Category: Real Jobs

Adherence to medication – interactive designs

Adherence to medication – interactive designs (RJ00394) Report

Background

The client for this project was a PhD student named Othman, who I was not in contact with directly. Instead, I was communicating through the Director of Pharmacy Practice at the Reading School of Pharmacy, Professor Parastou Donyai. Othman was seeking a graphic designers’ input into the formatting of cards, posters, and/or booklets, created to change the way in which health professionals and patients interact when discussing medicines. Initially, the specific focus of Othman’s work was breast cancer hormonal treatment, and its wide range of side-effects. However, in the later stages of this project, the scope was broadened to cover multiple medical issues and procedures.   

Restated brief

This project required a booklet which could incorporate icons and words to help patients and doctors communicate efficiently in the short time frame they have together. This particular booklet is designed for a PhD student from Reading University. Both he and his supervisor, Professor Parastou Donyai, were very flexible and open to any form of layout, design, and images used. As such, and given the broad specifications given for this project, there was considerable scope for experimentation. 

Aims 

  • Design a form of visual communication between doctor and patient which would look good in both colour and black and white;
  • Design a booklet that works in printed context;
  • Design a system of icons to facilitate easier communication for those who are unable or struggle to communicate with their doctor.

Audience

The audience for this ‘Real Job’ project could be a range of different people, as there are many different reasons why a patient may not be able to communicate with their doctor easily. One common example is where a patient’s first language is not English, and therefore struggles to understand or relay information effectively to their doctor. Other people who may find this helpful could be those with learning disabilities, whereby icons may open up a more accessible means of communication with their doctor. Another group of people that may also benefit from a booklet like this are those with memory problems, with the booklet providing a useful place to record previous symptoms and what steps should be taken next. I therefore expect the audience to range in age and ethnic background, which is something I will keep in mind when designing the icons, as I would like them to be inclusive to all. However, the treatments referred to within these booklets are only prescribed to women, and therefore men are not included. 

Expected Deliverables 

  • Medical icons
  • Booklet for icons 

Personas 

Name: Georgia

Age: 19

Needs: Georgia has a learning disability, so loses concentration during doctors’ meetings. She therefore needs something which uses imagery rather than words, so that Georgia can easily recognise and retain the information she has received.

Wants: An image-based communication system so that she can remember the next steps in her treatment and understand clearly what the doctor is describing to her.

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Name: Grace

Age: 61

Needs: Something either she or a doctor can write notes on when she attends appointments, so she does not forget what has been said and what she is to do next. She also needs clear text or large images as her eyesight is not very good.

Wants: A place she can write any notes prior to and after doctor visits, as these are short meetings and she is worried that she will forget important information that has been relayed to her. 

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Name: Sara

Age: 45

Needs: English is not her first language, so she is often unable to know what was said in her doctor’s meetings, and therefore needs information to be translated for her.

Wants: An easy way to communicate to her doctor what is wrong without the use of words, and for her doctor to easily describe the next steps and possible treatment(s). Either images or a place for her and/or the doctor to write notes to be later translated would be most beneficial for her.

Research

The above images display the original icons and layout that the information was relayed in. To begin my research I used this set of images, created by my client, as a base to work from and to improve on. From here, my research into this project continued by exploring different icons and the shapes used in them. This included the widely used emojis, which are mostly viewed on smartphones and screens. I therefore had to be mindful of the fact that these might not be suitable for the booklet, which needed to utilise larger, more complex, and printable icons. An example is these more unsuitable emojis are seen below:     

I then expanded my research to discover other forms of icon design. This led me to explore formats for icons specifically used within a medical context. I kept my research very broad originally to help me explore this area widely, from colours which stood out, to shapes which were appealing; as shown below:

Icons

From this research, I went on to draft a few hand-drawings of how I wanted the icons of people to look. I started with drafting these as I felt they would be the most used and essential to the overall look and feel of the booklet. It was important that these face icons could be easily adapted to be inclusive to all. As such, I tried to keep the detail limited, and incorporate the rounded cartoon features I had discovered from my previous research (as seen below).

I then went on to transfer a few of my hand-drawn images into digital form, as seen below in the form of Concept 1, 2 and 3. Concept 1 is very limited in its design features, and has taken inspiration from emojis used on phones. This would mean that patients may already be slightly familiar with how these looked, and would therefore find communicating through these easier. However, I concluded that the lack of detail in this concept was too limiting, and may not reflect complex issues well. Concept 2 was designed upon reflection of Concept 1, through increasing detail, then adding some style aspects to be replicated within the rest of the icons. I then went on to create Concept 3, which had more detail and displayed a full body look. I felt this was too complex and may not work so well at smaller sizes. I decided to use Concept 2 as the one to base my other icon designs upon for my booklet. I then developed Concept 2 further to create the final look – as seen in Concept 2 (developed) below as the final icons.

 

                Concept 1                     Concept 2                   Concept 3

Final Icons

Layout 

After further developing my Concept 2 to create the final icons, I discussed with my supervisor, Mathew, how best to create a layout and display these most effectively. Originally, my client had portrayed them in the form of a poster, however, they were open to any experimentation (which we discussed extensively) to work out what would suit the patients and doctors best. I designed many different layouts, including a spinning wheel design, a different poster layout, cards, and a booklet (as seen above). My client liked the idea of a set of cards or a spinning wheel best, however, when discussing the practicality of these with nursing students, as well as some research into doctors appointments, I found that these layouts may not be so suitable. The spinning wheel I felt would be too childish and make their symptoms and appointments appear like a game. Similar feelings were felt towards the cards. Another issue with using cards is that they could be easily lost, and when coupled with the expense of printing, it was deemed unfeasible given that they needed to be distributed to both doctors and patients. After this research into the layout, I found the booklet format to be the best for both patients and doctors. I decided to keep this as a format which could be printed on any at-home printing device, hence I decided on an A4 format to be folded into a booklet. The hand-drawn evolved design concept for the booklet can be seen below:

I wanted a design which, when printed, would be clear as to where it should be folded to create the A5 booklet. As such, I went with cover design 2, as this had different shapes on each side which helped display a clear line to fold along for doctors and clients who had printed this file out. 

 

Inside the Booklet 

The typeface I decided to use was ‘Avenir’ in Black and Roman. I felt this was easy to read and very clear. From my research, I found that a ‘san-serif’ typeface was best for easy-reading, and as my main users would find reading English challenging, I decided to use this font, which comes in varying forms to create a good hierarchy within the text. 

The text I used inside the booklet consisted of:

Tracking

This booklet is designed to help you track your feelings and actions through your hormonal therapy. In this section, make a tally if you experience any of the below symptoms. This will help you and your doctor work out the best route forward.

Notes

Below is a notes section for you and your doctor. If English is not your first language, you can ask your doctor to write what they have to say and any advice they have for you going forward. You can also use this section for your own notes on symptoms, or things you want to be focused on during your consultation.

 

Final Design

The final design of the booklet was then divided into three different designs, depending on the need for them. These different categories were the same as the three original posters supplied by my client, being: ‘Considering Hormonal Therapy’, ‘Adhering to Hormonal Therapy’, and ‘Stopping Hormonal Therapy’. All the booklets also have a main title which is the same for all; being ‘Your Medical Journey’. I felt this name helped best describe what each booklet was for in a broad sense, without sounding trivial.  

 

 

Reflection and conclusions

I handed this project in on 25th May. However, I feel this project could have taken less time if I had more contact time directly with the client, instead of conveying ideas through his professor. I also had the added difficulty of Professor Donyai going on leave for a period of time, which resulted in slower communication via email. This ultimately meant that whilst all the ideas and concepts had already been discussed face-to-face, finalising the job was very difficult and time consuming. Having said this, I did have a very good relationship with my client’s Professor, Parastou, and when she was not on leave we scheduled regular meetings, and she seemed very pleased with the final work, (although I am yet to hear back from my original client, Ottman). One main obstacle I faced while undertaking this job was the desire by my client to use a layout which, with respect, I felt was inappropriate. I overcame this by compiling further research to present to her, which helped sway the decision as to the final product. From this, I have learnt to not show or discuss all my ideas before I have more thoroughly researched what I am doing. Furthermore, I have also learnt that I should not present ideas that are not practical or fully considered; as it may be better to present fewer, but more developed concepts, in order to prevent the difficulties experienced from happening again. 

 

 

 

The DEL Feedback Action Plan

Background

The English Department at the University of Reading required full size A1 laminated posters which addressed feedback and assessment issues in English Literature. The brand identity of the University of Reading was required  for example, the Effra typeface and University of Reading logo. One problem reported by students is that they are unable to locate and read their feedback on Blackboard. To help address this, TEL produced some images to use for the posters (and digital posters). These posters are to be displayed in the English department in order to help the students. 

The purpose of the A1 posters were to inform the students on how to locate their feedback and how to submit their work. This is due to the lack of guidance on how to use Blackboard and Turnitin. The posters should have a lasting impact on the students so they remember the steps and refer to this throughout their studies at the University. Another key aim of the job was to decode the existing content as, it was extremely confusing. There was not much clarity in the steps and this needed to be condensed into a few posters. 

I was allocated this job for a quick turn round in order for the client to gain the correct funding for printing and get the posters up within the department. This ultimately benefitted myself because it meant I experienced the realistic time constraints of a design job.

Restated brief

The Deliverables:

  • Feedback and assessment posters. A1 posters, the number of posters required was determined by the design process. 
  • A digital copy of the images. 

A challenge that arose with the brief was the quantity of posters as this was not specified by the client as they were unsure how much of the content would fit onto one poster. When discussed with the clients they advised me to analyse the content initially to understand  it well enough to identify how many posters are needed. This helped to narrow down the exact content which is needed and what steps are linked. This meant that I required 2 posters to accommodate all the information, one regarding the feedback and one on the assessment submissions.

Research

 Research into existing student faced posters helped to understand the style and stance the content should have in order to draw attention to the posters. Initially, I gained background knowledge on the university brand guidelines from speaking with my clients. They helped me to take into consideration a certain typeface and to ensure the university logo was on the posters. In order to understand where in the department the posters would be placed and whats would be situated around them, I asked my client. I found out that the colour scheme in the English department is blue and the corridors where the posters would be placed are painted a shade of blue. This therefore, enabled myself to experiment with complimentary colours and identify what colour scheme would work. I intended to educate myself on the aims of the client, what they are trying to achieve on a wider scale and how this can be inputted within the posters. 

A way in which I collated ideas and displayed them for the client was by creating mood boards. The boards were sectioned into, existing simplistic instructional posters, graphic instructional posters, illustrations, images and icons and typography and brand. The boards allowed me to identify what the client preferred and what direction I should take in terms of style. The clients found this useful as they were able to suggest what they preferred, which gave me an insight to proceed with the designing aspect.

Simplistic instructional poster moodboard
Graphic instructional posters inspiration
Illustrations, images and icons inspiration
Brand identity

From the feedback from the client I gathered that they preferred a monochromatic blue colour scheme to match the doors within the department. They also suggested for the poster to be a step by step simplistic instructional poster. Selecting some of the images I had included helped me to understand the style they required. However, one problem was that the style did not matter until the content had been organised and re structured. This was a problem due to their being too much content for example, three pages were to be condensed into one poster. Nevertheless, once I had analysed and throughly reorganised the content, the sections became clearer and I was able to divide and produce a plan. Another limitation was that there was only one typeface ‘Effra’ to work with, making it hard to create differentiation between content. 

Design Development

The design style the clients wanted were uncluttered, step by step structured posters with a monochromatic blue colour scheme with innovative digital images where necessary.

Early developments and variation of the layout design

Primarily, using the style guides I created sketches of how to section the content in a visually appealing way. From these sketches I went on to develop the concept using triangles to section the content. The idea of triangles to direct the user to the next step was developed further. After showing my supervisor my design ideas, he suggested that the differentiation between different sections was still unclear. The titles seemed to get lost within the background colour. The clients seemed to be very fond of the design, however the hierarchy was still unclear and visually confusing like the copy provided. The triangular design was restricting the typographic clarity therefore, I removed them creating a new layout which included new illustrations and column layout. This worked much better and from here I further developed the design. Within a limited amount of time I sent variations to the client, I had to work efficiently as the client needs the posters before a certain date in order to cater for printing. I would gain feedback from the clients as well as my supervisor frequently in order to get a better understanding of what direction to take the posters. Due to the global pandemic of Covid 19 I was unable to show physical design deliverables however, consistent and frequent updates were communicated to the client through email. The client was unsure what size the posters should be once the posters had been completed however, I suggested for it to remain A1 due to printing costs being cheaper as opposed to a custom print. A size are more economically efficient. The client agree and this format has remained.

Final Outcomes

The client has invited myself back to the departments where the posters will be put up to have a look and view people interacting with them. The posters have ultimately been a success and will hopefully show this through their functionality. The clients particularly commented on the clarity and the visual identity of the posters from the colour palette to the typeface. The clients commented that the posters were clear and helpful for students and would fit in perfectly with the department. 

Assessment poster

 

Feedback poster

Reflection

Challenges were met throughout the process of this job. The biggest constraint being the amount of content being placed into one poster alongside the restricted typeface choice of Effra. This consequently created difficulties in regard to hierarchy, which is extremely fundamental in an informative poster. I overcame this by continuously developing the structure and layout of the poster using space as the factor for differentiating sections and information. Furthermore, due to Covid 19 I was not able to show physical deliverables to the client ultimately making it hard to envision the designs. Although there were challenges the posters were sent of to print at the clients request and at the correct time and I learnt new skills such as working so closely alongside a client in difficult circumstances as well as communicating effectively.

Overall, the job was successful and I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the clients and was delighted to hear all the positive responses from the client. Not only was the feedback good but it further emphasised that although many challenges could come in the way of the job a professional demeanour and design process is to be retained.

 

Site Management Textbook design

Background

This blog post will be discussing a project which was carried out for the site management department and course at the university of reading. The clients were authors who had written a new textbook which would be used for the upcoming academic year. The clients wanted a more modern look to the textbook which was easy to understand and refer to as it would also be utilised as a reference book on actual construction sites as well.

Brief

The brief for this project included creating a textbook which included illustrations and tables. The textbook design should be colourful, modern and effective to use and refer to. Each illustration should be showcased alongside the text to ensure that each caption makes sense with one another.

Deliverables

The proposed deliverables included a finished textbook including contents pages, chapter openers, body text pages and a front and back cover as well.

Design Development

Text design

The design process initially began with several client meetings whereby book sizes and formats were looked at. During these meetings, we went through several textbooks and different elements which the client wanted to include in the book itself. She was adamant in having a colour-coded system for each chapter as that would allow both would-be students as well as individuals utilising the book at construction sites to look through the book and arrive at specific sections fairly easily.

The book itself had already been written by the client on a word doc, which I was once looked at showed several hierarchies of information as well as a number of figures and tables which had to be edited. The document itself was over 200 pages without formatting. The design process began by taking a look at the several hierarchies which existed in the textbook. After speaking with my supervisor, I was suggested to work with a chapter with the highest number of typographic hierarchies.

For example, as seen in the images below, I began looking at the typographic hierarchy in several ways. I discussed utilising different colours for each level. For example, using red for  1.1,  green for 1.1.1 and perhaps pink for 1.1.1.1. However, through several discussions with the client as well as my supervisor, we came to a decision that blue would be utilised for the sectioning system and would be a constant throughout the textbook, while the primary section heading colour would be red whilst subsequent secondary sectioning would be in green. This would create less confusion and more stability throughout the book.

 

This part of the design process was especially a struggle as alongside deciding an appropriate hierarchy I needed to work with a very large document. Since this was the first large document I had to deal with, it included creating several chapter starters as well as colour-coded pages. Thought the course of the project, it became more apparent to me how there were several easier ways of colour coding including object styles. Throughout the project, while working with my supervisor, It also alerted me to the importance of the copywriter for projects, as there were several typographic errors throughout the document. This slowed down the fine detail processing of the document as I needed to go back and fix certain errors in the document.

Dealing with Image

Throughout the project, several figures and images needed to be dealt with and recreated due to the low resolution of the images given by the client. As well as due to the 2 column nature of the textbook, the images not only had to be in the same spread as it is referenced in but also had to be different scales depending on its importance. For example, as seen below figure 4 was smaller then table 4-1, not only due to the difference in the amount of information but also from a users perspective, individuals would be more likely to look at the table more for important information, therefore requires more space.

Cover design

Once the text design had been finalised, we then went onto working on the cover page, I initially sent the clients several images which I believe suited the textbook and represented the textbook and what is included. The clients decided upon a very dynamic image of an automatic drill going through a piece of wood. This as a composition was extremely effective due to the dynamic nature of the colour and movement within the image as well. The typography followed the two-column grid to tie into the text pages. The same type of typography was utilised in front and back cover to create a cohesive cover as well.  

Print and print finishes

Once the design had been finalised, I worked with my supervisor as well as Geoff to check the cost of printing and etc. I believe that this aspect of the project was where I learnt the most. During this project I worked with Geoff and had a crash course on how when designing documents, looking at the types of swatches and colours utilised truly impacts the print of the book. For example, ensuring knowing the difference between tints and opacity is extremely important as it could change the legibility of specific objects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that there is a medley of things I have learnt from working on this real job including ensuring that as a designer you outline the specific parts of the project you need to be done to ensure that you do not work backwards. This ultimately would have saved the project a lot of time. Alongside this, ensuring that the project is well organised is essential, especially when working on such a large project. This also saves time and ensures that you are not confused as a number of different iterations will inevitably be made.