Design for People, Not Awards: Creating Products That Truly Matter

In the world of product design, it's easy to get caught up in creating something that looks impressive, a "beautiful baby" or a concept car that wows everyone. But what happens when that design doesn't translate into real-world impact? What happens when it fails to address the actual needs of the people it's intended to serve?

This is the challenge that Timothy Prestero and his team faced when designing a newborn incubator for developing countries. They poured their hearts and souls into creating a state-of-the-art device, the Neo Nurture incubator, packed with smart features and intended to inspire manufacturers. However, the incubator never made it into production. This experience highlighted the critical importance of designing for outcomes, not just accolades.

The Pitfalls of Designing for Inspiration

The Neo Nurture incubator won awards and garnered recognition, but it failed to achieve its primary goal: to save the lives of newborns. This realization led to a crucial shift in perspective: designing for inspiration is often too slow or simply ineffective. The focus needed to be on creating tangible, positive change in the world.

Designing for Outcomes: A Multifaceted Approach

To truly design for outcomes, several key factors must be considered:

• Understanding the Entire Ecosystem: It's not enough to focus solely on the end-users. Consider everyone involved in the product's lifecycle, including manufacturers, distributors, regulators, and those who finance the project. Who chooses, uses, and pays the dues?
• Manufacturing and Distribution: Design must align with manufacturing capabilities and distribution networks. Partnering with manufacturers early in the process ensures that the design is feasible and scalable.
• Actual Use: Observe how people actually use the product, not how you think they should use it. There are no dumb users, only dumb products. Design for the world as it is, not as you wish it to be.

Case Study: Firefly Phototherapy Device

Taking these lessons to heart, Prestero's team embarked on a new project: the Firefly phototherapy device for treating newborn jaundice. This time, they prioritized designing for manufacture and actual use.

• Design for Manufacture: They partnered with a manufacturer in Vietnam, MTTs, from the outset, tailoring the design to their capabilities and resources.
• Design for Actual Use: The Firefly was designed with a single bassinet to prevent overcrowding and ensure effective treatment. Lights were placed above and below the baby, so even if a blanket was placed on top, the baby would still receive phototherapy.
• Durability: The device was completely sealed to prevent insects and other pests from damaging the electronics.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on Outcomes: Design products that create tangible, positive change in the world.
• Consider the Entire Ecosystem: Understand the needs and constraints of everyone involved in the product's lifecycle.
• Design for Manufacture and Distribution: Partner with manufacturers early in the process to ensure feasibility and scalability.
• Design for Actual Use: Observe how people actually use the product and design accordingly.
• Embrace Existentialism: Accept the world as it is and design for the reality of the situation.

By embracing these principles, designers can move beyond creating beautiful babies and instead create products that truly make a difference in the world.