ClearRx: Designer as Entrepreneur

Deborah
When I looked inside their medicine cabinet, the problem was really evident. I couldn’t believe how undesigned things were.

Thamer
Welcome to With Intent, a podcast from the Institute of Design Illinois Tech about how design permeates our world, whether we call it design or not. My name is Thamer Abanami, and I’m joined by my co-host, Albert Shum, and we are your hosts for With Intent’s third season.

Albert
This season, we’re exploring the stories and lessons from designs featured in ID’s list of 100 greatest designs. We’ll discuss how intentional, responsible, and innovative design intersects with these creations.

Thamer
Today, we’re diving into the story of Deborah Adler and her revolutionary design of the Clear RX prescription packaging system that not only transformed how medications are dispensed, but also showcases the power of design thinking and healthcare.

Albert
Well, for me, Thamer, I think Deborah really embodies the best traits of a designer as entrepreneur. Her determination really comes through, especially in the way she collaborates with other people to make Clear RX come to life.

Thamer
This is very interesting to me, because a long time ago, maybe 10 years or more, I was in New York City, and I was visiting the MoMA, and there was an exhibit about designing for safety. I saw this bottle that looked like nothing else, with a giant label and these colored rings, and it said Clear RX, designer Deborah Adler. And here we are, many years later, actually talking about it on a podcast. And we really lucked out for today’s episode in that Deborah Adler, the designer of Clear RX, agreed to sit down with us and discuss her journey and story.

Albert
Let’s start at the beginning. How did Deborah’s journey begin?

Thamer
In the early 2000s, Deborah was pursuing her master’s in design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, in a program called Designer as Entrepreneur. This is where students are encouraged to create a thesis project that can be brought to market. Initially, Deborah intended to focus her thesis not on a prescription bottle, but on curly hair.

Deborah
I was a design student at the School of Visual Arts, getting my master’s in design, and I had to come up with an idea for my thesis—one that I could eventually and effectively bring to market. It was called Designer as Entrepreneur, the name of the program. At first, I was going to do my thesis on curly hair because you want to pick something you’re passionate about. I actually wanted to do a mecca on curly hair, creating different products for different cultures. Everything was being lumped together, and there wasn’t really a product for different textures of hair. So that was my big idea. Since then, I think other people have come out with interesting ideas in that space. But then September 11 happened, and suddenly my curly hair idea felt not as important to me.

Thamer
You know, one thing, Albert, I’ve noticed with a lot of entrepreneurs is that success isn’t really about the first idea or getting attached to that first idea. It’s about this ability to move on to the next idea.

Albert
Yeah, definitely. I think sometimes, especially when you see a lot of these case studies on entrepreneurs, it’s like, wow, this person has an amazing idea, then it led to this great solution, and then it led to market success, and seems very straightforward and linear. Whereas I think, for all of us creators, product makers, it’s a non-linear path. It’s not about the first idea or locking into it. It’s about adapting, gaining different perspectives, getting different inputs, and staying flexible, while at the same time having the conviction to say, “I want to create a better solution” or “I believe there’s a new opportunity in the marketplace.” That’s the approach I’ve seen in successful entrepreneurs—their ability to adapt and be flexible.

Thamer
Yeah, I agree. And let’s talk about what came next. It wasn’t that first idea. Around that time, a personal incident really impacted Deborah’s direction—a profound impact, in fact. Her grandmother mistakenly took a medication that was labeled for her grandfather, which highlighted the danger of poorly designed prescription bottles and labels.

Deborah
Around that time, my grandmother had a medication error. She mistook my grandfather’s medication for her own. Her name was Helen. His name was Herman.

They both had the same medication, just different dosage strengths. So, when I looked inside their medicine cabinet, the problem was really evident. Everything looked the same; it was a mess. I wasn’t really taking medications at that time, and I couldn’t believe how undesigned things were. No one had thought about it. It’s like no one had considered creating more order in the medicine cabinet. So I started researching and realized that my grandparents weren’t alone—a lot of people mistake their medication. They’re called medication errors, and about 50% of us don’t take our medication correctly. So I pivoted and changed my thesis to redesign the prescription bottle. That’s how it came about.

Albert
Deborah’s personal experience ignited this passion, this drive to work on the problem. Thamer, how do you think personal experiences create a drive to deliver a better solution in design?

Thamer
In conversations with many designers, personal experiences often provide deep insights and a genuine understanding of a problem. It creates a drive to craft a solution and leads to empathy and effectiveness in that solution. Data-driven design and isolated research can sometimes bury or lose a deep insight that might be crucial in innovative solutions. What do you think about that, Albert?

Albert
Definitely, especially as we’ve shifted from physical product design to digital and even virtual experiences. I worry sometimes that being so data-driven means we design to the mean—the largest group of end users, solving the most common problem. That can maximize metrics, which is rational, but if you’re trying to create new innovations, you have to step back and understand the problem deeply. That can only happen through observation and being there firsthand. Once Deborah decided to tackle prescription packaging, how did she start reimagining a solution that eventually became so ubiquitous?

Thamer
She started by examining her grandmother’s medicine cabinet and then analyzed existing prescription bottles, noting their shortcomings. Her first design was actually a D-shaped bottle, built from tubing and dollhouse materials.

Albert
Just whatever she had on hand.

Deborah
I started sketching, keeping it somewhat familiar. I designed a D-shaped pill bottle with a rounded front, so it wouldn’t be a drastic change that people couldn’t connect with. I wanted it to feel familiar. I launched that with my thesis and took it to the FDA. But when I brought the idea to Target, I quickly realized I needed a child safety cap to fit, so we designed a bottle around a child safety cap. We hired industrial designer Klaus Rosberg, who helped us finalize the beautiful upside-down shape.

Thamer
She mentions adapting her design to accommodate existing child safety caps. Albert, what does this tell us about balancing creativity with practical constraints?

Albert
Constraints can make a design even more creative and innovative. Deborah immersed herself in learning about manufacturing, working with industrial designers and other experts. Being an entrepreneur is about knowing what you can do, recognizing what you can’t, and asking for help. In a regulatory space like healthcare, working within constraints is key, and Deborah did an amazing job adapting and delivering a solution that worked.

Deborah
I was on a tight timeline, getting my master’s. I didn’t know how molds were made or the cost. For me, it was about keeping my eye on the bigger picture. Change needs allies, and you can’t do it alone.

Thamer
Deborah’s determination and willingness to collaborate are evident here. How important is collaboration in bringing a design from concept to reality?

Albert
There’s always tension between being a generalist and a specialist. An entrepreneur must bridge these two worlds—connecting dots while working with specialists to ensure design meets user, regulatory, and business needs.

Thamer
On regulatory standards, designing a prescription bottle involves significant hurdles. Deborah reached out to the FDA and learned that partnering with a national chain like Target would streamline the process.

Deborah
I took my prototypes to Washington, and the FDA was supportive, but they couldn’t do much because each state has its own board of pharmacy. So I started looking for a pharmacy partner, and Target, which values its guests and branding, was ideal.

Albert
Deborah’s strategic pivot to Target shows that successful design also needs a clear business strategy and key partners.

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Albert
Deborah’s strategic pivot to Target shows that successful design also needs a clear business strategy and key partners. What do you think of Deborah’s approach?

Thamer
I think it shows that successful design isn’t just about the product, but understanding everything around it—how to navigate the market, regulatory landscapes, and build strategic partnerships. The match between Deborah and Target is interesting because Target was seeking ways to enhance their pharmacy services and customer experience. Deborah met with Target representatives during a conference, and the rest is history.

Deborah
They happened to be coming into the city for a business design conference and were looking for solutions for their pharmacy. No one even knew Target had a pharmacy at the time. Within a year, we were in the market. Target’s mantra was “speed is life,” and they fully supported the idea.

Thamer
Collaborating with a major retailer like Target can accelerate a project’s impact. Albert, what are the benefits and challenges of such collaborations?

Albert
It might seem like finding a big partner like Target makes everything easier, but it also brings challenges. Target is a big company, and navigating departments, finding resources, and keeping up with the pace of innovation requires energy. Deborah had to push forward despite organizational obstacles, where the easiest answer for a large organization might be “no.”

Thamer
We’ve heard that before—it’s less risky to say no.

Albert
Exactly. Designers sometimes think they have the best solution, but you also have to create alignment between customer, end user, and business. That’s the work Deborah took on to successfully partner with Target.

Thamer
And that collaboration resulted in a product that looked nothing like the first prototype. The best features from the original prototype were realized in the final product. Let’s delve into the design details of the Clear RX bottle released by Target, a collaboration between Deborah and industrial designer Klaus Rosberg.

Albert
It’s actually more of a system than just a design, transforming the standard perception of a prescription bottle. Traditional bottles are usually round with a hard-to-remove cap, often slippery and with hard-to-read labels. Deborah’s design started from observing her grandmother’s medicine cabinet, asking, “How do we visually distinguish the right medicine for the right person?”

Thamer
The shape and orientation maximize label space. Strong visual and graphic design solve the problem of small, hard-to-read labels, creating a larger canvas for clear information.

Albert
There’s also a specific focus on a color-coding system, assigning a color for each family member, reducing the risk of mix-ups. Clear visual hierarchy and highcontrast text improve readability, standardizing the font and layout to highlight dosage and warnings. The upside-down bottle orientation makes it easier to grab, providing tactile affordance for removing the cap—an example of thoughtful design for user needs, emphasizing safety and ease of use.

Thamer
It was a breakthrough design that received widespread acclaim for its innovative approach to medication safety, winning awards and sparking conversations about design’s role in healthcare and patient safety.

Deborah
It was a huge hit in the pharmacy and medical worlds, as well as the design community. This experience made me passionate about designing for good and scaling ideas for impact. I don’t think I’m done with pharmacy yet.

Albert
Thamer, what do you think made the Clear RX design resonate so strongly with different communities?

Thamer
Clear RX addressed a universal issue, benefiting users and showcasing design’s role in healthcare. One concept Deborah applied was the Gemba, a term she borrowed from Toyota.

Deborah
The Gemba is Japanese for “the real place,” or where the work happens. For me, the Gemba was my grandmother’s medicine cabinet. That’s where we uncovered small problems that turned into big ones, like similar names, label hierarchy, and identical packaging.

Thamer
Deborah’s use of Gemba highlights the importance of direct observation in design. Albert, how does this enhance the design process?

Albert
Understanding context is crucial. In physical product design, you see how people use the product in real environments. In digital design, we sometimes lose that context. Observing users firsthand allows for deeper insights and better solutions.

Thamer
The Gemba helped Deborah understand medication errors and also identify other opportunities in healthcare. For example, she saw that patients often take multiple medications, which complicates adherence. She developed Adler RX to manage complex regimens by organizing medications based on schedules.

Deborah
Many patients take multiple medications, and Clear RX doesn’t address that.
Working with a researcher, I realized that chronic patients may take medications 10–15 times a day. So, we designed a system to help people see all the pills they need to take in the AM, PM, etc.

Thamer
Albert, what does Deborah’s development of Adler RX tell us about continuous innovation in design?

Albert
Design is an ongoing process. Even after a successful solution like Clear RX, there’s always room to iterate, learn, and adapt. That’s one of the fun parts of design—it’s never-ending.

Thamer
I see a parallel with entrepreneurship. Deborah succeeded with Clear RX and Target, then did Adler RX with CVS, and continued collaborating with companies like Johnson & Johnson, applying her Gemba approach across projects. She emphasizes designing within limitations, as constraints can fuel creativity.

Deborah
You have to design within limitations. Different State Boards of Pharmacy, HIPAA, and manufacturing constraints require understanding, not fear. It’s not just about doing whatever you want—you won’t get anywhere that way.

Albert
Constraints are the other side of context. In regulated domains like healthcare, embracing constraints can lead to innovation. Understanding limitations also allows you to seek help from different experts to challenge them.

Thamer
A lot of clear-thinking designers don’t just stop at the brief—they ask “why,” even using the “five whys” to find deeper insights.

Albert
There’s value in the five whys, but it shouldn’t be an excuse not to act. Asking why can help uncover context, like why medication confusion happens in the cabinet. It’s about observation and learning, not just questioning.

Thamer
In the catheter example, the brief was to use silver against infections, but going to the Gemba revealed that the problem wasn’t necessarily the material but how and when the catheter was used.

Albert
What stands out about Clear RX and Deborah is that she truly embodies the designer as entrepreneur.

Thamer
Many design students wouldn’t go to the FDA or pitch to Target, but Deborah did. She’s more focused on outcomes and open to collaboration, with resilience that carries her through challenges.

Albert
Good design takes time, involving iterations, failures, and resilience. Deborah had to go through many versions of her design, aligning business and user needs to make her vision a reality.

Thamer
I agree. Clear RX and Deborah’s journey are a great example of designer as entrepreneur.

Thamer
And that’s a wrap for today’s episode of With Intent. We hope this deep dive into Clear RX gave you new insights about design and entrepreneurial thinking in healthcare. Huge thanks to Deborah Adler for her insights and collaborative spirit. We’d also like to thank the faculty and staff at the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech. With Intent is a production of the Institute of Design and part of its Latham Fellows Program. Thank you for listening.

Albert
Thank you.