Why Design Matters: What does it take to be the Best of the Best?
It’s about getting it consistently right, time after time, with thoughtful design solutions that look great, fit perfectly, and perform flawlessly, and make an emotional connection between the Brand and its consumers, creating an Ownable Brand Experience that defines our clients as leaders.
Brands around the world in all product categories invest in detailed and costly market research studies to define the right feature sets to be combined with the best styling options only to consistently experience disappointing financial results. Similarly, many global Brands rely on engineering development or their manufacturing vendors to create breakthrough designs which results in nothing more than a redux or mimicry of what already exists in the market. Others have simply watched their business erode and manufacturing lines go quiet to lower cost of off-shore knock-offs.
There are, however, a smaller number of businesses who recognize the strategic potency of good ergonomic design and its direct impact on financial success. These companies have created new product categories, redefined industry standards, built cult-like brand loyalty, exceeded all financial projections, and changed markets forever. The successes of this exclusive club of highly successful Brands are directly linked to their ability to make a meaningful connection with their customer. They have studied and designed each and every aspect of the user experience, from product to packaging to instructions. How your product or service looks, feels, and sounds, combined with intuitive usability and performance excellence defines the DNA of your Brand Experience.
This is why good design matters. It fundamentally defines your Brand, drives revenue, and increases shareholder value. This is what drives our User-Centered Innovation Process that consistently results in successful products that sell and work the way people think, feel &behave – a process referred to by the Wall Street Journal as “…a gold standard plan.”
Medtronic, M4 Microdebrider
Metaphase set a new industry standard in ergonomic surgical instrument design with Medtronic’s “M4″ Microdebrider for ENT surgeons who operate in twisted sinuses under remote visual guidance.
This breakthrough design has given surgeons what they asked for, resulting in a sales increase of 243% in the first 60 days from launch. The “M4″ is an award-winning design that has redefined “state-of-the-art” in ergonomic surgical handpiece design.
A. The “M4′s” patented elastomeric grip provides perfect biomechanical control of the instrument throughout all orientations of usage. The rubberized grip is also fused to the machined handpiece to allow for unlimited sterilizations.
B. An index finger finger-tip control allows the surgeon to orient the surgical cutting window on the fly making procedures faster and more comfortable.
Medtronic, IPC Power Console System
Surgeons and nurses have stressful, high-speed jobs that require precision and efficacy.
The IPC Power Console System addresses these issues by combining the interfaces for multiple handpieces into one intuitive solution. The organic form is as welcoming and interesting as it is pure.
A. Each handpiece plug is organized by color for clear delineation between ports. The ports are recessed to ensure protection from inadvertent bumps.
B. The handle that tops the system allows for a variety of grip postures and configurations, from hanging the console on an IV pole to carrying it between ORs. The finished product is an uncluttered, intuitive and inviting solution inspired by the needs of surgeons and nurses in the field.
Reichert, Tono-Pen Avia
If you are trying to ensure precision, comfort, and accuracy while pressing a handheld instrument to a person’s cornea, what’s the best way to do it?
That’s the question Metaphase’s team of experts asked when presented with the challenge of designing the next generation device used to measure intraocular pressure. Through extensive observational research and ergonomic testing, the Tono-Pen Avia Applanation Tonometer was designed by Metaphase for Medtronic, and later sold to Reichert.
A. The Tono-Pen Avia increases operator stability and minimizes tremors with balanced weight distribution and a handle design optimized for virtually all hand sizes.
B. The grip architecture promotes correct thumb and forefinger placement for comfortable and effective usage.
C. The large, easy-to-read LCDs are positioned on each side of the device to allow both left- and right-handed users to view the readings. It’s a vision to be seen…and used!
Bayer, Status
Based on extensive international research, Metaphase experts worked with Bayer to design the most powerful, low-cost immunoassay instrument for clinical settings.
The “Clinitek Status” brings laboratory testing to the clinic office at a fraction of the price and time, allowing doctors to provide nearly instant test results to patients within the same office visit.
A. The large, easy-to-read UI is intuitive and designed to simplify normal operation and set-up.
B. The heart of any instrument is the disposable test strip – the high-volume, economic engine. The test device was designed to be easily placed and removed from the test stage without contamination.
Bayer, Micropipette
The ergonomic design of this micropipette allows technicians, nurses and researchers to quickly and precisely secure, then apply blood samples reliably without splatter.
A. The ergonomic thumbwheel enables precise withdrawal and deposition of a 15 ml blood sample.
B. The teardrop-shaped main body provides a non-slip grip when cradled in the palm of the hand, while the thumb is engaged on the wheel for control.
Bausch & Lomb, Hand Tool/Foot Controller
The new “Millennium II” titanium hand tool and foot controller sets new standards for control and ergonomics.
The designs are based on extensive, in-surgery task analysis and observational research conducted by Metaphase’s team of experts.
A. The utility connectors are designed to minimize torque & pull on the surgeon’s hand, effectively optimizing control and minimizing stress & strain.
B. The shape of the primary grip and its location along the shaft are deliberate and provide high-level grip security for the surgeon’s gloved hand.
C. The foot controller design is all ergonomics with buttons differentiated through size, shape & location to allow the surgeon to quickly and accurately select the desired hand tool mode.
Alcon Labs, Keratometer/Lensometer
The Alcon Labs’ keratometer, lensometer and printer offer the first major ophthalmic innovation in decades.
A. The texture and color of the controls suggest where and also how to touch.
B. The iconographic labeling scheme and LCD interface provides a rapid learning curve, regardless of language barriers.
C. Clinicians and patients never had it so easy! The weight and balance of the first ever handheld Keratometer allows for easy alignment to the patient’s eye, while the single-handed thumb interface leaves the clinician’s second hand free for positioning the patient.
IV House, Intravenous Site Protector
Metaphase has created a new standard of bedside care with their breakthrough “UltraDressing”, a tape-free way to ensure a safe, more humane IV insertion.
From a small child, to an elderly adult, “UltraDressing” eliminates patient anxiety and trauma, and costs only $5 a piece. As the “UltraDressing” eliminates the cost of IV restarts, health care providers will experience an annual net savings of $675 per bed.
A. The “UltraDressing” maximizes dwell time, minimizes painful restarts, and eliminates the need for exposed looping and restraints all while permitting continuous access and giving the patient peace of mind and assured comfort.
B. The “UltraDressing” comes in four sizes, fits both left and right hands, and uses delicate Velcro closures to ensure a perfect fit.
Refractive Technologies, Steritome
The Metaphase team conducted intensive ergonomic and design research to create Refractive Technologies breakthrough “Steritome”, a flap maker for Lasik surgery.
This is the first disposable microkeratome system that offers quick and intuitive connect/disconnect features with an ergonomic grip that enhances control and precision.
A. The primary grip zone accommodates a wide variety of surgical grip styles while optimizing delicate control.
B. The surgeon has clear visual access to the instrument head to cut the perfect flap.
C. The quick release utility umbilicus facilitates quick set-ups & change-outs between procedures.
