What’s so Special About Life Science?

Have you ever felt excluded? Many people find it difficult to carry out simple, everyday tasks such as opening food packages, retrieving cash from an ATM abroad, or finding clothes that fit properly.

Designing for the medical market has its special challenges. Products are often to be launched many years in the future and will stay on the market longer than most other products. The increasingly stringent regulatory environment, extreme hygiene demands, restrictions in materials selection, special use environments, user groups with special needs and several layers of end users (purchasers, health care professionals and patients) are other demands which make the challenge even more exciting.

Life Science is our largest business area and we have 40 years of proven track record. We have a large team of Industrial and Interaction Designers, Engineers, Human Factors and Strategists specialising in Life Science as well as our in-house Registered Nurse and Professor.

Experience Leading to Synergy Effects

We work with clients in most therapeutic areas and notice that the extensive experience of the design team often leads to synergy effects which let us identify critical user interactions early on in the project.

For example, when we started working on the Preotact pen, an injection device for osteoporosis patients, we knew from previous experience that many osteoporosis patients also suffer from arthritis and the effects that arthritis has on dexterity and strength. When we saw the proposed injection pen concept, we immediately realised that it would exclude a large part of the intended user group because of the placement of the actuator. We proposed and conducted early research which confirmed our suspicions and helped us design an injection pen which enabled our client to expand the target group substantially.

The side-triggered Preotact Pen.

Designing for The Future

Understanding which materials and surfaces will look contemporary in 10 years from now is important, but understanding how the products will look and perform during their lifecycle is equally critical. Medical products will often be in constant use day after day and need to remain reliable after several months of use. This puts high demands on surface materials and perceived quality. By understanding material properties and wear and tear behaviour over time, we can develop products and solutions which will remain relevant throughout their entire time with the user.

Ergonomics³

Ergonomics provides genuine user insights that are fundamental for ground-breaking design and innovation. When you hear the word you might think about physical ergonomics – for example making it possible for a patient suffering from rhemuatoid arthritis to open a pill bottle or a nurse to avoid awkward postures when managing a ventilator. You might even think of cognitive ergonomics – helping the patient to remember to take the drug or the nurse to manage the information load in an intensive care unit. How about emotional ergonomics? I.e awakening positive associations with the devices and helping the patient and nurse to feel confident and safe while using them? We know that a holistic view of the human body and mind is the key to successful design in the medical sector. It combines emotional, cognitive and physical ergonomics, or as we say Ergonomics³.

Life Science clients

Aerocrine, ArjoHuntleigh (Getinge Group), AstraZeneca, Baxter, BioSensor, CMA Microdialysis, Cochlear, Conroy Medical, Daphne, Disetronic Medical Systems AG, Elekta, Fresenius-Kabi, Gambro, Johnson & Johnson/DePuy Mitek, Linde, Maquet, Medeikonos, Microdrug AG, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, NPS Pharmaceutical, Nycomed, Ortivus Medical, Oticon, Pfizer, Pharmacia Diagnostics, Q-Med, Quickels, Rehband, Romedic, Safety Syringes Inc, Siemens - Elema, Thermofisher, Ypsomed Medical AG
Additional clients to the above are confidential