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Nightingale Flight
A discreet, easy-to-program wrist band that provides a vibrating reminder to the wearer

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Problem

Most people have at one time or another forgotten to take their medication or worried about someone missing their doses. This is common, especially right after changes in medication, dosage, or location during travel. Forgetting medication dosage or taking it too often can threaten a person's health and quality of life. In addition, the emotional implications run deeper than this. People want to be as healthy as possible to enjoy life.

The student team within the Master of Product Design & Development Management (mpd²) Program identified a significant market gap for a medication compliance device. Their strategy was to develop an effective product for medication management that enhances existing habits to support a positive outlook for the user.

Learn more about Nightingale

Solution

The Nightingale Flight™ is a one-button, easy-to-program wristband that provides a discreet, vibrating reminder to the wearer.

Once the user has programmed a reminder, the band provides a vibrating alert each day at the designated time. The vibrating alert will reoccur at defined intervals until the user confirms by pressing the button that they have taken their medication.

At a later time, the user can check to see if they confirmed that they took their previous dose. To do so, the user presses the push button for a short duration. Using a system of red and blue lights, the device confirms if the wearer has previously taken their medication.

The Nightingale Flight is available in multiple colors that hide the visibility of the electrical components but maintains translucency for the confirmation lights. The band is also waterproof and resistant to common environmental elements like salt, oils, sweat, and so on. Its materials protect the electronic components during constant use for the life of the product (approximately three-to-six months).

Benefits

  • Easy to use, discreet, and portable 
  • Active recording of compliance 
  • Provides independence and freedom 
  • Aesthetically appealing (easy to see / easy to hide)

Points of Difference

  • Provides reminder and confirmation in one system 
  • A simple and stylish wristband with visual and vibrating feedback
  • Vibration reminder is discreet, only the wearer knows 
  • User interaction is simple, intuitive, and robust 
  • LED light confirmation to help prevent over/under medicating

Current Status

With its strategic intellectual property that provides rights to some essential features, the Nightingale Flight can be a winning product in the healthcare sector.

The student team has produced a concept that has garnered overwhelmingly positive responses (83% top two boxes) in interviews and is ripe for a successful launch with proper funding. The Nightingale Flight is poised to be the first of a product line with a trusted brand name.

Development Process

  1. The team identified potential pain points and product opportunity gaps through brainstorming, discussions, and research. They narrowed the options to the top three highest potential opportunities.
  2. The team performed individual ethnographic studies and presented these top three options to the class and project advisers. The team selected "Medication Management and Compliance" based on feedback from the class and advisers to further investigate.
  3. Potential concepts were generated through brainstorming and sketching.
  4. Ideas were then sorted and ranked to determine potential Step, Stretch, and Leap concepts to pursue.
  5. Qualitative market research was performed on the concepts to derive a user-centric design that addressed latent consumer needs.
  6. The team initiated prototypes based on the concept to facilitate quantitative marketing and user evaluations.
  7. The team analyzed and interpreted the marketing evaluations to refine the concept to generate a viable product design.
  8. The team then created a quality and manufacturing plan to aid in the material selection and cost evaluation. In addition, they formalized the materials of construction, created bills of materials, and sourced potential suppliers and partners.
  9. They performed additional competitive analysis and investigated intellectual property.
  10. They finalized the product name, styling, and branding, and developed a marketing plan, business case, webpage, promotional materials, and a Kickstarter page.
  11. The team presented their product, The Nightingale Flight, to potential investors, project advisors, and mpd2 students.
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