For decades, in the highly regulated medical device industry, manufacturers have not considered overly what their machines looked like. Engineers who focused on complying FDA regulations and increasing surgical efficacy within a time pressure may perceive design as time and cost consuming task. However, recently some of the medical device companies are re-designing to reflect customers concern, and save manufacturing cost. The benefit of hiring designer is becoming distinctive in medical device industry.
"The benefit of hiring designer is becoming distinctive in medical device industry."
On Friday, in a "better world by design" conference, I went to the Medical Design Panel. There were five speakers and one moderator leading the panel. The main subject was about why design is important in current medical device industry and in what way designer is able to contribute. I want to share one interesting example that Trey Criso, a professor of Brown medical school, presented during the panel. The project is called Toys and Technology for Rehabilitation, and the goal was to create toys that can help children improve their arm and hand functions and help doctors measure the impact of therapy. Doctor Trey said that designers were able to make a great contribution to projects like this.
And from internet news I found an interesting information. In fall of 2006, Brown university and RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) students took on the task of designing therapeutic toys. Doctor Trey was leading this class, a left-brain right-brain collaborating team, that developed more than dozens toys and remote controllers. He said it was interesting to look at how RISD and Brown student think differently and share their ideas. Later, the team got a grant from the R.I. Science council.
Doctor Trey and other speakers in the panel mentioned that medical device industry should include designers and work together. It was impressive to look at various projects done by collaborating team, including a designer, an engineer, and scientist. During the process of designing a medical device, designer is more than a tool maker: designer can create better environment by finding solutions for the problem, looking closely what patients or doctors really want.
Probably, some RISD students will work for medical device industry after they finish the program, and I am glad to say there are a lot of opportunities in here. More intuitive graphics, better user interface design, ergonomic shapes, and user-centric materials are prioritized by companies: these are the factors us designers can work for. However, to make better contributions, we should first learn and understand the language and they (doctors, nurse, and patients) use and study product regulations. During the panel, everyone could see complying regulations and conducting trials were still number one concern for manufactures.
Medical device regulations information http://www.fda.gov/
More information about RISD, Brown class project
