The design of information on Ibuprofen

Abstract

This article shows and describes the information about an ordinary pain killer—Ibuprofen—presented in medicine packaging, labels and leaflets. The article discusses both the contents and design, and questions whether this combination of information is the most appropriate way to communicate with a person who has a minor headache. The article is divided into two parts. The first part provides a step-by-step description, whereas the second part summarizes the main patterns of the pain killer (Ibuprofen) information communication. The main conclusions are: the contents are incorrectly structured, repetitive, conflicting and hard to apply; the language used is confusing, vague and at some parts inappropriate; the visual design does not enable people to find and understand information, and the information does not really help patients to make appropriate decisions. These conclusions could be used as a starting point for the development of information about Ibuprofen which would really enable people to act appropriately.