Priya Mani

Design Researcher

Priya Mani

x Understanding Weight Management

2009

Design Researcher, CIID Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design

USA

Client: Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk wanted to understand how people managed weight loss in a nation challenged by obesity for their new drug delivery system.

The project  posed a very challenging research strategy as speaking to people about their obese condition is not an easy task. Research in such a sensitive area demanded an direct approach to enquiry, more informed by longitudinal observation and reactions. The project hinged on one of the key topics in healthcare today: patient compliance. While a holistic understanding of what the healthcare system in USA provides for the support and systematic combat of this condition, it was even more important to understand an individual’s ecosytem, how they thought about their condition, coped with social stigma and what measures they took over time to deal with the situation. The study involved spending hours with obese people as they went about their everyday activities like cooking, eating, shopping for groceries, spending time with family, at work and visited their healthcare providers.

The insights from this research had a deep,  micro-level approach to innovation and product application. It has informed Novo Nordisk of the need of service strategies, new therapy delivery systems from packaging and product design to dispensing models to effectively address the weight loss therapy market. It also pointed out the significant need for healthcare professionals to be able to find and use the right strategies to suit a patient’s health, practical and emotional needs.

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