User centred design in a pharmaceutical company

Sarah Law, Anna Springett and Kate Williams have been supporting the partnership between pharmaceutical and technology companies. This has focussed on user centred design principles in relation to the development of pioneering new health technology. Here they bring us up to speed with progress and learning to date.

Silvermaple

Sarah’s reflections

Bridging the cultural and ideological gap between analysts and clinicians did initially prove challenging. However, as is so often the case, the involvement of the user (in this case patients) acted as a powerful way to unite all parties around a common cause. They are starting to shape and develop truly user centred products.

Sarah Law

What they needed

This pharmaceutical company (that wishes to remain anonymous) has a reputation and track record for its innovation. When the opportunity arose for them to partner with an IT firm to develop and incorporate data analytics this was understandably of huge interest to them. Their vision was to use data analytics via a tablet interface in a way that supported a complex segment of the healthcare sector. We were asked to advise and support with the engagement of frontline staff and patients in both the co-design, prototyping and pilot of these products.

What we did

This work is still still on-going and the insights gained to date have been powerful. Through enabling product designers and analysts to work in close partnership with practitioners and the people they serve, we have been given a unique insight into their needs and openness to trying something new. Some of the underlying principles of user centred design and continuous feedback were able not just to increase the pace of development but also enhance enagement.