced. P elimina y alida ions
sugges ha hey a e e ec i e, bu he e is a need o u he esea ch o
explo e hei combined impac s. In e es ingly, his esea ch highligh s he
impo ance o "Re u ne s" as c ucial s akeholde s in he p oduc e u n
ecosys em. This unde sco es he need o ailo ed comp ehension and
design o mee hei unique equi emen s.
Al hough he ecommended guidelines ha e he po en ial o bene i a wide
ange o sma heal h de ices, i is essen ial o alida e hem wi h mo e
ex ensi e pa icipan g oups. I is wo h no ing ha he cu en esea ch
mos ly ocused on use abili y, howe e , u u e s udies a e encou aged o
explo e he mo i a ion dimension, which pa icipan s iden i y as a c i ical
ac o . This would help c ea e a holis ic app oach o encou age olun a y
p oduc e u ns.
76
Abb e ia ion
CE Ci cula Economy
DiCE Digi al Heal h in he Ci cula Economy
EoL End o Li e
EU-MDR Eu opean Union Medical De ice Regula ion
FBM Fogg’s Beha iou Model
IoT In e ne o Things
LCA Li e Cycle Assessmen
PCB P in ed Ci cui Boa d
R&D Resea ch and De elopmen
SMS Sho Message Se ice
Glossa y
Collec ion: The p ocess o sys em se up o collec and accumula e a
pa icula ype o equipmen . In he con ex o his epo , i e e s o he
collec ion o e u ned pillboxes o de ices.
Di es men : The ac o selling o disposing o asse s, especially in a
planned manne . In he con ex o he p oduc li ecycle, i can e e o use s
pa ing wi h hei equipmen , ei he h ough e u n o o he means.
End-o -Li e (EoL): Re e s o he inal s age o a p oduc 's li ecycle,
indica ing ha he p oduc has eached he end o i s use ul li e. A his
poin , i 's no longe sui able o egula use and is eady o be disca ded,
ecycled o eused.
Medica ion adhe ence: The deg ee o which a pa ien consis en ly ollows
he p esc ibed dosage, iming and equency o a medica ion egimen.
This can be c i ical o he e ec i eness o ea men s and o e all heal h
ou comes.
Re u n: The p ocess o gi ing back o sending a p oduc o i s place
o pu chase o manu ac u e , especially o easons o de ec i eness,
dissa is ac ion o a s uc u ed ecall sys em.
Re u ne : An indi idual o o ganisa ion esponsible o he ac o e u ning
p oduc s o hei place o pu chase o o he manu ac u e . In his epo ,
his e m could e e speci ically o hose e u ning he pillboxes.
Re e se Logis ics: The p ocess and ope a ions associa ed wi h he e u n
o p oduc s om hei inal des ina ion o eco e alue o ensu e p ope
disposal. Unlike adi ional logis ics, i in ol es ope a ions om he end
use back o he manu ac u e o simila loca ion.
98
Table o Con en s
Acknowledgemen s  3
Abs ac   4
Abb e ia ion   6
Glossa y   7
In oduc ion  12
1.1. P ojec Con ex   14
1.1.1. Ci cula Economy  14
1.1.2. Con ex : DiCE P ojec   14
1.1.3. The sma pillbox  15
1.2. Backg ound Resea ch  16
1.2.1. D i e s and ba ie s in he sys em  16
1.2.2. Beha iou changes and nudging s a egies  20
1.2.3. Explo a o y Resea ch   22
1.3. P ojec Objec i es  24
1.3.1. P ojec Scope  24
1.4. Conclusion  26
App oach & Me hod 28
2.1. Design P ocess  30
2.2. Me hods  32
2.2.1. Li e a u e esea ch  32
2.2.2. Re e se enginee ing  32
2.2.3. Expe in e iews  32
2.2.4. Jou ney mapping  34
2.2.5. S akeholde analysis  34
2.2.6. Inspi ing design mapping  35
2.2.7. Ques ionnai e & use in e iew 36
2.2.8. Co-C ea ion Session  37
2.2.9. Concep selec ion   38
2.2.10.Concep Valida ion  40
P oduc Analysis 42
3.1. P oduc De ails  44
3.1.1. Cus ome Jou ney Map  44
3.1.2. Ha dwa e  46
3.1.3. So wa e  48
3.2. Flow Model  48
3.3.Use P o ile  50
3.3.1. Main Use   50
3.3.2. Re u ne   50
3.3.3. S akeholde s  52
3.4. Conclusion  54
Design B ie   56
4.1. Summa y o P oblem  58
4.1.1. Design Challenge  58
4.2. Re u n Scena ios  59
4.2.1. Scena io 1: Pillbox Use   59
4.2.2. Scena io 2: Re u ne   59
4.3. Design Aims  60
Design De elopmen   62
5.1. Explo a ion 64
5.1.1. Explo a o y use es   66
5.1.2. How Migh We (HMW) ques ions  68
5.2. P elimina y ideas  70
5.3. Co-c ea ion Session  72
5.3.1. Findings  73
5.3.2. Design insigh s  74
5.4. Design Concep s  76
5.4.1. Concep A: In eg a ed e u n en elope  76
5.4.2. Concep B: Pho o cha m and olded e u n manual  77
5.4.3. Concep C: Di ec ins uc ion and ex message  78
5.4.4. Concep D: A swi ch o e u n mode  79
5.5. Concep Selec ion 80
5.5.1. Resul s  81
5.5.2. Findings abou design elemen s  84
5.5.3. Design insigh s  88
5.6. Redesign Recommenda ion  90
5.6.1. Fea u es o imp o ing e u n  90
5.6.2. Example o applica ion  92
5.6.3. Re u n Jou ney P oposal  96
5.6.4. P o o ype   100

1110
5.7. Design Guidelines  102
5.8. Conclusion  105
E alua ion  106
6.1. Concep Valida ion  108
6.1.1. Resul s  109
6.1.2. Conclusion  113
6.2. Impac on ma e ial and li ecycle  114
6.3. Limi a ions  115
6.3.1. Limi a ions in design ea u es  115
6.3.2. Limi a ions in design p ocess  115
Conclusion  116
7.1. P ojec summa y  118
7.2. Challenges & Oppo uni ies  118
7.3. Implica ions  119
7.4. Recommenda ions  120
7.4.1. P oduc design  120
7.4.2. Re u ne   120
7.4.3. Comp ehensi e Guidelines  120
7.4.4. Mo i a ion  120
Re e ences  122
Appendix - A  128
Appendix - B  130
Appendix - C  132
Appendix - D  134
Appendix - E  136
Appendix - F  138
Appendix - F  140
Appendix - G  142
13
Chap e 1
In oduc ion
P ojec Con ex
Backg ound Resea ch
P ojec Objec i es
Conclusion
This chap e p o ides an o e iew o he
p ojec by explaining i s connec ion o he
ci cula economy and he end-o -li e e u n
o sma pillboxes. I also in oduces he
esul s o he backg ound and explo a o y
esea ch conduc ed du ing he p ima y phase
o his p ojec . This encompasses he d i e s
and ba ie s in he sys em o e u ning and
collec ing sma heal hca e- ela ed de ices,
as well as he challenges ha use s ace when
e u ning such de ices. Ul ima ely, his chap e
de ines he objec i es and scope o he p ojec .
In oduc ion Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
1514
1.1. P ojec Con ex
Was e gene a ion in he heal hca e indus y
is eno mous, and exis ing ci cula medical
p oduc s p esen a ious challenges,
including alue, hygiene, equi emen s, and
o ganiza ional suppo s uc u es. (Kandasamy
e al., 2022) Heal hca e is a esou ce-in ensi e
and essen ial sys em ha p o ides well-being
o his and u u e gene a ions. In addi ion o
non-haza dous was es, many di e en ypes
o haza dous was es a e gene a ed, including
bodily luids, in ec ious was e, pha maceu icals,
sha ps, and e-was e om equipmen . (Moul ie
e al., 2015) The medical de ice indus y
leads o a high en i onmen al oo p in while
main aining essen ial social unc ions (Guzzo
e al., 2020). Iden i ying oppo uni ies o
inno a ion in he ci cula li e cycle o a a ie y
o equipmen is he e o e challenging.
1.1.1. Ci cula Economy
A ci cula economy is an economic sys em
based on he sys ema ic applica ion o
s a egies o slow, close, o sh ink he ma e ial
and ene gy cycles o achie e a sus ainable
u u e. (Ki chhe e al., 2017). As demons a ed
in Figu e 1, he Wo ld Economic Fo um (2014)
ou lined pa hways in which echnical ma e ials
and alue can be e u ned o use s o sys ems
in a ci cula economy, including main enance,
euse/ edis ibu ion, e u bishmen /
emanu ac u ing, and ecycling. Rega dless
o he alue eco e y pa hway, he alue and
he ma e ial need o be collec ed om end
use s back o he sys em. This is e lec ed in
he acquisi ion and collec ion o used p oduc s
du ing he p oduc jou ney. By o e coming he
challenges o p oduc e u n and collec ion,
ci cula economy business models can be
implemen ed mo e success ully (Ki chhe e al.
2017).
1.1.2. Con ex : DiCE P ojec
The Digi al Heal h in Ci cula Economy (DiCE)
p ojec akes a comp ehensi e app oach o
he g owing challenge o digi al heal h was e
(Digi al Heal h in he Ci cula Economy 2023).
I encompasses all s ages o he li ecycle o
a digi al heal h de ice, om incep ion o
disposal, wi h a ocus on ex ending he li e o
Figu e 1 Bu e ly diag am (Ellen MacA hu Founda ion, 2019)
he p oduc . DiCE emphasises he impo ance
o obus es ing and implemen a ion o end-
o -li e s a egies ha inco po a e cu ing-edge
e u bishmen , emanu ac u ing, and ecycling
echnologies. These me hods aim o op imise
he eco e y o p oduc s, componen s, and
ma e ials when euse isn' an op ion. Ul ima ely,
DiCE ad oca es a shi om a disjoin ed,
linea model o a sus ainable, ci cula one ha
p omo es p oduc euse and componen and
ma e ial eco e y. In e ms o DiCE's mission,
his design p ojec , using sma pillboxes as
an en y poin , p ima ily add esses he e e se
logis ics aspec o inc ease he e u n a e o
de ices o e u bishmen o emanu ac u ing.
1.1.3. The sma pillbox
A sma pillbox is selec ed as one o he ou
p oduc s unde in es iga ion in he DiCE
p ojec . As ep esen ed in Figu e 2, designed
o s eamline medica ion managemen , i
syncs wi h a mobile applica ion, le e aging
in eg a ed echnology o acili a e medica ion
adhe ence. I p omp s use s o ake hei
medica ion, p o ides dosage ins uc ions, and
acks compliance, he eby making he ask o
managing medica ion mo e s aigh o wa d.
The p ima y ma e ials o he pillbox a e
polyca bona e, while i ea u es a echa geable
li hium ba e y, a p in ed ci cui boa d, and a
speake . The packaging includes a cha ging
adap e and a powe co d. By employing a
obus e u n and collec ion p og am, i al
componen s and ma e ials o he pillbox can
be ecycled and eused, e ec i ely educing
he en i onmen al impac .
A sma pillbox can be cha ac e ised as a
'bo de line medical de ice' (Medicines and
Heal hca e p oduc s Regula o y Agency, 2021).
This unde lines i s mul i ace ed na u e and
he complexi y in ol ed in i s ca ego isa ion.
"Bo de line medical de ices ha e a clea
heal h- ela ed unc ion bu do no mee
he con en ional de ini ion o a "medical
de ice" wi hin he pa ame e s o he EU-MDR
(Publica ions O ice, 2017). Such a posi ion
is ad an ageous o p oduc s such as sma
pillboxes, as i allows o a mo e s eamlined
ansi ion o a ci cula economy wi hou he
bu den o s ic egula o y compliance ace.
Such a posi ion is bene icial o p oduc s such
as sma pillboxes, as i allows o a mo e
s eamlined ansi ion o a ci cula economy
wi hou he bu den o s ic egula o y
compliance ha hese medical de ices ace.
Figu e 2 A ep esen a ion o a sma pillbox & accompanying App
In oduc ion Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
1716
1.2. Backg ound Resea ch
In o de o ully unde s and he con ex
o he p ojec , backg ound esea ch was
conduc ed a a sys ems le el, ocusing on
he implemen a ion o ci cula economy and
emanu ac u ing in indus y. This included an
examina ion o he ba ie s and challenges
o he widesp ead adop ion and applica ion
o ci cula economy and emanu ac u ing
p inciples.
A he same ime, an explo a o y s udy was
conduc ed a he use le el o unde s and he
mindse ha d i es end-o -li e (EoL) p oduc
e u ns du ing hei jou ney, as well as he
challenges encoun e ed h oughou he
e u ns p ocess. This esea ch also included an
explo a ion o nudging s a egies as a po en ial
ool o in o m and in luence subsequen design
di ec ions.
1.2.1. D i e s and ba ie s in he
sys em
D i e s and in as uc u es
Fo manu ac u e s and s akeholde s
ac oss he supply chain, he adop ion o
a ci cula economy equi es incen i es o
pa icipa ion. Acco ding o Aloini e al. (2020),
he d i ing ac o s can be ca ego ized in o
se en dimensions: ins i u ional, economic,
en i onmen al, o ganisa ional, social, supply
chain, and echnological. Th ough he li e a u e
e iew, a o al o 12 d i ing ac o s we e
iden i ied, including decision-making d i e s
and in as uc u e equi ed. Table 1 shows he
de ails o hese 12 d i ing ac o s.
The e a e many di e en ypes o ac o s and
in as uc u es ha can d i e companies in o
he emanu ac u ing cycle. The mos in luen ial
d i e s appea o be ins i u ional and economic.
Social ac o s such as consume awa eness and
ma ke compe i ion play an inc easing ole and
a e posi i ely co ela ed wi h i m size (Aloini e
al., 2020).
F om an R&D and p oduc ion pe spec i e,
e icien supply chain managemen capabili ies
and he in eg a ion o ci cula design in
he R&D phase may be undamen al o he
unc ioning o he emanu ac u ing cycle. The
uns able low o c i ical pa s and ma e ials in
he emanu ac u ing cycle poses a challenge
o he manu ac u ing supply chain. E ec i e
managemen o e e se ne wo ks and
adap a ion o he s uc u e o he supply
ma ke can help companies main ain s able
p oduc ion and cos s. Lean manu ac u ing's
low in en o y le els and abili y o adjus
p oduc ion on he ly also con ibu e o cos
con ol (Cilibe o e al., 2021). A he same ime,
aking in o conside a ion emanu ac u ing
equi emen s du ing he p oduc de elopmen
phase and adap ing emanu ac u ing s a egies
du ing p oduc ion will be one o he necessa y
enable s o he manu ac u e o he pillbox
o mo e owa ds a ci cula economy. Use
s udies ha e shown ha an e icien collec ion
s a egy educes he di icul y o collec ion
o use s while inc easing hei willingness
o collec , hus ensu ing ha c i ical pa s
and ma e ials a e e u ned o he sys em. An
e icien collec ion s a egy can he e o e be
desc ibed as a necessa y in as uc u e o he
emanu ac u ing cycle.
Finally, acco ding o Aloini e al. (2020), he
impac o he d i e s may also depend la gely
on he pa icula en i onmen in ol ed, in his
case he ma ginal medical de ice indus y.
The e o e, he speci ic impac o he d i ing
ac o s men ioned in he esea ch esul s on
he indus y s ill needs in-dep h esea ch o
e i y.
Dimension D i ing ac o s Re e ences
Ins i u ional Go e nmen Regula ion: policies, laws, di ec i es,
egula ions, s anda ds, and equi emen s se by
o ganisa ions.
(Dijks a e al., 2020);
(P ie o-Sando al e al.,
2018); (Tu a e al., 2019)
Incen i es: Tax eba es, unds, low-in e es loans,
subsidies, incen i es, e c.
(Dijks a e al., 2020);
(P ie o-Sando al e al.,
2018);
Economic Po en ial o imp o e cos e iciency and
p o i abili y: highe p o i abili y b ough abou
by sa ing anspo a ion cos s, e icien use
and eco e y o esou ces, cos educ ion and
esou ce ecycling, educed dependence on
impo s o aw ma e ials, and he impac o
luc ua ions in esou ce p ices.
(P ie o-Sando al e al.,
2018); (Guzzo e al., 2020);
(Dijks a e al., 2020);
(Agyemang e al., 2019)
Po en ial o new business de elopmen and
inno a ion: C ea e new alue, de elop new
p oduc s, o en e new ma ke s.
(Tu a e al., 2019); (Dijks a
e al., 2020)
En i onmen al En i onmen al p oblems: clima e change, ene gy
sho age, esou ce sca ci y, en i onmen al
secu i y, and esou ce limi a ion.
(Tu a e al., 2019);
(Go indan & Hasanagic,
2018); (Dijks a e al., 2020)
O ganiza ional S a egical conce ns: b and epu a ion and social
esponsibili y
(P ie o-Sando al e al.,
2018); (Tu a e al., 2019);
(Go indan & Hasanagic,
2018); (Dijks a e al., 2020)
Ci cula S a egies: E icien collec ion, inspec ion,
and iage s a egy o iden i y and eco e he
alue.
(Tu a e al., 2019); (Bocken
e al., 2016); (Dijks a e al.,
2020)
Social Ci cula Economy awa eness: S ess om he
ma ke o g een p ac ices om compe i o s;
En i onmen al awa eness, shi ing consume
p e e ences.
(P ie o-Sando al e
al., 2018); (Go indan &
Hasanagic, 2018); (Dijks a
e al., 2020)
Supply Chain Supply con igu a ion: managemen o e e se
ne wo k, supply ma ke s uc u e.
(P ie o-Sando al e al.,
2018); (Tu a e al., 2019);
(Dijks a e al., 2020)
Rep ocessing sys em: Cleaning, s e iliza ion, and
disin ec ion p ocesses o ensu e he hygiene and
sa e y o emanu ac u ed p oduc s.
(MacNeill e al., 2020);
(Kane e al., 2018)
Lean Manu ac u ing: Reduce in en o y, jus -in-
ime manu ac u ing, and modi ica ion; In eg a ion
o ci cula i y in he design phase.
(Cilibe o e al., 2021);
Technological in o ma ion and communica ion echnology: The
use o IoT, RFID and o he echnologies o assis
he collec ion o in o ma ion acking and supply
managemen
(Tu a e al., 2019); (Ma hews
& Tan, 2011)
Table 1 D i ing ac o s in he sys em.
App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
3130
2.1. Design P ocess
The design p ocess o his p ojec is shown in
Figu e 5. I p o ides a comp ehensi e iew o
he p ojec 's design p ocess, modelled on he
p inciples o he agile design app oach. Agile
design was well sui ed o his p ojec because
o i s i e a i e na u e and apid eedback loops.
The p ocess was o ganised in o a se ies o
'sp in s', each dedica ed o a speci ic aspec o
he design.
Each sp in in he design phase included
a cycle o design and es ing. The i e a i e
na u e o his p ocess allowed o con inuous
imp o emen o design concep s, esul ing in
e ined solu ions o e ime. The esul s o one
sp in , including design challenges and insigh s,
we e seamlessly in eg a ed in o he ollowing
sp in , ensu ing a con inuous eedback loop
and in o med p og ess.
This app oach os e ed a dynamic p ocess
ha was esponsi e o eme ging insigh s and
adap able o e ol ing design equi emen s. By
adop ing his Agile-inspi ed design p ocess,
he p ojec was able o e icien ly gene a e,
e alua e and e ine design concep s, ul ima ely
leading o a mo e use -cen ic solu ion.
Figu e 5 O e iew o design p ocess
In o de o achie e he p ima y objec i e, he
p ojec i s examined he sma pillbox, and
he con ex o end-o -li e (EoL) e u ns in a
ci cula economy, se ing he s age o de ining
he design p oblem. Once he p oblem was
iden i ied, an in-dep h explo a ion o he
key a iables in luencing he use expe ience
du ing he EoL e u n p ocess was conduc ed,
unco e ing he main easons o non- e u n
and he di icul ies expe ienced du ing he
p ocess. These indings helped o iden i y he
design challenges ela ed o use capabili ies
du ing he e u n p ocess.
To add ess hese challenges, p elimina y design
ideas we e gene a ed o s imula e eedback
aimed a unco e ing use p e e ences and
inno a i e ideas om pa icipan s du ing
co-c ea ion sessions. These ideas we e hen
e ined in o design concep s and eedback
was sough om a ge use s o u he
de elopmen , ul ima ely leading o he inal
edesign o he pillbox o imp o e e u n a es.
Finally, insigh s om each s age o he p ojec
we e dis illed in o a comp ehensi e guideline
o he u u e design o bo de line medical
p oduc s, pa ing he way o mo e ci cula
solu ions.

App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
3332
2.2. Me hods
The esea ch and design me hods applied
du ing he p ojec a e lis ed in Table 4.
2.2.1. Li e a u e esea ch
The aim o he li e a u e esea ch was o
iden i y he p oduc low in he collec ion and
emanu ac u ing sys em and o disco e he
d i e s and ba ie s wi hin i . The esea ch
p ocess co e ed 25 pieces o li e a u e in he
ele an ields, ocusing on iden i ying he
necessa y and po en ial s akeholde s in he
collec ion and emanu ac u ing cycle, hei
exis ing and equi ed capabili ies, and he
mo i a ions and igge s ha could encou age
hei pa icipa ion.
2.2.2. Re e se enginee ing
Re e se enginee ing was used in he edesign
o he sma pillbox o gain a comp ehensi e
unde s anding o i s exis ing s uc u e,
unc ionali y, and use in e ac ion. This
app oach p o ided impo an insigh s in o i s
adap abili y o he ci cula li ecycle. In addi ion,
e e se enginee ing allowed he success ul
elemen s o he o iginal design o be e ained
while inno a ing whe e necessa y, acili a ing a
balance be ween amilia i y and imp o emen
du ing he edesign p ocess.
2.2.3. Expe in e iews
Expe in e iews, which p o ided deep
insigh and domain expe ise, we e aluable
in he p oduc analysis and edesign p ocess.
A p o essional om he anonymous pillbox
manu ac u e p o ided a weal h o in o ma ion
abou he cu en sys ems, s a egies and
use s. An expe om a design o ganisa ion
shed ligh on he applied heal h games
landscape and sha ed insigh s om he
'Nudging hon', a se ies o co-c ea ion sessions
aimed a imp o ing he ci cula i y o heal hca e
de ices ac oss Eu ope. This p o ided aluable
pe spec i es on inco po a ing nudging alues
o encou age use pa icipa ion in he ci cula
economy. The Business De elopmen O ice
om a company specialising in sma collec ion
sys ems, p o ided insigh s in o he cu en
landscape o sma collec ion echnology,
which is essen ial o he pillbox’s e u n
and collec ion p ocess. O e all, hese expe
in e iews en iched he unde s anding o he
pillbox and i s b oade con ex and highligh ed
meaning ul di ec ions o inno a ion and
imp o emen .
Me hod S ages Resea ch Aim Ou pu
Li e a u e
esea ch
P elimina y
Resea ch
To iden i y he p oduc low in he
collec ion and emanu ac u ing sys em
and o disco e he d i e s and ba ie s
wi hin i .
Lis s o d i e s and
ba ie s
Re e se
Enginee ing
P oduc
Analysis
To unde s and he unc ion s uc u e o
he pillbox and he app and iden i y he
oppo uni ies.
P oduc disassembly
In e ace lowcha
Expe
in e iew
P oduc
Analysis
Use
Resea ch
& Scena io
De ini ion
To unde s and he sys em a ound
he pillbox and how i lows in he
sys em be ween hospi al, use , and
manu ac u e .
To ind ou abou he collec ion
s a egies, and he implemen o
nudging s a egies.
Flow model
Nudging ideas
Jou ney
mapping
P oduc
Analysis
Idea ion
To sys ema ically dissec and e alua e
use in e ac ions wi h he pillbox,
shedding ligh on ac ions, decisions,
and eelings a each s age.
Cus ome jou ney map
S akeholde
Analysis
P oduc
Analysis
To unde s and he s akeholde s wi hin
he con ex , especially he possible
e u ne . To ind ou abou wha a e
hei goals and abili ies.
Goals & abili ies
S akeholde map
Inspi ing
Design
Mapping
Use
Resea ch
& Scena io
De ini ion
To gene a e some b ains o ming ideas
o iden i y he a iable ha can be
add essed wi h he nudging design o
he use es ing.
Nudging ideas
Re u n p ocess
a ian s
Ques ionnai e
& use
in e iew
Use
Resea ch
& Scena io
De ini ion
To asce ain and analyse he key
a iables ha exe a posi i e in luence
on os e ing e u n in en ions.
Design challenge
Re u n scena ios
Co-c ea ion Idea ion To de i e e alua ions and p oposi ions
om use in e ac ions, in luenced
by hei indi idual capabili ies and
expe iences, in o de o unco e use
p e e ences and inno a i e ideas o
he e u n p ocess.
Design insigh s on
imp o ing use ’s
abili y o e u n.
Concep
selec ion
E alua ion &
I e a ion
To acili a e he selec ion o design
concep s and ga he eedback o
u he enhancemen .
The selec ed
design concep o
de elopmen .
Design insigh s on
imp o ing use ’s
abili y o e u n.
Concep
alida ion
De ailed
Design
To alida e he e ec i eness o he
design ea u es in inc easing he abili y
o use s o pa icipa e in he e u n
and o e alua e how well he design
achie es each design objec i e.
Summa y and
ecommenda ions o
u u e implemen a ion
Table 4 Design me hods in ol ed in his p ojec .
App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
3534
2.2.4. Jou ney mapping
Jou ney mapping se es as a powe ul ool
du ing he p oduc analysis phase, me iculously
dissec ing and e alua ing he o ali y o use
in e ac ions wi h he pillbox. This me hod
sys ema ically de ines he s ages o a use 's
jou ney wi h he p oduc , c ea ing a cohe en
oadmap o he use expe ience. I helps o gain
insigh in o he use 's ac ions, he decisions
hey make and, c ucially, he eelings hey
expe ience a each s age o he jou ney. Such
a comp ehensi e iew no only illumina es he
di ec ouchpoin s, bu also highligh s po en ial
a eas o nudging oppo uni ies, ensu ing ha
design decisions a e i mly oo ed in he use 's
expe ience and needs.
2.2.5. S akeholde analysis
S akeholde analysis was an in eg al pa o he
p oduc analysis phase and aimed o p o ide
a ho ough unde s anding o he a ious
en i ies in ol ed in he con ex , in pa icula
he po en ial e u ne s o he pillbox. This
me hod is cen al o iden i ying and assessing
he impo ance o key indi iduals, g oups o
ins i u ions ha can signi ican ly in luence
he ou come o he p ojec . Speci ically, he
analysis was ailo ed o elucida e he objec i es
and abili ies o each s akeholde in ela ion o
he p oduc li ecycle. The culmina ion o his
assessmen esul ed in wo p ima y ou pu s:
a delinea ion o he goals and capabili ies
o each s akeholde , and a comp ehensi e
s akeholde map ha isually ep esen ed he
ela ionships and impo ance o each en i y in
he con ex o he p oduc 's li ecycle.
Figu e 6 Design wi h In en Tool
2.2.6. Inspi ing design mapping
Inspi ing Design Mapping, using he Design
wi h In en oolki (Lock on e al., 2010), is a
me hod ha acili a es idea gene a ion and
mapping in he con ex o he pillbox’s e u n
p ocess. Design wi h in en oolki s p o ides
s a egies o in luence beha iou h ough
design by conside ing he in e play be ween
he use , he p oduc and he en i onmen .
I s imula es b ains o ming sessions and
encou ages inno a ion and di e si y o ideas.
As demons a ed in Figu e 6, h ough he
a chi ec u al, e o -p oo ing, pe suasi e,
isual, cogni i e, and secu i y lenses, i helped
gene a e c ea i e ideas o nudging he use s
and e u ne s o e u n he pillbox along he
p oduc jou ney. The p ocess also helps o
iden i y key design elemen s ha impac he
e u n p ocess, allowing o a mo e ocused
app oach o he edesign o i . The combina ion
o c ea i i y and sys ema ic analysis embedded
in his me hod makes i a powe ul ool o he
edesign p ojec .
App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
3736
Resea ch ques ions:
• Wha a e he key a iables ha nega i ely/
posi i ely in luence he os e ing o e u n
in en ions?
Pa icipan s
The age g oup and backg ound in o ma ion
abou e u n expe ience o he pa icipan s in
his session a e shown in Table 5.
Ma e ials
• Re u n p ocess a ian s di e based on six
dis inc a iables.
• Ques ionnai es
Resea ch se up
1. The p ocess began wi h pa icipan s being
in oduced, he concep o mail-back, and
sma collec ion me hods.
2. Pa icipan s we e hen asked in he
ques ionnai es abou hei p e ious e u n
expe iences. I hey had any, hey we e
asked a se ies o ques ions ela ed o hose
expe iences. I no , hey we e asked abou
he easons why hey had no ini ia ed a
e u n.
3. Nex , pa icipan s we e exposed o he
exis ing pillbox e u n p ocess and ou
al e na i e e u n p ocesses ha di e ed in
six di e en aspec s. These we e compa ed
in pai s o encou age pa icipan s o
iden i y he ac o s hey conside ed
aluable in he e u n p ocess.
4. Pa icipan s we e hen asked o selec
he op h ee ac o s ou o en ha hey
conside ed mos aluable in he e u n
p ocess.
5. Finally, he esea che s o e ed pa icipan s
he oppo uni y o pa icipa e in olun a y
one-on-one in e iews, which p o ided
a deepe insigh in o hei indi idual
pe spec i es.
Numbe o
pa icipan s
Age g oup Expe ience in e u n/ ecycling
elec onic de ices
18-24 25-34 35+ Yes No
24 10 11 3 16 9
Table 5 Pa icipan s o ques ionnai es and in e iew.
2.2.7. Ques ionnai e & use in e iew 2.2.8. Co-C ea ion Session
Resea ch ques ions:
• How do use s' pe cep ions o he di icul y
o e u ning he sma pillbox a EoL a y
ac oss di e en e u n channels?
• Wha in o ma ion deli e y s a egies
a e mos e ec i e in imp o ing use
unde s anding and lea ning o he e u n
p ocess?
• Wha a e he p e e ed app oaches o
add ess he need o p i acy and secu i y?
• Wha addi ional elemen s o me hods
could po en ially enhance he p omo ion
o he EoL e u n o he sma pillbox?
Pa icipan s
Table 6 shows in o ma ion abou he
pa icipan s in his co-c ea ion session. Thei
backg ound in design and as use s o he sma
pillbox was e y help ul in his session.
Ma e ials
• A sma pillbox
• A solu ion ma ix includes six design
ideas in wo e u n channels (ske ches)
Resea ch se up
1. F ee Explo a ion: Ini ially, pa icipan s
we e acco ded he eedom o
amilia ize hemsel es wi h he p oduc
and i s inhe en ea u es, os e ing an
unde s anding o he p oduc in an
uns uc u ed en i onmen .
2. In oduc ion: Following his, an o e iew
o he p oduc 's con ex was a icula ed,
alongside a de ailed desc ip ion o he
scena io unde in es iga ion.
3. P elimina y Concep s: Pa icipan s we e
p esen ed wi h six di e en ini ial concep s
om he wo design di ec ions, each o
which could co espond o bo h mail-
back and collec ion poin ecall, and hei
eedback was ac i ely sough . The aim
o his in e ac ion was o measu e he
di e en design elemen s, compa e he
wo e u n me hods and iden i y po en ial
a eas o imp o emen . Ano he aim was
o inspi e he pa icipan s and make hem
mo e open-minded abou hei needs.
4. Requi emen s Gene a ion: Pa icipan s
we e di ided in o wo g oups, asked
wi h delibe a ing and ou lining hei
p e equisi es o he e u n p ocess.
This exe cise aimed o gene a e a
comp ehensi e se o use -de ined
equi emen s.
5. B ains o ming and Design: Each g oup
emba ked on a apid b ains o ming
and design session, conside ing he
equi emen s speci ied by he opposing
g oup. This c oss- e e encing o
equi emen s aimed o b oaden he scope
o idea gene a ion and design.
6. P esen a ion: In he inal s age, each g oup
un eiled hei ideas, p o iding and ecei ing
eedback. This in e ac i e segmen os e ed
dialogue be ween pa icipan s, acili a ing
a deepe unde s anding o he p esen ed
ideas, and p omo ing a collec i e e ining
o he concep s.
Pa icipan s ID Special y
1 Sma pillbox use
2Sma pillbox use / UX
designe
3 Se ice designe
4 Se ice designe
5 UX designe
6 P oduc designe
7P oduc Designe (Medical
p oduc s)
Table 6 Pa icipan s o co-c ea ion session.
App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
3938
2.2.9. Concep selec ion
Resea ch ques ions
• Which design concep mos e ec i ely
enhances use comp ehension o i s e u n
p ocess?
• Wha speci ic design elemen s con ibu e
o inc eased use engagemen wi h i s
e u n p ocess?
• How does each design concep align wi h
he needs and capabili ies o di e en use
g oups?
Pa icipan s
Two di e en g oups we e ec ui ed o
concep selec ion: a senio g oup (Table
7) and a junio g oup (Table 8). The senio
g oup was selec ed using con enience
sampling, p io i ising indi iduals wi h long-
e m medica ion expe ience due o ch onic
condi ions. Some also had expe ise in ela ed
ields. The junio g oup was ec ui ed mainly
h ough olun a y pa icipa ion. All pa icipan s
we e gi en de ailed in o ma ion abou he
s udy and signed an in o med consen o m
be o e pa icipa ing.
Ma e ials
• Physical p o o ypes o 4 design concep s
• Ques ionnai es
Resea ch se up
1. In oduc ion: This s age p esen ed
an o e iew o he p ojec 's con ex ,
elabo a ing on he unc ionali y o he
pillbox, i s u iliza ion in daily li ing, and
he acquisi ion me hods a ailable o
p ospec i e use s. The p ima y aim was
o g ound pa icipan s in he p ac ical
applica ions and eal-wo ld implica ions o
he p oduc .
2. Scena io Cons uc ion: Two dis inc
scena ios we e o mula ed, each ca e ing
o a di e en age g oup. These scena ios
we e designed o e lec he a ied needs
and unique con ex s o he espec i e age
g oups.
3. Design Explo a ion: In his phase,
pa icipan s we e encou aged o in es iga e
ou dis inc design concep s. Following
hei indi idual explo a ion, an explana ion
o each design concep was p o ided.
This allowed o a compa ison o he
pa icipan s' ini ial in e p e a ions agains
he in ended design concep .
4. E alua ion: Pa icipan s we e p omp ed o
e alua e each design concep using a a ing
scale o 1-7, based on hei ag eemen
wi h en s a emen s pe aining o p oduc
abili y and po en ial usage di icul ies. On
his scale, 1 signi ied s ong disag eemen ,
whe eas 7 indica ed s ong ag eemen . This
e alua ion aimed o cap u e hei pe sonal
expe iences and iews owa ds he p oduc .
5. In e iew: P oceeding om he sco es
assigned o each s a emen , pa icipan s
we e asked o elabo a e on he easoning
behind hei a ings. They we e que ied
abou po en ial enhancemen s and
asked how hey migh ac i hey ound
hemsel es in he p oposed scena ios. This
quali a i e da a aimed o add dep h o he
nume ical e alua ions and o e insigh s
in o pa icipan hinking.
6. Value P oposi ion: In he inal s age,
pa icipan s we e asked o p io i ize eigh
alues associa ed wi h abili y equi emen s
in he p oduc e u n p ocess. The objec i e
was o asce ain wha pa icipan s deemed
c ucial when deciding whe he o ollow
e u n ins uc ions. This alue- anking
highligh ed use p io i ies and shaped ou
unde s anding o hei decision-making
p ocess.
Senio G oup
You ha e been using his pillbox o se e al yea s o
manage you medica ion, ollowing you doc o 's
ecommenda ion. This pillbox has se ed you well,
p o iding eminde s and helping you o ganize you
medicines. Howe e , as yea s passed, you needs ha e
changed. A new medica ion managemen p oduc has
caugh you eye, p omising addi ional ea u es ha
you ind bene icial. You' e decided o make he swi ch,
lea ing his pillbox edundan . Now, you a e aced wi h
he decision o wha o do wi h you no-longe -needed
de ice.
Junio G oup
You' e spending a weekend declu e ing you house, and
du ing his p ocess, you s umble upon a sma pillbox.
This elec onic de ice isn' you s; i belonged o you
pa en s o maybe you g andpa en s. They used i o
yea s o help manage hei medica ion schedules, bu
hey' e since mo ed on o a di e en sys em o maybe
no longe equi e i . You don' know much abou he
pillbox i sel o how i wo ks. Bu now i 's in you hands,
and you' e le wi h a decision o make. Now, you a e
aced wi h he decision o wha o do wi h his idle
de ice.
Scena ios
Age Gende Long- e m
medica ion
expe ience
P oduc
e u n
expe ience
No e
150-55 Female No Yes
255-60 Female Yes Yes
355-60 Female Yes No Physical The apis
455-60 Male Yes Yes Physical The apis
565-70 Male Yes No Re i ed
Table 7 Pa icipan s o concep selec ion (Senio g oup)
Table 8 Pa icipan s o concep selec ion (Junio g oup)
Age Gende Long- e m medica ion
expe ience
P oduc e u n
expe ience
118-24 Female No Yes
218-24 Female No No
318-24 Male No Yes
418-24 Male Yes Yes
525-30 Male No Yes
625-30 Male Yes Yes
App oach & Me hod Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
4140
2.2.10.Concep Valida ion
Resea ch ques ions
• How well does he design ea u es
in combina ion add ess each design
challenge?
• How do he p oposed design ea u es
o his pillbox o e all a ec he use ’s
pe cep ion o he di icul y o he e u n
p ocess in 2 di e en age g oups?
Pa icipan s
Fo he concep alida ion o he edesign
ea u es, wo g oups we e again o med: a
senio g oup (Table 9) and a junio g oup (Table
10), each consis ing o 5 pa icipan s. The
ec ui men me hodology mi o ed he ini ial
concep selec ion phase. The senio g oup was
selec ed using con enience sampling, ocusing
on hose wi h long- e m medica ion expe ience
and ele an expe ise. The junio g oup elied
p ima ily on olun a y pa icipa ion. No ably,
he majo i y o pa icipan s in he alida ion
phase had also pa icipa ed in he ini ial
concep selec ion, ensu ing consis ency o
eedback. All pa icipan s we e ully in o med
o he objec i es o he s udy and p o ided
in o med consen p io o pa icipa ion.
Ma e ials
• The cu en sma pillbox
• Func ional p o o ype ha in eg a es he
p oposed design ea u es
• Ques ionnai es
Resea ch se up
1. In oduc ion: P o ide a de ailed o e iew
o he con ex o he p ojec , highligh ing
he essen ial unc ions and unique ea u es
o he pillbox.
2. Unde s and design challenges: In oduce
he pa icipan s o he ou co e aspec s
o he design challenge: e u nabili y,
use con idence, cla i y o ins uc ions
and con enience in e e yday li e. Ensu e
ha he pa icipan s unde s and hese
objec i es as hey will be an in eg al pa o
hei e alua ion.
3. Exis ing Expe ience Walk h ough:
P esen he cu en e u n expe ience o
he pa icipan s and i ually walk hem
h ough he p ocess. The p ocedu e will
a y depending on he pa icipan 's ole as
ei he a pillbox use o a e u ne .
4. Ini ial ques ionnai e: A e he
walk h ough, in i e pa icipan s o
comple e a ques ionnai e ha explo es he
ou aspec s o he design challenge.
5. Redesigned Expe ience Walk h ough:
P esen he p oposed e u n expe ience o
he edesigned pillbox. Conduc a i ual
s ep-by-s ep walk h ough, which will a y
depending on whe he he pa icipan is a
pillbox use o a e u ne .
6. Follow-up ques ionnai e: Ask pa icipan s
o comple e a second ques ionnai e
e lec ing hei expe ience wi h he
edesigned pillbox. This eedback will be
compa ed wi h hei ini ial imp essions o
assess he e ec i eness o he edesign.
7. In e iews: Using he sco es assigned
o each s a emen in he ques ionnai es,
conduc in-dep h in e iews wi h
pa icipan s o unde s and he a ionale
and insigh s behind hei a ings.
Age Gende Long- e m medica ion
expe ience
A ini y wi h he pos al
sys em
150-55 Female No High
255-60 Female Yes High
355-60 Male Yes Low
455-60 Male Yes Low
565-70 Male Yes High
Table 9 Pa icipan s o concep alida ion (Senio g oup)
Age Gende Long- e m medica ion
expe ience
(Family membe )
A ini y wi h he pos al
sys em
118-24 Female Yes High
218-24 Male Yes High
325-30 Female Yes High
425-30 Male Yes High
525-30 Male Yes High
Table 10 Pa icipan s o concep alida ion (Junio g oup)

43
Chap e 3
P oduc Analysis
P oduc De ails
Flow Model
Use P o ile
Conclusion
In addi ion o he p oduc speci ics, his
chap e also p o ides an o e iew o he
use demog aphics, a icula ing exac ly who
in e ac s wi h he sma pillbox. Beyond he
use , o he s akeholde s, and hei oles wi hin
he sma pillbox e u n p ocess a e conside ed,
highligh ing he mul iplici y o ac o s in ol ed
in his ci cula li ecycle. In essence, his chap e
p o ides a ho ough unde s anding o he
sma pillbox, i s use s, and o he s akeholde s,
which o ms he basis o he subsequen
design and analysis.
This chap e p o ides a comp ehensi e
explo a ion o he sma pillbox. I dissec s key
aspec s such as he use jou ney, ha dwa e
assembly, and so wa e unc ionali y o p o ide
a holis ic unde s anding o he p oduc . I
also desc ibes he cu en p oduc low wi hin
he sys em, in ol ing he manu ac u e , he
hospi al, and he use . The in icacies o his
exchange illumina e he eal-wo ld unc ioning
o he sma pillbox.
P oduc Analysis Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
4544
3.1. P oduc De ails
3.1.1. Cus ome Jou ney Map
Based on he in e iews wi h he p o essionals
om he anonymous sma pillbox
manu ac u e , and he use s o sma pillboxes,
he use jou ney o a sma pillbox can be
depic ed in a cus ome jou ney map (Figu e
7). Pa ien s ypically become awa e o he
pillbox h ough a doc o 's ecommenda ion
o imp o e medica ion managemen and
adhe ence. A e ecei ing i , hey lea n how o
use i , including c ea ing an accoun , se ing
ala ms, and managing medica ion eco ds.
Once se up, use s will ecei e an ala m om
he pillbox and a no i ica ion om he app
a he scheduled medica ion ime. Du ing
his ime, upon opening he pillbox, he use
will no ice LED ligh s co esponding o he
compa men s con aining he medica ion o
be aken. The numbe o li LEDs indica es he
numbe o pills o be aken. A e aking o
skipping hei medica ion, use s can espond
o he no i ica ion in he mobile app and log
hei medica ion in ake. The app gene a es
a weekly medica ion adhe ence epo ha
can be accessed by he use 's ca egi e s and
physicians. Regula mee ings can be scheduled
wi h hei doc o s o e iew and discuss his
medica ion adhe ence da a.
As desc ibed by he pa icipan s in he
explo a o y esea ch, some use s may s op
using he pillbox o e ime o a a ie y o
easons , including imp o ed heal h, changing
medica ion needs, swi ching o a new
medica ion managemen solu ion, o e en
pa ien mo ali y. These use s may begin o
dis ega d i s ala ms, ei he u ning hem o o
simply igno ing hem un il he ba e y uns ou .
When use s ealise ha hey no longe wan
o keep he pillbox, hey will need guidance on
wha o do wi h he unused pillboxes, which
may come om hei doc o o di ec ly om
he manu ac u e . Finally, albei in limi ed cases,
use s e u n he pillbox o he manu ac u e
by pos . This p ocess happens in he s ages
o Obsolescence and Di es men , whe e his
p ojec ocused on.
Figu e 7 Cu en cus ome jou ney map o a sma pillbox.
P oduc Analysis Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
4746
3.1.2. Ha dwa e
Th oughou he li ecycle o a sma pillbox,
di e en in e en ions can be applied o he
ha dwa e o he sma pillbox o ex end i s
ope a ional li e o op imise i s EoL impac . Each
o hese in e en ions a ies in in ensi y and
scope, a ge ing di e en componen s o he
pillbox:
Repai
•Plas ic housing: Mino c acks o damage o
he housing a e sealed o pa ched wi hou
eplacing he en i e s uc u e.
•Co e Componen s: P oblems such as loose
connec ions o mino aul s in he ci cui
boa d a e epai ed. Faul y ba e ies may
be econnec ed o ese i no signi ican ly
deg aded.
Remanu ac u ing
•Plas ic housing: Depending on wea
and ea , he housing can be comple ely
eplaced wi h a new o ecycled plas ic
mould o ensu e s uc u al in eg i y.
•Co e Componen s: Se e ely deg aded
ba e ies a e eplaced. The PCB can be
comp ehensi ely upg aded, eplacing
obsole e pa s and upda ing so wa e o
he la es e sions.
Recycling
•Plas ic housings: The plas ic is b oken
down in o i s basic ma e ial, which can
be p ocessed and eused o make new
p oduc s o housings.
•Co e Componen s: Ba e ies a e disman led,
and eusable ma e ials a e ex ac ed o
new p oduc ion. The PCB is disman led and
aluable me als such as gold, sil e and
coppe a e ex ac ed o euse.
Re u bish
•Plas ic housing: Tho oughly cleaned o
emo e any s ains o esidue. Sc a ches
may be polished o es o e he o iginal
appea ance.
•Co e Componen s: The ba e y will be
checked o heal h and, i s ill unc ional,
ully cha ged.
The ha dwa e o he pillbox can be di ided in o
wo main pa s: he bo om ay and he op
lid, which a e connec ed by p o uding la ches
and bea ings on he ay and ail slo s on he
lid. Magne s in he wo pa s and a sp ing in
he lid p o ide damping and limi posi ioning
o he sliding opening and closing o he lid.
The ep esen a ion o a disassembly o a sma
pillbox is shown in Figu e 8.
The lid ac s as a housing o he main
unc ional componen s, which a e di ided in o
wo sec ions and connec ed by snap inge s.
Inside, he loudspeake is connec ed o he PCB
ia con ac poin s, while he li hium ba e y
supplies powe o he PCB ia a connec o . The
PCB con ains a se ies o LED ligh s, a ouch
senso , a Hall senso o de ec opening and
closing, a Blue oo h module and a Mic o-USB
cha ging po . These componen s p o ide he
basic unc ionali y o he sma pillbox, which
includes sending ala ms, displaying medica ion
posi ion and quan i y, de ec ing he opening
and closing o he pillbox o assess medica ion
in ake, and synch onising wi h he app.
The ease o assembly makes his pillbox sui able
o epai , e u bishmen , and emanu ac u ing
. All elec onic componen s, including he PCB,
li hium ba e y and speake , a e housed in he
lid. These componen s ha e ela i ely high
emanu ac u ing alues and en i onmen al
impac s, making he lid he p ima y a ge
o collec ion and emanu ac u ing . E en i
he plas ic pa s a e damaged du ing e e se
logis ics, hey can be ecycled back in o plas ic
ma e ial and used o make plas ic componen s.
Damage o he su ace o hese pillboxes
will no ha e a signi ican impac on he
emanu ac u ing alue i he co e componen s
a e no damaged. All elec onics a e secu ed o
he case by he s uc u e, wi h he PCB aped
secu ely in place and lush wi h he op co e .
This ape is easily emo able and eplaceable.
Plas ic componen s a e joined oge he wi h
snap- i as ene s. This sc ewless assembly
allows he pillbox o be disassembled quickly
and easily wi hou damage, g ea ly acili a ing
subsequen e u bishmen o emanu ac u ing,
and simpli ying main enance and epai .
Figu e 8 A ep esen a ion o a disassembly o a sma pillbox
P oduc Analysis Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
4948
3.1.3. So wa e
The accompanying app se es as a c i ical
elemen o he p oduc ecosys em, p o iding
a pla o m o p og amming ala ms, logging
medica ion in ake and synch onising da a
wi h he pillbox o gene a e comp ehensi e
medica ion s a is ics. This enables use s,
ca egi e s, and heal hca e p o essionals o
e ec i ely moni o medica ion adhe ence.
In addi ion, he applica ion enables iche
in e ac ion and in o ma ion sha ing be ween
he use and he pillbox, pa ing he way o
ad anced use engagemen . The capabili ies
o he app also ex end o he po en ial o
implemen ing nudging s a egies, p o iding
a weal h o oppo uni ies o e ec i e
communica ion o e u n in o ma ion.
A he same ime, howe e , some use s s a ed
ha hey no longe opened he app once
hei medica ion se ings we e comple e. They
igno ed he app's no i ica ions and logging
ea u e while using i . In addi ion, some use s'
apps ailed o send no i ica ions due o he
use 's sys em no i ica ion se ings. These
si ua ions illus a e he isks and d awbacks o
elying on he app o communica e e u n and
collec ion in o ma ion.
3.2. Flow Model
Based on he in o ma ion ga he ed om he
expe in e iew wi h he p o essional om
he anonymous pillbox manu ac u e , he
p oduc low be ween "hospi al - pa ien -
manu ac u e " is modelled as Figu e 9.
Unde he cu en sys em, manu ac u e s wo k
wi h hospi als o enable doc o s o p esc ibe
he sma pillbox o pa ien s. Once p esc ibed,
pa ien s pu chase he de ice online, which
is hen deli e ed by mail. To ack pa ien
adhe ence, manu ac u e s p o ide hospi als
wi h back-end access o pillbox's sys em,
including comp ehensi e da a moni o ing
capabili ies.
Figu e 9 Cu en p oduc low o a sma pillbox
Con en ionally, hospi als do no equi e he
e u n o hese pillboxes a e use. Howe e ,
some hospi als ha e implemen ed a deposi -
based sys em ha equi es pa ien s o e u n
he pillboxes o eclaim hei deposi s. In
such scena ios, pa ien s a e ins uc ed by he
hospi als o send he used pillboxes di ec ly o
he manu ac u e 's add ess o a oid duplica e
shipping. A e e u bishmen , hese pillboxes
a e ei he e u ned o he hospi als o dona ed
o he pa ien s who need hem bu canno
a o d he cos o pu chasing new ones.
63
Chap e 5
Design De elopmen
Explo a ion
P elimina y Ideas
Co-c ea ion Session
Design Concep s
Concep Selec ion
Redesign Recommenda ion
Design Guidelines
e alua ed, and e ined based on he esul s
o hese es s and subsequen eedback. Such
insigh s no only d o e he i e a i e e inemen
o he edesign o he pillbox, bu also
con ibu ed o he c ea ion o a comp ehensi e
guideline ha could po en ially shape u u e
design ini ia i es wi hin his p oduc ca ego y.
This chap e p o ides a de ailed explo a ion
o he i e a i e design p ocess ha led o he
inal concep ual edesign o he sma pillbox.
I illus a es he i e a i e jou ney o idea ion
and e inemen ha ook place o e se e al
design sp in s. Th oughou he design and
de elopmen phase, ou dis inc es ing/co-
c ea ion ounds we e sys ema ically conduc ed
o in o m and s ee he design di ec ion.
Concep ual ideas we e egula ly assessed,

Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
6564
5.1. Explo a ion
Ha ing es ablished he co e design objec i es
o he p ojec , an explo a o y es was planned
o explo e po en ial di ec ions o edesign. As
demons a ed in Figu e 11, he Obsolescence
and Di es men s ages o he cus ome
jou ney map we e zoomed in o he ask le el
and ce ain ac o s ha po en ially in luence
e u n in en and pe cei ed di icul y in he
p ocess we e iden i ied. These iden i ied
ac o s p omo ed a ound o b ains o ming o
gene a e ideas ha could posi i ely in luence
use s' willingness o pa icipa e in he e u n
p ocess.
Using inspi ing design mapping, in oduced in
Chap e 2.2.6., abou he e u n p ocess, some
ini ial b ains o m ideas we e gene a ed. The
ideas we e mapped in o he exis ing e u n
p ose and ca ego ised acco ding o he aspec
o he e u n p ocess hey add essed. In he
end, six main a iables encompassing he
e u n p ocess we e iden i ied and a ge ed
as he key issues o be in es iga ed in his
es ing phase, including Ins uc ion, Size &
shape, Rou ine, Appea ance & p esen a ion,
Da a p i acy, and T anspa ency. Ideas
co esponding o each a iable we e hen
e ined and combined o o m dis inc p ocess
a ian s. These we e used o s imula e he es
pa icipan s and o acili a e compa isons o
he di e en le els o impo ance hey a ached
o each a iable.
Figu e 11 Possible in luencing ac o s in he exis ing e u n p ocess.
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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5.1.1. Explo a o y use es
The objec i e o his esea ch is o asce ain
and analyse he main a iables ha exe a
subs an ial and posi i e in luence on os e ing
e u n in en ions. As shown in Figu e 12, he
s imuli used in his es a e 4 e u n p ocess
a ian s di e based on six dis inc a iables:
• Ins uc ion
• Size & shape
• Rou ine
• Appea ance & p esen a ion
• Da a p i acy
• T anspa ency
This es consis ed o wo pa s: ques ionnai es
asking pa icipan s o e lec on and compa e
he di e en a iables, and a subsequen
con e sa ional in e iew. De ailed in o ma ion
on he es ing p ocess can be ound in Chap e
2.2.7. 'Ques ionnai e & use in e iew'.
Resul s
Lack o ele an in o ma ion:
The main ba ie ha p e en ed use s om
comple ing he e u n p ocess, as e ealed
by he ques ionnai es and in e iews, was
a dis inc lack o ele an in o ma ion.
Many pa icipan s, despi e ha ing a s ong
unde s anding o heal hca e p oduc s and
a genuine desi e o sus ainabili y, el
handicapped by he lack o essen ial guidance.
This de iciency made i di icul o hem o
iden i y accu a e e u n channels. In e es ingly,
e en hough hey saw he e u n o he
p oduc as a social esponsibili y, hei d i e
was s alled by his in o ma ion gap. This is
consis en wi h he impo ance a ached o he
ins uc ion a iable. The e's also e idence ha
he pe cep ion o he p oduc 's iden i y can
in luence e u n decisions. When he pillbox
was pe cei ed as a heal h de ice, i was seen
as mo e likely o be e u ned han when i was
pe cei ed as a daily necessi y, highligh ing he
impo ance o clea p oduc communica ion.
Conce ns abou p i acy and us :
Ano he signi ican ba ie o e u ns was
ela ed o issues o p i acy and us . Gi en he
sensi i e na u e o medical de ices, pa icipan s
demons a ed a highe need o secu i y han
wi h s anda d consume elec onics. This need
o us was unde lined by hei eluc ance
o use e u n channels ha hey pe cei ed as
un us wo hy. The unde lying conce n was
abou po en ial isks o subsequen use s i he
eliabili y o he e u n channel was unce ain.
This sen imen is la gely consis en wi h he
impo ance o he ' anspa ency' a iable,
indica ing an u gen need o anspa ency in
he p ocess.
Need o explici & easy- o- ollow ins uc ions:
The eedback om he ques ionnai e showed
ha among he a iables ini ia ed by he e u n
p ocess, ins uc ions we e a ely men ioned.
This may be due o he ac ha he speci ic
s eps o he e u n p ocess we e made clea o
he pa icipan s du ing he b ie ing, which may
ha e educed hei pe cei ed need o u he
ins uc ions. Co espondingly, he ela i e
impo ance o his is mo e s ongly e lec ed in
he in e iew esul s.
Re u n p ocess no i ing in o daily ou ines:
The ques ionnai es indica ed ha pa icipan s
alued he in eg a ion o he e u n p ocess
in o hei ou ine. I a sys em does no i
e o lessly in o a use 's daily li e, he likelihood
o engagemen is educed. The in e iewees
exp essed a clea p e e ence o he loca ion
o he e u n pillboxes, wi h he p e e ed
loca ions being hose hey equen ed in
hei daily li es. This eedback illus a es he
impo ance o making he e u ns p ocess as
seamless as possible o use s so ha i i s
e o lessly in o hei daily ac i i ies.
Figu e 12 Va ian s o he e u n p ocess o a pillbox.
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
6968
The esul s o he use es s highligh key a eas
o imp o emen o encou age e u ns. A close
look a he esul s e eals ou HMW ques ions
ha need o be answe ed in o de o p omo e
a iable p oduc e u n sys em. The HMW
ques ions and hei co esponding ba ie and
po en ial solu ions a e lis ed in Table 11.
Table 11 HMW ques ion and co esponding ba ie s
5.1.2. How Migh We (HMW) ques ions
Ba ie HMW Ques ion Po en ial Design Solu ion
Lack o ele an in o ma ion How migh we make use s awa e o he
e u nable p ope y o he p oduc ? P o ide clea communica ion abou p oduc 's e u n po en ial.
Conce ns abou p i acy and us How migh we build use us in he
e u ns p ocess?
Es ablish anspa en and accoun able e u n p ocedu es.
Need o explici and easy- o-
ollow ins uc ions
How migh we p o ide in ui i e
ins uc ion and aids o acili a e he
e u n beha iou ?
Design a s ep-by-s eWp guide o in og aphicW on he e u n p ocess.
Re u n p ocess no i ing in o
daily ou ine
How migh we make he e u n a
con enien ask ha i s he use s’
e e yday planning?
In eg a e e u n channels in o daily li e, like a local s o es o pos o ices.
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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5.2. P elimina y ideas
In esponse o he HMW ques ions de i ed
om he explo a o y use es , se e al design
di ec ions we e concei ed. One di ec ion is o
embed in o ma ion abou he e u ns p ocess
in o he na u al in e ac ions ha use s ha e
wi h he pillbox. This app oach aims o le e age
ouchpoin s in he la e pa o he p oduc
li ecycle whe e use s a e likely o engage wi h
e u n in o ma ion.
Fo example, e u n ins uc ions can be
s a egically in oduced when he use , no
longe needing he pillbox, decides o clea
ou he pills o when hey a e conside ing
disposing o he p oduc . This jus -in- ime
app oach o p o iding in o ma ion can help
o acili a e seamless lea ning o he e u n
p ocess. I se es a dual pu pose: no only
does i educa e use s abou he p ocess, bu
i also demons a es he p oduc 's iden i y as
a ci cula , e u nable heal hca e p oduc . This
c ea es a sub le bu pe sis en eminde o
he pillbox’s iden i y h oughou he cus ome
jou ney, encou aging use s o make sus ainable
choices.
Ano he s a egy is o embed cues wi hin he
p oduc o s imula e cu iosi y and encou age
use s, especially e u ne s, o disco e he
e u n in o ma ion on hei own. This app oach
can make use s mo e p oac i e in lea ning
abou he e u n p ocess and encou age hem
o ollow he e u n ins uc ions.
As an app oach o add ess p i acy conce ns, a
mo e accessible ese bu on o ea u e could
be inco po a ed in o he design o allow use s
o e ase hei da a, he eby inc easing hei
sense o p i acy.
Fo in eg a ing he e u n p ocess in o he
use 's daily ou ine, he c ea ion o dense
collec ion poin s was conside ed. These
collec ion poin s, ideally loca ed in common
places such as supe ma ke s and pha macies,
could po en ially mee use s' needs o
con enien access. As a esul , sma collec ion
machines could be a iable solu ion. F om a
logis ics pe spec i e, pos o ices and se ice
poin s ep esen addi ional loca ions o
e u ning pillboxes, whe e use s could pos
he i em back ins ead o using sma collec ion
machines.
To summa ize hese design di ec ions, six
p elimina y design ideas we e gene a ed om
hese di ec ions. These ideas can be o ganised
in o a ma ix based on how hey dissemina e
e u n in o ma ion (X-axis) and how hey
add ess p i acy issues (Y-axis). Each idea could
be adap ed o ei he he sma collec ion
s a egy o he pos al e u n me hod. The
ma ix and he explana ion o he p elimina y
ideas a e illus a ed in Figu e 13.
Figu e 13 Solu ion ma ix o p elimina y ideas.
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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5.3. Co-c ea ion Session
The p ima y objec i e o his session was
o engage pa icipan s wi h a a ie y o
p elimina y design ideas wi h he speci ic aim
o enhancing he e u n expe ience o he
sma pillbox. E alua ions and p oposi ions
de i ed om use in e ac ions, in luenced by
hei indi idual capabili ies and expe iences,
we e employed o unco e use p e e ences
and inno a i e ideas o he e u n p ocess
o he pillbox. Ha ing in ol ed i s use s,
design expe s, and expe s wi h knowledge
in heal hca e indus y, his session p o ides
insigh s om hei pe spec i e and aluable
eedback on he design.
The se up and he p ocedu e o his co-
c ea ion session can be ound in Chap e 2.2.8.
"Co-C ea ion Session". The esea ch ques ions
o be answe ed in his session we e:
How do use s' pe cep ions o he di icul y o e u ning he sma pillbox a EoL
a y ac oss di e en e u n channels?
1
Wha in o ma ion communica ion s a egies a e mos e ec i e in imp o ing use
unde s anding and lea ning o he e u n p ocess?
2
Wha a e he p e e ed app oaches o add ess he need o p i acy and secu i y?
3
Wha addi ional elemen s o me hods could po en ially enhance he p omo ion o
he EoL e u n o he sma pillbox?
4
5.3.1. Findings
How do use s' pe cep ions o he di icul y o
e u ning he sma pillbox a EoL a y ac oss
di e en e u n channels?
While he pos al e u n app oach is pe cei ed
as mo e labo ious han sma collec ion poin s,
i is easie o use s o unde s and and accep .
This can be a ibu ed o i s alignmen wi h
adi ional pe cep ions o p oduc e u ns.
Despi e he addi ional e o equi ed,
amilia i y wi h he pos al e u n p ocess migh
make i seem less daun ing.
In addi ion, in eg a ing collec ion poin s in o
e e yday loca ions such as supe ma ke s and
pha macies p esen s a unique challenge. While
hese loca ions o e con enience, i is di icul
o gua an ee ha e e y po en ial loca ion will
be able o accommoda e he e u n p ocess.
This unce ain y could unde mine use s'
con idence in he success o hei e u n e o s
a such loca ions.
In compa ison, pos al se ice poin s o e a
mo e eliable op ion. These poin s a e usually
easy o loca e based on he use 's loca ion,
making hem accessible and us wo hy e u n
loca ions. This con enience, combined wi h he
us ed na u e o pos al se ices, can educe
he pe cei ed di icul y, and encou age use
pa icipa ion in he p oduc e u n p ocess.
Wha in o ma ion communica ion s a egies
a e mos e ec i e in imp o ing use
unde s anding and lea ning o he e u n
p ocess?
The esul s showed ha simplici y and
s aigh o wa dness we e pa amoun in
he communica ion o e u n in o ma ion.
S a egies such as inco po a ing cues in o he
p oduc design we e seen as in iguing and
in e es ing. Howe e , i was no ed ha such
cues do no necessa ily ma ch he inhe en
na u e o he p oduc and could po en ially
be igge ed o damaged du ing use. Whils
inno a i e s a egies may s imula e use
in e es , hey need o be balanced wi h he
unc ionali y o he p oduc .
Wha a e he p e e ed app oaches o add ess
he need o p i acy and secu i y?
In add essing p i acy conce ns, use
pe spec i es may be con ex dependen .
The s udy ound ha use s may no pe cei e
he da a s o ed in he pillbox as signi ican ly
p i a e o pe sonal. They likened i o an ala m
se in an ala m clock - a seemingly i ial piece
o in o ma ion.
In e es ingly, when p esen ed wi h an op ion
o ea u e o dele e da a, use s began o ake
da a p i acy mo e se iously and his in luenced
hei in en ion o e u n. The p esence o such
a ea u e made hem hink abou he po en ial
p i acy implica ions. This sugges s a delica e
balance in how design ea u es can p omp
econside a ion o p i acy conce ns, which
may inad e en ly cause use s o o e hink he
issue.
Wha addi ional elemen s o me hods could
po en ially enhance he p omo ion o he EoL
e u n o he sma pillbox?
F om he use insigh s, se e al me hods and
elemen s eme ged ha could po en ially
enhance he e u n p omo ion o he sma
pillbox. One c i ical elemen iden i ied is imely
eminde s, no only o he e u n p ocess i sel ,
bu also o he exis ence o he pillbox. This
will p e en he de ice om being neglec ed
o o go en a home once i has ul illed i s
p ima y pu pose.
In addi ion, pa icipan s sugges ed he use o
compelling isuals o slogans o emphasise
he bene i s and alue o he e u n p ocess.
By highligh ing he posi i e en i onmen al
impac and he use 's con ibu ion o socie al
wellbeing, hese communica ion s a egies
could p omo e g ea e awa eness and
con ex ual unde s anding o he e u n p ocess.

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5.3.2. Design insigh s
1. The design should p ima ily add ess he pos al e u n scena io in he
ini ial s ages, as i 's pe cei ed o be easie o use s o unde s and
and mo e in line wi h hei pe cep ion o p oduc e u n. As he
in as uc u e o sma collec ion s a egies de elops and becomes
mo e widesp ead, he design could hen be adap ed o accommoda e
hese e u n me hods.
2. The communica ion o e u n in o ma ion needs o be simpli ied
and na u ally in eg a ed in o he use 's in e ac ions wi h he pillbox.
This could include ac i i ies such as opening and closing he pillbox,
emo ing pills, and ese ing ala ms. This simpli ica ion aims o make
he e u n in o ma ion less in usi e and mo e o ganically pa o he
use 's expe ience.
3. The alue p oposi ion o e u ning he pillbox should be clea ly
communica ed o use s. This includes no only he p ac ical aspec s o
he e u n p ocess, bu also he en i onmen al and socie al bene i s.
Howe e , he ocus should emain on he non-mone a y alue, as he
mone a y incen i e may dis o he use 's decision-making p ocess and
make i mo e di icul o assess he abili y aspec .
4. Cons an eminde s need o be in eg a ed in o he design o encou age
he use o comple e he e u n p ocess and a oid o ge ing. This
should minimise he likelihood o he pillbox being le unused a home
and encou age a seamless e u n once he use has decided o s op
using i .
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5.4. Design Concep s
Fou p elimina y design concep we e
de eloped o explo e he design ha has he
po en ial o imp o e he e u n.
The design concep shown in Figu e 14,
de i ed om he idea o minimising he wo k
in ol ed in e u ning pills o he pos o ice,
inco po a es a p e-paid en elope ha is
s o ed unde nea h he mo eable anspa en
con aine s wi hin he ay. When he small
con aine is li ed o emo e he pills, he use
will ind his en elope. Designed o esemble
gi w ap, he en elope con ains a p epaid
s amp wi h a ba code ha can be scanned by
pos al s a .
On he back o he en elope a e s ep-by-s ep
e u n ins uc ions and a ca chy slogan: "Gi
he Plane -Re u n o a Ci cula Tomo ow". This
communica ion p epa es he use o e u ne
o he con ex o he e u n and p o ides
clea guidance on he s eps in ol ed. The
use simply places he pillbox in he en elope,
seals i and akes i o any se ice poin o he
coope a ing pos al ca ie .
A he pos al acili y, he ba code on he
en elope is scanned o egis e he shipmen
in he sys em. The p epaid na u e o he
en elope elimina es any e u n cos s, u he
encou aging use s o pa icipa e in his ci cula
p ac ice.
5.4.1. Concep A: In eg a ed e u n en elope
Keywo ds: Re u n en elope; Re u n ins uc ion manual.
De eloped om: 4. Pop-up ca d; 5. Mo able con aine
Figu e 14 P o o ype o concep A
The concep shown in Figu e 15 aims o
inc ease he use 's unde s anding o he
con ex o he e u n and o simpli y he
e u n p ocess h ough he use o a p e-paid
e u n label. In e es ingly, he design uses a
small de achable lid on he back o he pillbox
o pique he use 's cu iosi y and encou age
u he explo a ion. This lid, which esembles a
pho o pendan , con ains a olded manual wi h
comp ehensi e s ep-by-s ep ins uc ions on
he e u n p ocess.
The manual clea ly explains he easons o
e u ning he pillbox and how o do so, while
eassu ing he use o he p i acy and secu i y
o hei da a. When he lid is emo ed, he
use disco e s he e u n label, which, when
placed on he su ace o he pillbox, se es as
a cons an eminde ha he de ice should be
e u ned a he end o i s use. In addi ion o i s
unc ional ole, he emo able pho o pendan
adds a pe sonal ouch and se es as a sou eni
o use s, eminding hem o hei ime wi h
he pillbox. This design concep hus in eg a es
in o ma ional and emo ional elemen s ha
encou age use s o e u n i .
5.4.2. Concep B: Pho o cha m and olded e u n manual
Keywo ds: Pos al label wi h ba code; Re u n ins uc ion manual.
De eloped om: 1. Name ca d; 4. Pop-up ca d
Figu e 15 P o o ype o concep B
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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This concep p o ides a simple solu ion by
inco po a ing e u n ins uc ions di ec ly on
he back o he pillbox, as illus a ed in Figu e
16. To igge he e u n beha iou , i s back-
end sys em sends a message o he egis e ed
use 's mobile numbe when i de ec s inac i i y
o mo e han a mon h. This message includes
e u n ins uc ions and an image o a p e-paid
e u n label.
Fo e u ne s whose phone numbe is no
known o he sys em, hey can simply scan he
QR code on he back o he pillbox. This QR
scan ac ion igge s an au oma ic ex message
wi h a unique code o he sys em. As a esul ,
he e u ne ecei es he e u n ins uc ions and
pos al label, mi o ing he p ocess p o ided
o he use s. This app oach simpli ies he
e u ns p ocess and ensu es ha all ele an
ins uc ions and esou ces a e eadily a ailable
o bo h use s and e u ne s.
5.4.3. Concep C: Di ec ins uc ion and ex message
Keywo ds: Ins uc ion p in ed on pillbox; Tex messages.
De eloped om: 2. Flipped co e
Figu e 16 P o o ype o concep C
This concep is designed o allow use s o
p oac i ely eques in o ma ion abou he
e u n p ocess a e hey s op using he sma
pillbox. As shown in Figu e 17, a ' e u n mode'
swi ch is buil in o he design which, when
ac i a ed, disables ala ms and no i ica ions,
and ese s he pillbox. When he e u n mode is
ac i a ed, use s ecei e a message wi h e u n
ins uc ions and a e u n label o he phone
numbe hey o iginally egis e ed wi h he
sys em.
I he message does no a i e, use s can scan
he QR code o access a dedica ed websi e
whe e hey can p o ide a phone numbe o
email add ess o ecei e he e u n label. This
pla o m also p o ides addi ional in o ma ion
abou he e u n p ocess and helps use s
loca e a nea by se ice poin . By allowing
use s o ini ia e he e u n p ocess a hei
own disc e ion, his app oach enhances use
engagemen and inc eases he likelihood o
p oduc e u n.
5.4.4. Concep D: A swi ch o e u n mode
Keywo ds: Bu on/swi ch o e u n mode; QR code o ins uc ion; Tex messages.
De eloped om: 3. NFC band
Figu e 17 P o o ype o concep D
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5.5. Concep Selec ion
The subsequen design e alua ion and
selec ion session was s a egically designed o
es he iabili y o he p oposed concep s. This
session in ol ed bo h he a ge use g oup
(senio g oup) and he e u ne g oup (junio
g oup) and p o ided an oppo uni y o assess
he sui abili y and e ec i eness o he designs
in add essing he design challenges aised.
The p ima y objec i e was o assess how hese
design concep s add essed he iden i ied
design challenges, hus acili a ing he
selec ion o he mos p omising concep and
ga he ing c i ical eedback o u u e i e a ions.
Th ough he analysis o he use eedback, his
exe cise aimed o iden i y he design elemen s
ha would e ec i ely imp o e use abili y
in pa icipa ing in he e u ns p ocess and
inc ease use engagemen .
Di e en g oups o pa icipan s we e in ol ed
in his session, allowing he esea che
o iden i y how he design o he e u n
expe ience me he needs and expec a ions o
bo h use s and e u ne s. I also sheds ligh on
how he designs could b idge he knowledge
gap be ween hese wo g oups.
De ailed in o ma ion on he esea ch se up
and pa icipan demog aphics can be ound in
Chap e 2.2.9. "Concep selec ion".
5.5.1. Resul s
The concep selec ion session equi ed
pa icipan s o a e he ou design concep s by
assigning sco es co esponding o hei le el
o ag eemen wi h a se ies o s a emen s. Each
s a emen co esponded o a speci ic alue o
be measu ed and ela ed o a speci ic design
aspec ha add essed a p e iously iden i ied
HMW ques ion om he design p ocess. A
comp ehensi e lis ing o hese s a emen s and
hei espec i e alues is p o ided in Table 12.
Aspec HMW Ques ions Values E alua ion S a emen s
Re u nabili y-
awa eness
How migh we make use s
awa e o he e u nable
p ope y o he p oduc ?
Knowing wha o do I was a ac ed/led o
lea n abou he e u n
p ocess and me hod.
Con idence in sys em I unde s and ha he
e u n o he pillbox
will ha e e hical and
sus ainable esul s.
Use us How migh we build use
us in he e u ns p ocess?
Feeling us and
p i acy
I belie e ha his p ocess
is eliable and us wo hy.
A oid nega i e
eelings
I was con used/upse /
scep ical when I lea n
abou he e u n and
collec ion.
Clea
ins uc ion
How migh we p o ide
in ui i e ins uc ion and
aids o acili a e he e u n
beha iou ?
Unde s anding he
ins uc ion
I eel con iden o ollow
he e u n p ocess
ou lined in his design
Being eminded I am e y likely o o ge
o e u n his pill box
Con enience in
daily li e
How migh we make he
e u n a con enien ask
ha i s he use s’ e e yday
planning?
Making li le e o I eel ha e u ning his
pillbox is cumbe some.
Fi ing e e yday
planning
I do no ha e he ime o
ene gy o pa icipa e in
he e u n p ocess.
Table 12 Tes ed s a emen s and espec i e alues, design aspec s, and HMW ques ions.
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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Figu e 22 F amewo k o e u n page.

Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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5.6.3. Re u n Jou ney P oposal
Figu es 23 and 24 show he po en ial e u n
jou ney o he p oposed applica ion example.
These use expe ience jou neys show he ask
o ac ion o be pe o med by he use / e u ne ,
he esponse o he sys em and how hey
in e ac .
Re u n Jou ney - Use
Figu e 23 Cus ome Jou ney-Use
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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Re u n Jou ney - Re u ne
Figu e 24 Cus ome Jou ney-Re u ne
Design De elopmen Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
101100
5.6.4. P o o ype
A unc ional p o o ype (Figu e 25) o his
example o applica ion was made o alida e
he e ec i eness o he combina ion o design
ea u es. Basic ea u es such as Blue oo h
synch onisa ion, ala m no i ica ions and LED
indica o s a e ope a ional. Howe e , he e a e a
ew ea u es o he edesigned model ha ha e
no ye been implemen ed in his p o o ype:
he slide swi ch's abili y o u n o he pillbox
and he ouch senso 's abili y o igge an
app no i ica ion. These unc ions can be added
by upda ing he boa d's i mwa e. Despi e
hese limi a ions, hese ea u es can be easily
demons a ed manually, making his p o o ype
su icien ly obus o concep alida ion.
Images o he p o o ype a e shown in he
igu e below.
Figu e 25 P o o ype o he inal edesign
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5.7. Design Guidelines
Based on he ex ensi e esea ch, es ing,
and eal-wo ld applica ion o he edesign,
his p ojec se es no only as an inno a i e
solu ion o a p oduc , bu also as a case
s udy. This chap e builds on he indings and
insigh s om esea ch on edesigning sma
pillboxes. I se es as a guideline o p o ide
ac ionable ecommenda ions on p omo ing
ci cula i y in he design o simila heal hca e-
ela ed sma de ices. The undamen al aim o
hese guidelines is o encou age designe s and
manu ac u e s o e hink hei app oach o he
EoL phase o hei de ices, o acili a e hei
e u n and collec ion. The de ailed guidelines
a e lis ed in Table 14.
Emphasize he de ice's iden i y as a e u nable
heal hca e p oduc . Add ess po en ial ' e u ne s' who
migh no ha e in-dep h knowledge abou he p oduc
o p omo e p oduc ci cula i y and EoL e u n success.
Design o 'Re u ne '
Iden i y pi o al momen s o nudging use s o e u ne s
abou he e u n p ocess. In e ening du ing hese
c ucial imes may be mo e e ec i e. Examples om
his p ojec include when use s i s lea n abou he
p oduc , decide o s op using i , in e ac wi h i a e
discon inua ion, and when e u ne s i s encoun e
he de ice.
Key Momen s o Nudging
In eg a e e u n and collec ion eminde s seamlessly
in o he na u al in e ac ion p ocess be ween he use
and he de ice. This cons an ein o cemen ensu es
he e u n concep isn' easily o go en o o e looked.
Seamless Re u n Reminde s
U ilize nudging design elemen s ha al e he
use 's pe cep ion o he de ice o i s e u n p ocess.
Le e age he psychological impac and ambiguous
ca ego iza ion o bo de line medical de ices o os e
li ecycle iendly EoL decisions.
Change o Pe cep ion
Keywo ds Explana ionCa ego ies
Use In e ac ion
Table 14 Comp ehensi e guidelines
Ensu e ha om he onse , use s a e awa e o he
p oduc 's in ended li ecycle, including any EoL
se ices, e u bishmen oppo uni ies, o he po en ial
o euse. This can be acili a ed h ough in-p oduc
no i ica ions, packaging, o use manuals.
Li ecycle Communica ion
Clea ly ma k he de ice wi h iden i ie s ha highligh
i s e u nable na u e. This aids use s and e u ne s
in quickly ecognizing i s e u nable ai , p e en ing
inapp op ia e disposal.
P ominen 'Re u n' Ma kings
Re ain om solely using independen pape ma e ials
like lye s o en elopes as p omp s. They ha e a high
likelihood o being los o disca ded du ing use
in e ac ion, hinde ing e u ne 's access o e u n
in o ma ion.
A oid Solely Pape -Based
Cues
Ele a e he p opo ion o ha dwa e elemen s ela ed o
e u ns and collec ions. A highe a io migh enhance
use us in p oduc collec ion and e u ns and
hei assessmen o he company's ci cula economy
ini ia i es, mo i a ing pa icipa ion.
Inc ease Re u n-Rela ed
Elemen s in Ha dwa e
U ilize he in elligence o he de ice o disce n use
ac i i y. Based on his, employ SMS o send a ge ed
eminde s o use s o e u ne s a a ious s ages,
ensu ing p ope de ice use and p omp e u ns du ing
inac i i y. SMS is an e ec i e communica ion mode
accep ed by use s o such p oduc s.
SMS No i ica ions
Keywo ds Explana ionCa ego ies
Communica ion
T us & p i acy
Depending on he de ice's unc ionali y and ca ego y,
o e accessible, and isibly simple me hods o e ase
da a. This ensu es use da a secu i y, inc easing hei
us and sense o secu i y.
P o ide Da a E asu e
Me hods
O e insigh s o use s abou he pos -collec ion s o y
o he de ice. Showcasing how he e u ned de ice is
cleaned, p ocessed, and emanu ac u ed can os e
us and incen i ize use pa icipa ion.
T anspa ency in
Remanu ac u ing Jou ney
Table 14 Comp ehensi e guidelines
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Keywo ds Explana ionCa ego ies
U ilize in eg a ed apps o web pla o ms o no i y
and guide use s abou he e u n p ocess. This digi al
app oach can also o e in e ac i e FAQs, u o ials, and
di ec cus ome suppo channels.
Digi al In eg a ion
Ini ially p io i ize accessible pos al e u n p ocesses,
o e ing a amilia p ocedu e o use s and e u ne s.
As in as uc u e imp o es, expand e u n channels by
collabo a ing wi h local en i ies.
Pos al Re u ns as P ima y
Conside he use o deposi s o o he mone a y
incen i es and ensu e hey a e isibly ma ked on he
p oduc . Use s iew deposi s as a powe ul mo i a o
o e u ns. I a deposi sys em is implemen ed, ensu e
use s and e u ne s a e cons an ly eminded o i s
p esence o a oid o ge ulness o unawa eness.
Mone a y Incen i es
Sys em
Table 14 Comp ehensi e guidelines
These guidelines aim o p o ide a
comp ehensi e e e ence ha iden i ies
and add esses use needs and po en ial
oppo uni ies du ing he e u n and collec ion
p ocess. The in en ion is o suppo he design
o de ices ha a e inhe en ly designed o
be e u ned, ensu ing ease o e u n, and
unde s anding o bo h he end-use and he
e u ne . This will inc ease he e u n a es
o hese de ices, he eby p omo ing bo h
en i onmen al sus ainabili y and esou ce
e iciency in he heal hca e sec o .
5.8. Conclusion
The esul s o his i e a i e design p ocess
include a delibe a e selec ion o design
ea u es wi h he goal o imp o ing he end-
o -li e e u n o he sma pillbox. Fu he mo e,
an exempla y applica ion o hese ea u es
was desc ibed, along wi h a comp ehensi e
guideline des ined o wide applica ion. The
nex s ep in his p ocess should be concep
alida ion o e alua e how well i mee s
he design equi emen s and add esses
any design di icul ies. This will ensu e ha
design elemen s no only ul il he heo e ical
expec a ions bu also align wi h p ac ical
equi emen s.

107
Chap e 6
E alua ion
Concep Valida ion
Impac on Ma e ial and Li ecycle Limi a ions
This chap e e alua es he p ojec and explo es
he impac and e ec i eness o he p oposed
design ea u es on he di icul y o EoL e u ns
and he acili a ion o e u n decisions in
he con ex o ci cula economy and edge
medical de ice design. I also c i ically e lec s
on he limi a ions encoun e ed du ing he
esea ch and design p ocess and p o ides an
unde s anding o a eas o u u e imp o emen .
E alua ion Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
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6.1. Concep Valida ion
The concep alida ion was ca ied ou o
assess he in e ope abili y and combined
impac o a ious design ea u es, speci ically:
he swi ch o s a e, he p in ed ins uc ion,
he deac i a e/ ese bu on and he web/app-
based e u n ins uc ion, as desc ibed in he
p e ious chap e . The p ima y objec i e was o
de e mine he collec i e e ec i eness o hese
design elemen s in add essing he design
challenges p e iously ou lined.
Feedback o his alida ion was ga he ed
om a mixed g oup o i e senio use s, he
a ge demog aphic o he sma pillbox, and
i e junio pa icipan s who could po en ially
ac as e u ne s. Da a was collec ed h ough
s uc u ed ques ionnai es and b ie in e iews
o ensu e a comp ehensi e unde s anding o
use pe spec i es.
Cen al o his alida ion was unde s anding
changes in use s' pe cep ions o he complexi y
o he e u n ask and hei con idence in
comple ing i . Key desi ed ou comes o his
alida ion included:
1. Quan i y imp o emen s in use s'
pe cep ions o di icul y and hei sel -
assessed abili y.
2. Measu e he pe cen age inc ease in use s'
willingness o pa icipa e in he e u n
p ocess.
3. E alua ing how he newly in eg a ed
ea u es imp o ed he o iginal design,
ocusing on ou key aspec s: Raising
awa eness o e u nabili y, inc easing use
con idence, p o iding clea ins uc ions
and ensu ing con enience in daily ou ines.
A mo e de ailed b eakdown o he esea ch
design and me hodology can be ound in
Chap e 2.2: Me hods - Concep Valida ion.
6.1.1. Resul s
In he ques ionnai e, pa icipan s assigned
sco es co esponding o hei le el o
ag eemen wi h a se ies o s a emen s. The
aspec s o he cu en pillbox and p oposed
design can be e lec ed om he s a emen s
shown in he able 15 and 16.
Aspec HMW Ques ions E alua ion S a emen s
Re u nabili y-
awa eness
How migh we make use s
awa e o he e u nable
p ope y o he p oduc ?
Wi hou asking o help, I unde s and ha his
pillbox should be collec ed.
I conside he e u n o unused pillboxes o be a
ule o be ollowed by de aul .
I unde s and wha his pillbox will be collec ed o .
Use us How migh we build use
us in he e u ns p ocess?
I belie e ha his pillbox will be collec ed co ec ly.
I hink his sys em is sa e, eliable and us wo hy.
I makes me eel good o be pa o his e u n
p ocess.
Clea
ins uc ion
How migh we p o ide
in ui i e ins uc ion and
aids o acili a e he e u n
beha iou ?
I ha e ecei ed enough guidance o comple e he
e u n.
I am con iden ha I will be able o comple e he
e u n.
This pill box will ensu e ha I don' o ge o e u n
i .
Con enience in
daily li e
How migh we make he
e u n a con enien ask
ha i s he use s’ e e yday
planning?
The p ocess o e u ning he pillbox had ew s eps
and was easy
Re u ning he pillbox i in wi h my li es yle.
Lea ning how o e u n he box was na u al and
in ui i e.
Aspec E alua ion S a emen s
Pe cei ed
di icul y O e all, he e u n o he pillbox was easy.
Sel -assessed
abili y I now eel able o comple e he e u n p ocess on my own.
Willingness I will be p oac i e in e u ning and collec ing he pillbox.
Table 15 S a emen s and hei co esponding aspec s
Table 16 S a emen s ela ed o he comp ehensi e e alua ion o di icul y, abili y and willingness.
E alua ion Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
111110
O e all, he combina ion o design ea u es
eached a good esul in add essing he design
challenges as expec ed. As illus a ed in igu e
26, i imp o ed he cu en si ua ion especially
in he aspec s o p o iding in o ma ion o
awa eness and ins uc ion. The de ailed
eedbacks o hese ou aspec s a e shown
below.
Figu e 26 Pe o mance in 4 aspec s
Re u nabili y-awa eness
Feedback om pa icipan s on awa eness
was gene ally posi i e. O e hal o he
pa icipan s ag eed ha he edesigned
pillbox wi h slogans and ins uc ions inc eased
hei awa eness o he ' e u n' channel. This
was a signi ican change om he o iginal
pillbox design and p omp ed conside a ion
o po en ial e u n op ions. In addi ion, he
ex ensi e in o ma ion p o ided ia he app/
web in e ace u he cla i ied he de ails o
he e u n p ocess, including i s unde lying
a ionale. In pa icula , h ee pa icipan s
highligh ed ha he p onounced colou
dispa i y (g een) esul ing om he s a e
swi ch was ins umen al in d awing a en ion
o he ' e u n' in o ma ion. While he in luence
o speci ic colou s on use s' e u n pe cep ions
was beyond he scope o his alida ion s udy,
i wa an s a en ion in u u e esea ch e o s.
Use T us
In e ms o os e ing us , he edesigned
ea u es p oduced he expec ed esul s.
O e all, pa icipan s exp essed a high le el
o us in he e u n mechanism. A majo i y
(se en pa icipan s) el a sense o alue in
he e u n and collec ion by he manu ac u e ,
as e idenced by he signi ican design eal
es a e alloca ed o he e u n and collec ion
p ocess. This specialised ha dwa e adap a ion,
pe cei ed as an in es men , ein o ced he
us ha he company's commi men o
he collec ion o pillboxes was a long- e m
commi men . Consequen ly, his pe cep ion
signi ican ly boos ed us . Mo eo e ,
one pa icipan exp essed an in e es in
unde s anding he pos -collec ion jou ney o
he boxes. While his didn' diminish his us
quo ien , a mo e in-dep h explo a ion o he
company's ci cula economy s a egies could
boos he o e all us me ics. The po en ial
in luence o his aspec on use pa icipa ion
equi es u he esea ch.
Clea Ins uc ions
O e all, he new design ea u es p o ided
pa icipan s wi h su icien ins uc ions o
acili a e he e u n p ocess. The on - acing
e u n ins uc ions we e app ecia ed o hei
assis i e and eminde unc ions. Howe e ,
one pa icipan commen ed ha despi e he
clea ins uc ions on he box, he eso ed o
scanning he QR code o he essen ial e u n
label, sugges ing a po en ial ba ie o e u n.
Such eedback is consis en wi h p e ious
concep selec ion indings and highligh s he
need o ongoing expe imen a ion o iden i y
an op imal al e na i e o he QR code as
he p ima y access poin o he e u n label
o he e u ne s. In e es ingly, a e eading
he sequen ial e u n ins uc ions, se e al
pa icipan s in e nalised hem as a pe sonal
esponsibili y, e oking a sense o mission.
This insigh may in o m s a egies o inc ease
use engagemen in collec ion e o s. The
e ec i eness o such an app oach and i s
unde lying mechanisms will equi e mo e
de ailed design analysis.
Con enience in daily li e
While pa icipan s p aised he s eamlined
na u e o he p ocess, he design changes
showed less imp o emen in he 'con enience'
aspec compa ed o he o he h ee aspec s.
This may be due o he inhe en limi a ions
o he unde lying pos al sys em, which blocks
a emp s o e ine ce ain physical in e ac ions.
The inc eased con enience was la gely a esul
o use s and e u ne s being mo e in ui i e
abou he de ails equi ed, a sen imen
suppo ed by he 'awa eness' and 'ins uc ion'
eedback. In addi ion, obse a ional da a om
p o o ype in e ac ions e ealed ha some
pa icipan s ini ially o e looked he slide 's ole
in modula ing he de ice's s a e, possibly due
o educed ma ke isibili y. Thei ocus may
ha e been monopolized by salien elemen s
such as ins uc ions o slogans. Howe e ,
once he slide 's unc ion was ecognised, a
unanimous p e e ence eme ged o posi ion he
slide in he ' e u n' sec ion du ing he in e al
p eceding o mal e u ns, as a eminde o
e u n.
E alua ion Imp o ing he e u n a e o a sma pillbox in a ci cula economy
113112
Pe cei ed di icul y and willingness
Acco ding o he esul s o he ques ionnai e,
shown in Figu e 27, he e was a no able
imp o emen o 14.29% in pa icipan s'
pe cei ed abili y - measu ed by hei
con idence in comple ing he e u n p ocess
- compa ed o he exis ing sma pillbox.
When b oken down, he junio g oup
expe ienced an inc ease o 11.43%, while
he senio g oup's con idence inc eased by
17.14%. Simila ly, pa icipan s expe ienced a
educ ion in pe cei ed di icul y, as e idenced
by hei assessmen o he simplici y o he
p ocess, wi h an o e all educ ion o 15.71%.
In pa icula , senio s expe ienced a mo e
p onounced dec ease o 22.86%, while junio s
expe ienced a mo e modes dec ease o 8.57%.
C ucially, he o e all p opensi y o pa icipa e
in he e u n p ocess inc eased by a ound
40%. B oken down u he , junio s showed a
signi ican inc ease o 48.57%, while senio s
showed an inc ease o 31.43%.
Figu e 26 Pe o mance in 4 aspec s
6.1.2. Conclusion
The concep alida ion has highligh ed he
po en ial o he modi ied design ea u es o
e ec i ely add ess he challenges iden i ied in
he ini ial design p ocess. Ac oss bo h he senio
and junio g oups, he e is clea e idence o
imp o ed awa eness, con idence, ins uc ional
cla i y and con enience o he sma pillbox
e u n p ocess. In pa icula , he senio g oup
showed inc eased con idence and educed
pe cei ed di icul y, sugges ing he adap abili y
o he new design o mee he needs o
olde use s. Meanwhile, he junio g oup's
signi ican inc ease in willingness o pa icipa e,
d i en by an inc ease in us , exempli ies he
design's abili y o e ec i ely engage a younge
demog aphic.
Despi e hese ad ances, he alida ion also
highligh ed a eas o u he e inemen . Fo
example, he use o QR codes as a ga eway o
e u n labels and he design o on/o ma ke s
wa an deepe in es iga ion and op imisa ion.
In addi ion, ce ain aspec s o con enience
in he e u n p ocess, in luenced by ex e nal
ac o s such as he pos al sys em, pose inhe en
challenges.
In summa y, he e ised concep ep esen s
a p omising s ep o wa d in p omo ing a
p oac i e e u n, wi h he lessons lea ned om
alida ion pa ing he way o mo e nuanced
i e a ions in he u u e. Impo an ly, he es
esul s e eal po en ial a enues o u u e
design explo a ion and esea ch, se ing he
s age o ongoing inno a ion and e inemen .
127
Appendices
Appendix A Resea ch P ojec Repo
Appendix B G adua ion P ojec B ie
Appendix C HREC App o al Le e
Appendix D Consen o m Templa e
Appendix E Ques ionai es o Explo a o y Tes
Appendix F Coc ea ion No es
Appendix G Ques ionai es o Concep Selec ion
Appendix H Ques ionai es o Concep Valida ion