Early-Stage Concept Development
Project Overview
I supported the development of a series of early-stage endoluminal robotic concepts, leveraging learnings from previously conducted research to set the foundation for future product development and inspire stakeholders from across the client organization.
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The project commenced with a two-day ideation workshop where I presented findings from a previous round of research and led the design team through a series of structured activities. Day-one was a jumping off point where we grounded ourselves in identified opportunity areas and generated many point ideas. We then returned on day-two to combine our ideas into preliminary concept directions for further development.
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Over the next four weeks I supported the design team in concept development. Here I crated written concept statements and helped to push and advance the team’s thinking. Throughout this process I acted as Voice of User, highlighting the needs and pain points uncovered through our foundational research.
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As part of concept refinement, we engaged with internal technical experts and KOLs to stress-test our initial concepts. Here I led participants through virtual concept reviews, eliciting feedback and identifying areas for refinement.
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The result of the project was a series of directional concepts delivered as line-drawings and storyboards with written descriptions. These concepts would then be used by the client team for further engineering development, as stimulus to test with surgeons, and as a Northstar to guide strategic decision-making.
Client: A Major Medical Device Manufacturer
Time: 2021, 3 Months
Role: Project Manager, Design Support
Key Takeaways
Stepping Into the Future of Robotics
From the outset of this project, we knew the client team was interested in exploring near-term, next-generation robotic platforms. Essentially building off what’s being done today to leap-frog commercially available products through new features and functions.
Starting at our ideation workshop and through preliminary concept development, we helped the client team identify a need and desire to push some of the concepts further into the future. This allowed us to push the envelope and deliver a subset of concepts designed to inspire the business and help develop a point of view about the future of endoluminal robotics
Designing for Engagement & Operational Efficiency
While styling and the visual look and feel were important aspects of our concept development, a majority of our time was spent considering the user experience and the operational context of use.
In the end, we landed on concept directions and technologies that helped drive operator focus, enhance communication & teamwork, and drive operational efficiency in the clinical environment.
Challenges
Breaking Down the Procedure
In running the concept development workshop it was important to help the team understand the user needs and pain points in the context of the procedure. To this end I created a scale model of a pulmonology suite where we were able to discuss workflows and the challenges created by the currently available robotic platforms. While this worked and helped drive engagement, I’m interested in finding better ways to articulate procedural workflows and engage design teams.
Remote Guidance and Support
Through the concept development process I was working remotely from the design team. While this made it challenging to engage in design critique, we were able to lean into a series of digital tools and collaborative platforms to build out a virtual workspace that enabled me to engage at a distance.
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