Case Study: University of Michigan develops a user-friendly medication reminder app with Smaply

Developing a mobile app through journey mapping

The University of Michigan School of Information partnered with the vendor Smaply for a student-led Design Clinic project. The challenge was to address a significant health issue: helping teenage chronic patients adhere to their medication schedules. Existing apps were too complicated, not user-friendly, and lacked key features like customizable reminders and the ability to share information with caregivers, making them ineffective for this specific user group.

Using Smaply to create user personas and journey maps, the student team developed a highly flexible and innovative mobile app. The solution, built on insights from Smaply, featured customizable medication schedules, wearable device integration, emoji-based mood tracking, and a system to notify designated "allies" if a dose was missed. The vendor Smaply was instrumental in structuring research into tangible insights, resulting in a prototype that patients loved for its ease of use and adaptability to their needs.

University of Michigan

Nancy Benovich Gilby

Former Ehrenberg Director of Entrepreneurship & Design Clinical Associate Professor