WHAT IS CONCEPT DESIGN?
The concept design phase is an early phase in product development in which the general concept of a product is laid out. In this stage, various aspects of the product are considered, such as user experience, usability, styling, production technology as well as cost. Without going into details too much. In this phase you will go from an idea, to several well developed, visualised and commercially feasible concept designs. A critical examination of proposed solutions to a medical need, along with identifying a solid design intent that will fulfill those objectives, is important during this phase.
FROM IDEA TO CONCEPT: MAIN STEPS AND DELIVERABLES
MOODBOARDS
At the beginning of the concept design phase, some images collected in Mood Boards are shared with the clients in order to better understand what the Medical Device design characteristics are that could satisfy the client’s and other stakeholders’ taste and goals. It is about how the client feels about Design, Shapes, finishing, colors, light input, graphics, etc
The moodboards can be created using competitor’s or similar products or completely different products of different application markets.
In addition, the list of product requirements, created during the kick off meeting, is updated and shared with the client.
MARKET RESEARCH
Beside the moodboards, a market research is performed to map the competitive landscape and have an idea of competitors’ choices in terms of Medical Device industrial design features. The visualization of competitors into the market positioning boards with the main design features supports the choice of design features/ directions.
The user’s profiling and the analysis of the medical device workflow can be necessary to complete the exploration phase and to make a complete list of user requirements.
At the end of this phase of the Medical device concept, a presentation is made with the competitors landscape.
In addition, the list of product requirements, created during the kick off meeting, is updated and shared with the client.
IDEAS DEVELOPMENT
After the exploration of the market and design opportunities, industrial designers usually continue the concept design phase by sketching many quick ideas for the product or parts of the product. By doing this they explore the boundaries of what is possible, investigate what works or doesn’t work. What functionality could be integrated? Which styling fits best with the product and the target group?
Once the layout for the new product is defined and many ideas have been developed, a number of the most promising ideas are turned into Medical device concepts.
The different sketches envision all the product concept characteristics and implications and they are developed and evaluated in collaboration with the engineering and production departments in order to ensure the feasibility of each concept.
A list of technical requirements, combined with the production technology selected for each concept are assessed by the cross-functional team to further define its details (e.g. enclosures’ subdivisions, selected production technology and feasibility, fixing points, IP requirements or any other kind of technical requirement).The output of this phase is one or more feasible concepts.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT & PRESENTATION
After the feasible concepts go through engineering and production review, they are modelled in 3D CAD in order to have a precise Medical Device design representation with a fairly reliable view on product feasibility and dimensions.
The 3D CAD model output is anyway already made with the manufacturing and producibility constraints in mind. requests, but doesn’t apply all the Engineering rules.
The goal of this step is to present the final aesthetics of the medical device.
In some cases, the designer can evaluate a different output like sketches with a different level of detail agreed with the client.
The chosen medical device concepts are represented by photorealistic computer renderings, simulating the material, colors and finishing of the final product in line with the client’s requests.
At the end of this phase a presentation with different views for each concept is produced to get a good understanding of the product. The presentation also contains all the necessary information to understand the concept features in detail.
Then together with the client we will choose the best concept and the development process will continue with a design concept refinement in which the feedback of the design review is elaborated. Upon full definition of the concept, it is ready to be fully engineered in the following phase.
Whether your medical device concept is a disruptive innovation or an improvement on an existing medical device, Creanova can help you take that first step in a complex journey towards a successful medical product.
Creanova’s designers combine in your medical device concept creativity, innovation and usability with a special attention to production requirements and costs, ensuring a producible medical device since the early stages.
The integration of Italian design, international experience and a Human-Centered approach results in innovative and intuitive healthcare solutions, honoured by the most prestigious design awards.
We are specialized in Medical Device industrial design, but what Creanova is best at is its full service, from concept design, through development up to contract manufacturing of the assembled product.
Contact us now if you have a brilliant idea you want to make a reality!
