Industrial Design . Prototyping & Testing

How the Future of Dialysis Is Breaking Free from the Hospital

Quanta DT selected Smallfry to help develop the industrial design and usability of their existing medical device; ambitiously aiming to radically change the way their products were serviced. Moving away from mounting the components to the housing, the new medical product design implements a chassis-based design for easy access and significantly quicker maintenance.

At only a quarter of the size of existing machines, Quanta’s SC+ is specifically configured to be used at home or clinical environment. This enables people to have much greater freedom to control their own medication. Smallfry went to great lengths to create a medical product that wouldn’t intrude in a domestic environment but would also be appropriate for professional clinical spaces.

Beyond Styling

Through one-to-one patient interviews and group discussions Smallfry sought to establish their needs, wants and desires for a new system. By combining these insights with feedback from nurses and engineers, the team were able to create a more satisfying experience through design which empathised with their lifestyle pressures and busy daily routine.

19-year long dialysis patient, Maddie Warren, says that the Quanta SC+ means “you don’t have to fit your life around dialysis, you can fit dialysis around your life.”

With a user-focused approach that goes beyond styling, Smallfry helped to produce a healthcare product which truly sympathises with patients’ needs.

Clarity of Communication

The development and review process for this medical product design was accelerated through the use of physical block models and aesthetic prototypes, helping the team clearly communicate usability considerations and ambitions to a wider audience.

Simplified Technicality

The team carefully considered the technical challenges of the brief. Our human-centred design programme worked in harmony with an internal system redevelopment. The Smallfry team liaised with Quanta’s engineering team to align the rational and emotional development goals without compromising the high standards of safety and risk mitigation required for medical device compliance.

Smallfry continue to work with Quanta DT to address both technical and usability challenges.