Interview with the Bang & Olufsen Medicom Design Team

The design team at Bang & Olufsen Medicom comprises – depending on the challenge – both in-house staff and members of an external creative network. The team is supported by the Bang & Olufsen Medicom design manager. The Helping Hand Data Capture, an electronic device that is intended to assist patients in taking medicine, was awarded a “red dot: best of the best”. In an interview, we spoke with the senior design manager Paul Erik Fabricius both about what is special in this concept and the importance of design in the area of life sciences.

What makes the Helping Hand Data Capture innovative?
Paul Erik Fabricius: It is innovative because useful features are offered to the user without adding any steps to the existing user scenario. There are no buttons; the interface of the device is limited to the movement of the blister card and the audible and visual feedback. The use of standard rectangular blister cards is a powerful and unique feature of the concept, which means that it can easily be used with many existing treatments without the need for expensive adjustments of packaging that has already been approved.

What factors played an important role in designing this device?
Paul Erik Fabricius: Many have tried to solve the puzzle of improving compliance in medical treatment. We feel that our breakthrough was made possible by carefully considering the many stakeholders (the user, the doctor, the healthcare provider, and the pharmaceutical company) around the product, and ensuring that there is something in it for all of them. Further, the diversity of the design team was essential to solve the complex problem in a simple and elegant way.

Why is good design of such high importance, especially in life sciences?
Paul Erik Fabricius: Good design is a key factor for integrating good medical treatment into people’s lives. If you can relate to the idea, the concept and the physical product, your chance of doing things right increases. Therefore, design has the potential of adding more value than technical developments.

What design philosophy do your products follow?
Paul Erik Fabricius: Respect for the user and empathy with their situation is mandatory. We want to create simple solutions that are extremely easy to understand and use.