Research of Intelligent Product Design for the Aged: The Case of Pill Box for the Elderly

The key design features of intelligent products for seniors were achieved by literature review, and a theoretical model of the smart product was constructed. Taking a smart pill box as an example, the characteristics and demand levels of elderly people’s medicine usage were explored to provide ideas for smart product design for the elderly. Specific methods are as follows: firstly, the design features of smart products for seniors were extracted based on factor analysis and multidimensional cluster analysis, and then a theoretical model of the aging-friendly design was constructed. Secondly, Anderson’s Health Behavior Model (AHBM) was used to derive a hierarchy of needs of elderly users. Subsequently, the design strategy was proposed for redesigning the pill box, which it combined the theoretical model and different kinds of user needs. This strategy considered the cognitive, experience, and psychological factors of the elderly group. There are the following results. The three levels of smart product design were established, namely “acceptable, accessible and enjoyable”. Then, the corresponding design strategy was established by combining the user’s demand and the theoretical model of the elder. Finally, the smart pill box that included functions such as drug classification, smart reminders and step-by-step instructions was redesigned, which can eliminate users’ resistance to smart products and guide them to form long-term stable medication habits and improve the phenomenon of medication non-compliance.