Designing for the Unknown

ENCOUNTERING DATA GAPS

For a product to be successful, it’s critical for designers to understand the environment in which the product will be used. For a medical device, this environment is often inside the human body. While some anthropometric data such as height, weight, and arm reach, are well documented, there are many critical anatomical measures that remain unknown, particularly in the realm of women’s health.

While collaborating with a medical partner to address postpartum hemorrhage (PPH,) the leading cause of maternal death worldwide, Kaleidoscope encountered this common product design challenge. During preliminary research, the team found that there was little to no readily available data on vaginal dimensions immediately following childbirth. The scarcity of this particular data is not surprising, as the anatomy changes rapidly postpartum. Understandably, collecting this data isn’t a priority for mothers or caregivers, who are focused on the wellbeing of the newborn. Nevertheless, this lack of data created a significant challenge for the Kaleidoscope PPH design team.

 

TOOLS FOR BRIDGING THE GAP

Whether we are creating a medical device, a smart pet collar, or an industrial freezer, the team at Kaleidoscope utilizes a number of different methods when designing for the unknown. One way we obtain the data we need is simply to collect it ourselves! Armed with calipers and tape measures, we might venture into the field or bring samples into our studio to take direct measurements. Direct observation, whether in person or through videos and photos, is another way we round out our understanding of a unique user experience.

Sometimes—like trying to determine dimensions of internal anatomy—this just isn’t feasible. In those cases, we turn to subject matter experts. Surgeons, with their deep experiential knowledge of anatomy, are able to describe what they have encountered in situ, providing additional insights into the nuanced aspects of human anatomy, such as texture, firmness and what it feels like to manipulate different anatomical structures. These insights proved to be a vital element in overcoming the data gaps encountered by the PPH design team.

 

OUT-OF-THE-BOX INSPIRATION

When the Kaleidoscope team explores new product categories, we find that drawing inspiration from successful analogous products is another valuable strategy. If we’re creating a handheld device, referencing power tools, hair dryers, or hot glue guns as adjacent products can help guide the design in the correct direction. The key here is relevance—referencing products familiar to end-users ensures that the design resonates with their expectations. If we are developing a surgical device for ophthalmologists, (who are used to small, delicate instruments that they control with their fingertips,) it would be more appropriate to reference delicate tools such as those used by sculptors than it would be to reference tools used by auto mechanics.

While designing for a post-partum hemorrhage solution, analogous products included menstrual cups and discs, which share similar placement within the vaginal canal. These adjacent products provided the Kaleidoscope team with a good starting point for shape and dimensions of the device, as well as inspiration for materials and durometers to explore.  These analogous references were part of the constellation of information used by the PPH team while exploring potential solutions to our data gap.

 

EMBRACING FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS

At the end of the day, secondary research can only get us so far. In the absence of precise anatomical dimensions, adaptability can be a powerful tool in the designer’s toolbox. Whether the solution is fully adjustable (like an office chair) or offers different size options (like audio earbuds with multiple size tips,) a thoughtfully designed adjustable or flexible product ensures that one size does NOT need to fit all—rather, we can design a solution that easily adapts to meet the needs of all users.

Being on the cutting edge of new product development often means navigating uncharted territory. At Kaleidoscope, we've mastered the art of designing for the unknown with a combination of creative data collection, analogous product inspiration, and thoughtful adaptability. By transforming uncertainty into opportunity for our partners, we create products and experiences that improve outcomes for everyone.

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Author

  • Tom Gernetzke

    Senior Industrial Designer | [email protected]

    Tom Gernetzke is a senior lead industrial designer at Kaleidoscope Innovation and has spent the last 12 years creatively bringing new product ideas to life.

CES Optimist or Cynic?

Connectivity of people and devices is a significant macro trend across various products and technologies. Throughout history, most tech innovations have stemmed from the essential need for human interconnectivity including language, printing, roads, telecommunication, and the internet.

Optimistically, products like Withings' new "BeamO" represent a noteworthy evolution—a handheld device sensing temperature, heart rate, ECG, O2 levels, and features a stethoscope. This advancement enables a mobility-limited population to interact more effectively with healthcare providers, providing higher fidelity and real-time patient information. These products accumulate valuable data points over time, facilitating meaningful trend analysis.


 

However, my inner cynic sees that these types of products are usually marketed toward able-bodied and mobile people. Products like this can be used as excuses to avoid human-to-human interaction… or be reasons to replace human interaction. (You may have seen the AI powered robotic barista!) Every day, we see the impact of people losing the skills of basic public human interaction and common courtesy.

 

Overall, my optimistic perspective embraces the potential these new technologies bring to the human experience. While acknowledging potential pitfalls, I advocate for a larger role of Design within companies exploring these technologies. Engaging in discourse is crucial to finding a balance that enhances rather than degrades our collective experiences.

Now, are you more of an optimist or a cynic?

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Author

  • Karl Vanderbeek

    VP of Design & Human Factors

    Karl is passionate about creating worthwhile and valuable product design with an amazing team, focused on building beautiful and intuitive experiences prioritizing the user’s needs and expectations. His team brings these visions to reality by collaborating closely with Kaleidoscope’s Insights, Human Factors and Engineering teams. Karl’s Industrial Design background includes working with brands across a wide variety of industries, ranging from healthcare and medical, to consumer and housewares, to industrial products and toys. He has earned more than 40 design and utility patents over the past 20+ years.

The Future of Industrial Design

It’s time to evolve the way we train young industrial designers.

I’ve often heard designers express frustration about the decline in the quality of education for industrial designers and the curriculum’s failure to teach the foundational skills needed to enter the profession.

Having managed Kaleidoscope’s industrial design co-op program for five years and mentored co-ops throughout my career, I can’t say I disagree. Though young designers still have so much passion for their craft, their portfolios often reveal that the required skills are lacking.

What’s changed over the last decade? Our world.

Born after the dawn of the internet, today’s young designers have grown up surrounded by technology and unlimited access to information. While their innate curiosity has not changed, the way they learn and the tools they use certainly have.

For me, growing up pre-internet came with advantages and disadvantages. Much of my understanding of the world and the products around me came from my curiosity about and interaction with tangible objects. Whether it was building things with my father in the garage or taking objects apart and putting them together to see how they worked, my learning came from the physical world around me.

So how can we adapt the way we train young designers? I don’t have an encompassing solution to this question. But I do believe the first step is to recognize the impact of these generational and cultural changes so we can tweak the curriculum by incorporating literal hands-on experiences into students’ education. Let’s bring back model-making and shop courses, all the while emphasizing why these efforts are essential to one’s foundation and growth as a designer.

I’m sure all of you new and veteran designers have your own perspectives on the subject. What do you think of the state of today’s educational design programs? How can we ensure the next generation of designers are as prepared and skilled as possible?

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Author

  • Jake Schubert

    Senior Lead Industrial Designer | [email protected]

    Jake Schubert is a Senior Lead Industrial Designer at Kaleidoscope Innovation. His technical expertise and collaboration with our engineering team are instrumental in ensuring that user needs, design, and engineering intent converge seamlessly in our market-ready products.