Through human-centred design, we create products that are not only safe to operate and effective under real-world conditions but also desirable and easy to use.
Human-centred design forms an integral part of our work across the full market spectrum, delivering both regulatory compliance and commercial success.
Human-centred design forms an integral part of our work across the full market spectrum, delivering both regulatory compliance and commercial success.
Inspiring innovation
It’s vital to understand the user and how they will relate to a product. Frequently, these insights provide the inspiration required to create truly innovative products.
Conducting research early in the development process yields valuable insight at a point where meaningful changes can be implemented in the design. In addition to stakeholder interviews and needs assessments, we conduct ethnographic research worldwide to uncover the tacit (unspoken) and latent (unfathomed) needs of users.
Integrating user experience development
Our human factors experts work alongside our mechanical, software, electrical and design engineers from the outset, ensuring that the needs of users and other stakeholders are considered throughout the development process.
Our integrated, human-centric approach – which considers the user, the technology and the environment as a single system – means that the end-use experience is not compromised as trade-offs are assessed and key decisions made.
Ensuring regulatory success
We partner with our clients to help them understand FDA expectations and provide guidance on human factors in medical device development.
We have a wealth of experience in supporting regulatory submissions – including use-related risk management, formative and validation assessments – ensuring that later stage requirements and expectations are considered from the outset.
Experience
Our human factors experience comes into play throughout the development process, from discovering stakeholder needs, defining product requirements and generating concepts to guiding product design and eventual assessment and validation.
Our human-centred design teams are based in both the US and UK, consisting of human factors engineers, cognitive psychologists, biomedical engineers and environmental designers.
Interested in joining us?
Tech, tools & facilities
Co-creation & co-working space
We are highly collaborative in our approach and provide dedicated co-creation facilities where we can join forces with our client teams to address the task in hand. Creative spaces throughout our offices provide a blank canvas for ad-hoc brainstorming sessions and planned workshops, inspiring our designers in their quest to develop impactful, unique and meaningful user experiences.
Food & beverage lab
Specifically set up to meet the unique requirements of developing food- and beverage-safe systems, our dedicated lab means we have the necessary procedures and equipment in place to design and test new products in-house. Quantitative and scientific testing is fundamental to our science-led innovation approach, but ultimately taste tests are always needed. This is our only lab where the consumption of food and drink is not just allowed but essential!
Surgical innovation suite
Equipped to simulate clinical, home and office environments, this facility allows us to test concepts, evaluate prototypes and analyse workflows in a safe and confidential setting. It’s an invaluable tool for understanding and communicating the contextual implications of design decisions, while the ability to conduct quick-turnaround usability evaluations means we can efficiently progress design and development.
UX design studios
Equipped with whiteboards, marker pens and acres of Post-it notes, we use these spaces to aggregate research data, user stories and create design concepts and keep them visible for the duration of the project. Each design studio allows our project teams to develop ideas and collaborate on designs whilst preserving client confidentiality.
Case studies
accesso smart wearable
For their latest wearable device, accesso wanted to take their LoQueue virtual queuing solution to the next level, adding greater interactivity and creating new ways to connect with park guests during their visit.
Clearbridge BioMedics liquid biopsy enrichment
Second-generation liquid biopsy instrument for the automated enrichment of circulating tumour cells
KiCoPen connected insulin device
A connected ecosystem delivering better disease management for diabetes patients
News & insights
Opinion
Alarms in critical care
Anyone who has spent time in a critical care environment will be familiar with the sound – amongst the backdrop of clinical conversation, busy movement of people and the hum of machinery is a chorus of ‘pings’ and ‘bleeps’ demanding...
- Data science & analytics
- Digital health
- Human factors
- Machine learning & AI
- Sensing
Opinion
Integrated design & brand experience
In our increasingly complex and connected world, medical devices are part of an ecosystem that includes numerous touchpoints, such as packaging, instructions for use (IFU), digital services and smartphone apps...
- Human factors
- Industrial design
Press release
New app to demystify the neutrino
Neutrinos are one of the most important particles in the universe. Partnering with Durham University, we’ve created a new AR app that demystifies this most mysterious of particles. Breakthrough innovation specialists...
Press release
Helping women to take control of menopausal hot flushes
The menopause is seen by many to be merely a “women’s issue”. We have partnered with the National Innovation Centre for Ageing, to explore women’s experience of the menopause and to propose technology-based interventions.
Events
Event
Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2018 Annual Meeting
We’re delighted to present the ‘Surgical Robotics: Engineering to Bedside’ symposium, in collaboration with the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. This symposium focuses on understanding state-of-the-art robotic systems...
Event
SMi Asthma & COPD 2018
SMi’s 14th annual Asthma & COPD conference aims to improve health outcomes and revolutionise clinical trials with real world studies. Suresh Gupta, Head of Human Factors and Usability Engineering, will be delivering...
Event
SMi Pre-Filled Syringes East Coast 2018
SMi's 5th annual conference and exhibition provides a unique insight in the areas of regulation, manufacturing, emerging trends and innovative solutions to the challenges facing the prefilled industry, helping attendees to...
Event
HFES 2018 International Symposium
The 'Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care' symposium offers cutting-edge presentations, materials and workshops on emerging issues in health-care human factors and the challenges facing us in the near...
We can help you achieve the impossible