{"id":4180,"date":"2018-11-27T12:51:11","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T20:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ddstudio.com\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2023-06-07T07:25:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T14:25:16","slug":"human-centered-design-a-value-proposition-for-medical-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddstudio.com\/human-centered-design-a-value-proposition-for-medical-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Human-Centered Design – A Value Proposition for Medical Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tracy Manning, DDSTUDIO Chief Strategy Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n

From \u201czero to commercial\u201d in two years\u2014a savings of at least $5 million and three-to-four years research and development\u2014that is the return on investment BioFluidica CEO Rolf Muller, Ph.D., attributes to human-centered design.<\/p>\n

Muller, a successful veteran of the biotechnology industry, engaged with DDSTUDIO and its human-centered design process when starting development of BioFluidica\u2019s liquid biopsy device because experience taught him that engineering a product that functions isn\u2019t enough to fuel success. Medical technology also needs to satisfy the wants and needs of its users in a way that stokes their desire for it.<\/p>\n

Empathy for the end-user in their unique and complicated environment is the cornerstone of human-centered design. What does that look and feel like in the context of medical technology\u2019s bottom-line? Muller summed it up nicely when he joined me, IntelliGuard CEO Gordon Krass, and TruMed Systems CTO Joe Milkovits, on a panel about the topic at Biocom\u2019s Device Fest:<\/p>\n

\u201cYour technology may do incredible things, but if the user doesn\u2019t use it, the technology doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experts at Ernst and Young agree. The firm\u2019s 2018 Pulse of the Industry<\/em> report states that to succeed despite the pressures of reimbursement, rapidly evolving technologies and super-consumers, \u201ccompanies must evolve their focus from product-centric to the consumer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

De-mystifying Human-Centered Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

I proposed the Device Fest panel as a forum for medical device executives to share their experiences with human-centered design and explain the value they\u2019ve found in it. The executives also addressed the misperception that human-centered design is a fuzzy concept. Far too often companies with cutting-edge technology focus on engineering a product that could be the best solution, but neglect the user\u2019s daily rituals and emotions.<\/p>\n

Good design isn\u2019t just about making a product aesthetically pleasing. As DDSTUDIO CEO Charles Curbbun tells clients: \u201cWhen human-centered design is done right, the product starts to disappear and the experience takes over, allowing users to get into the flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Human-centered design uses five key elements to uncover the right product solution for the consumer.<\/p>\n