Enduser medico
As we grow older and need help keeping the active lifestyle we have come to expect, and we refuse to limit our scope and rely on the kindness of strangers as previous generations have, we more and more embrace new technology products that solves problems or saves lives. We will expect these to be bought, operated by our selves and easy to use. This can allready clearly noticable in hearing aids and their change over the last few years.
Much like eye wear have moved from being medically prescribed and stigmatized as a handicap, they have moved into retail and fashion. Hearing aids are now in the early stages of their transformation to acceptable personal accessories.
Steppingstone road maps, user research and attitudinal segmentation help define the key interim product instantiations and experiences that appeal to and address user needs and aspirations at every step through replacement cycles.
This in-ear hearing aid project for Oticon focused on creating an easy user interaction as required by the low dexterity of the gray user group and to simplify the visual impact, by removing the details, edges and contrasts that normally attract the eye and make it stick out when worn.
Ultimately when these devices are bought over the counter and are worn proudly, the product experience will shift towards the telecom products universally worn today, or be integrated as a service in these. To get them there successfully, without losing support from sales channels, users and the health authorities that today subsidize them and whose livelihood depend on the status quo, will take a number of steps that each and everyone will be both compelling and acceptable for the whole audience.
Lifesaving automatic heartdefibrillators for Philips Hearstart are developed for use by untrained or slightly trained users to save lives. They are purchased by user who have had heart problems and can cut the crucial response time that mean the difference between death and complete recovery, as the brain starts dying after 4 minutes and ambulances rarely arrive in less the 14. It’s a powerful gift to give and careful design of the complete experience was crucial to ensure efficacy.
Originally developed for and used by highly trained doctors in the hospital the successive generations of miniaturization and user interaction improvements have made it accessible to many more user groups and they can now be found everywhere a lot of people gather from airports to sports facilities. The design has therefore also changed from the masculine and scary emergency experience, to rugged professional tools and now helpful friendly no nonsense assistants.
The appropriate user interaction and product design improves compliance and helps save lives, by pacing and taking the user through a stressful experience, calming them down and presenting intelligent and perceptive feedback while keeping complexities hidden and using sophisticated algorithms to analyze patient status and maintaining safety.
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