Target's ClearRx 08/11/2009
 
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Target's ClearRx
When Deborah Adler was a MFA student at SVA, she studied a variety of prescription bottles as part of her thesis project. She concluded that the round, amber bottle design was not user friendly. It didn't help users understand how to take their medication. She also concluded that the information is inconsistent across kinds of medicines. As a solution to the problem, she arrived at SafeRx.

It all started when Adler's grandmother accidently swallowed pills meant for her grandfather. To avoid such scenarios in the future, she decided to design the bottle herself. She focused on label, color-coding and information. Target took keen interest in Adler's concept. In collaboration with Klaus Rosburg, a Target industrial designer, she took the concept to the shelves. The packaging design ClearRx is patented.

The result was a more intuitive pill bottle and information system. The label is now easy to read. The information card is removable. The color-coded rings helps easy identification. The redesigned warning icons make sense. The system's primary goal is to clearly present important information to the patient.

With Rosburg, she worked on the shape of the bottle. Adler originally worked on a bottle design that looked like a semi circle, but later it was rejected for the difficulties it presented in fitting a child-proof cap. Rosburg eventually designed an upside-down bottle that has two flat sides and rests upon its cap. Rosburg also helped Adler refine her color-coding concept aimed at making it easier for different family members to keep track of their medicines. The name of the drug appears prominently on the spine, and a card with information about side effects slips into a slot aimed at keeping it with the pills. Target is already manufacturing the bottles in its signature red.

It is an irony, that in an industry where information is key, it was ignored until now. The ClearRx bottle was also a part of the MOMA SAFE exhibit. Hopefully there will be more such designs in the future.

Do check this link, which kind of summarizes Target's design perspectives.

By Sanjay Basavaraju
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