Tag: Industrial design

From Sketch to Shelf: The Soft Goods Industrial Design Process in 6 Steps

From Sketch to Shelf: The Soft Goods Industrial Design Process in 6 Steps

Bringing a product from an idea to reality is an exciting journey—one that blends creativity, technical expertise, and user-centered thinking. In the world of wearable technology, great design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about crafting solutions that seamlessly integrate into people’s lives. From the first sketch to the final product on the shelf, every step in the industrial design process plays a crucial role in shaping a wearable that is functional, comfortable, and market-ready. There are a lot of ways to break down the design process, and they all have their uses: the double diamond, the design thinking cycle. Search ‘design process’ and you’ll find endless diagrams and breakdowns. In this Insight article, we’ll walk you through the key stages of industrial design, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how innovative products come to life.

Step 1: Research & Discovery

The journey of creating a standout product starts with diving deep into the world of research and discovery. This initial phase is all about truly understanding the problem at hand—getting to know the needs of the users, the latest trends in the market, and how competitors are shaping the landscape. By mapping out these elements, designers can pinpoint where opportunities for innovation lie, crafting solutions that stand out in a crowded market. This phase is about more than just solving a problem; it’s about creating something that resonates with users and is perfectly positioned to make an impact. 

Interwoven SABER military exosuit
The SABER Military Exosuit

A key part of this research involves ethnographic studies and interviews with the target user community, which allow us to step into the shoes of the users. Through ethnography, we spend time in the real world with the people we’re designing for, understanding their habits, behaviors, and challenges. We did extensive research for our SABER Military Exosuit to understand the key tasks and body positions required of the soldiers who would be wearing the suit. This research was critical to understanding how to create a suit that would move effectively with the user. It’s a deeply immersive way of discovering what truly matters. Later, we’ll use these insights to develop testing protocols for our prototypes, ensuring that the design is not just functional, but also intuitive and user-friendly.

Step 2: Concept Development & Ideation

Once we’ve gathered our insights, it’s time to bring ideas to life through concept development and ideation. This stage is where creativity thrives, as designers explore different possibilities for form, function, and aesthetics. Sketching and early visualizations allow us to experiment with various design directions, refining the product’s overall look and feel. The goal is to create something that not only meets user needs but also resonates emotionally, balancing beauty with functionality. Sketching is a big part of every project we do at Interwoven Design, a great example being the Breg CrossRunner Knee Brace. We were open to many strategies for meeting the project requirements, and we sketched dozens of ideas before moving on to the prototyping stage. Every sketch brought us closer to finding the ideal design that would work both in concept and in reality.

Interwoven Sketch and prototype of the Breg Knee Brace
A sketch and prototype for the Breg Knee Brace project by Interwoven Design Group.

To refine our ideas further, we use mood boards, storyboards, and collaborative brainstorming sessions. Mood boards help convey the visual direction, pulling together textures, colors, and inspiration that guide the aesthetic choices. Storyboarding helps illustrate how users will interact with the product in real life, showcasing key moments in the user experience. Throughout this process, we collaborate closely with engineers, material scientists, and stakeholders to ensure feasibility. This interdisciplinary approach ensures the designs are not only innovative but also practical, considering technical limitations, material possibilities, and market needs from the outset. When working on our projects, which often involve collaborating with engineers, we find  that integrating interdisciplinary teamwork from the outset helps refine concepts, making sure we’re not only dreaming big but also designing something that can be successful in the real world.

Step 3: Prototyping & Iteration

With the initial concepts solidified, the next step is to bring those ideas into the physical world through prototyping and iteration. This is where sketches and ideas begin to take shape in low fidelity mockups, allowing us to visualize proportions, details, and mechanics in a more tangible way. Whether it’s through 3D printing, foam models, or soft goods mockups, these prototypes give us the opportunity to test ideas early on, making it easier to spot potential issues with form or function before committing to more complex production processes. We create dozens—in some cases far more than dozens—of prototypes for every project. The Whitecloud Medical Utility Bag is a great example of this; we created a broad range of soft goods prototypes to experiment with how we could fit a specific set of tools and objects that nurses need at all times. Early prototyping is a crucial stage that allows us to keep iterating quickly and efficiently, staying agile throughout the design journey.

As prototypes are developed, user feedback becomes a vital component of the refinement process. Testing prototypes with real users provides invaluable insights into how the product feels, operates, and resonates in everyday use. Functional assessments help determine whether the design meets its intended purpose, from ease of use to durability. Based on this feedback, the design undergoes continuous refinement, adjusting features, ergonomics, or materials as needed. This iterative cycle ensures that the product evolves to better meet user needs and aligns with both aesthetic and functional goals before moving into the final stages of production.

Step 4: User Testing & Validation

Once the prototype is ready for real-world interaction, the next step is user testing and validation. At Interwoven Design, we consider user testing and validation to be an integral part of prototyping and ideating. User testing is crucial for ensuring that the design not only meets user expectations but also performs seamlessly in everyday use. By testing the product with a target group of users, designers gather valuable feedback on comfort, usability, and overall user experience. This hands-on testing helps identify any areas where the product may need adjustments—whether it’s improving ergonomics, simplifying functionality, or enhancing the user interface. In our Firefly workwear project, we had warehouse workers wear prototypes during their work day to observe the quality and durability of the jacket’s reflective coating. It’s all about making sure the design feels intuitive, comfortable, and effective in real-world scenarios.

Interwoven Firefly workwear jacket
The Firefly workwear garment by Interwoven Design Group.

Alongside user feedback, long-term wearability and durability are evaluated to ensure the product stands up over time. This involves rigorous testing to assess how the product holds up under everyday wear and tear, as well as ensuring it meets regulatory standards for safety and compliance. Based on the data collected, the design is refined to address any issues that arise, ensuring that it not only delights users but is also safe and reliable. This iterative process guarantees that the final product is both functionally sound and compliant, offering an exceptional experience that users can trust and enjoy over time.

Step 5: Technical Design & Sourcing

With a refined concept in hand, the next step is transitioning from idea to a manufacturable product. This phase focuses on engineering the design for production, ensuring that all aspects of the product can be realized efficiently and at scale. In this step, we generate all of the technical documentation to allow the manufacturer to understand every aspect of the design. In our Even Adaptive Lingerie project, we created additional technical design documentation to support the patent application for the custom clasp we designed. 

Material sourcing is also important at this stage. The right materials must be chosen for both their functional properties—such as strength, flexibility, and weight—and their aesthetic qualities. Along with material considerations, wearability testing and durability assessments are conducted to guarantee that the product will stand up to everyday use while maintaining comfort and performance. These evaluations help refine the design, ensuring that it’s not only visually appealing but also reliable and practical in real-world conditions.

Collaborating with suppliers and manufacturers is a key part of this stage. Designers work closely with these partners to optimize production processes, ensuring that the design can be reproduced with consistency and efficiency. This includes refining techniques for assembly, tooling, and quality control, while also exploring opportunities to reduce costs or improve sustainability in the construction or in the manufacturing process. By maintaining an open dialogue with manufacturers and keeping an eye on potential production challenges, we can ensure that the design moves smoothly from the drawing board to the final product, ready for the market. This phase solidifies the design’s viability, ensuring it can be brought to life with precision and quality.

Step 6: Production & Launch

As the product nears completion, the focus shifts to the final stages of production and launch. This phase begins with finalizing manufacturing processes, ensuring that all production methods are optimized for scale and consistency. Quality control measures are put in place to maintain high standards throughout the production run, from material checks to final inspections. The goal is to ensure that each unit meets the exact specifications, preserving the integrity of the design and delivering a product that matches the vision set out at the beginning of the process.

Simultaneously, preparations are made for the product’s mass production, taking care to balance efficiency with design integrity. It’s essential that the product remains true to its initial concept, even as it moves into full-scale manufacturing. While this is happening, the marketing team works to build excitement for the launch, developing a compelling product narrative that connects emotionally with consumers. Product storytelling helps create a connection, communicating not just the features and benefits, but the values and story behind the design. This connection builds consumer trust and generates buzz, ensuring the product’s success in the market from day one.

Bringing it All Together

From the initial spark of inspiration to the final product launch, each stage of the industrial design process plays a critical role in creating wearable technology that not only looks good but works seamlessly in the lives of users. Every step—whether it’s research, prototyping, or technical design—helps shape a product that balances creativity, functionality, and user experience. A thoughtful, well-rounded design approach ensures that the product is not only technologically advanced but also user-friendly, making it easy for customers to integrate it into their daily lives with confidence and excitement.

At Interwoven Design, we believe that the best designs come from collaboration and a shared vision. We invite you to work with us to bring your ideas to life, whether you’re looking to refine an existing concept or develop an entirely new wearable tech solution. With our expert design and product development process, we’re here to guide you through every step, ensuring your product stands out in the market while meeting the highest standards of usability, functionality, and sustainability. Do you have a project you’d like to see come to life? Reach out!

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A Q&A with Industrial Designer Alvaro Uribe

A Q&A with Industrial Designer Alvaro Uribe

Spotlight articles shine a light on designers we admire, asking leaders in the field about their work and their design journey. In this interview, we spoke with industrial designer and educator Alvaro Uribe. Born in the U.S. and raised in Colombia, Alvaro’s career has been defined by a multidisciplinary approach, blending industrial design, UX/UI, and branding to create meaningful, experience-driven products. His work includes product design for leading brands, museum-exhibited creations, and an entrepreneurial venture that helped international brands navigate the U.S. market.

Industrial Designer Alvaro Uribe portrait
Photo courtesy of Alvaro Uribe.

A graduate of Pratt Institute, Alvaro Uribe honed his craft at some of New York’s top design studios before launching his own practice in 2012. Alongside his professional work, he has built a distinguished academic career, serving as a tenured professor at Pratt and mentoring the next generation of designers. Alvaro wears many different hats. As a Design Director at American furniture brand Wooda, a UX/UI Lead with startups, and an industrial design consultant, he continues to shape the landscape in various industries while exploring how design can spark moments of delight and curiosity. We sat down with Alvaro to talk about starting his own practice, the challenges facing designers today, and how he balances artistic vision with commercial success.

Q: 

Could you introduce yourself and tell me about how you came to be an industrial designer?

A:

I was born in Miami, but I grew up in Colombia and my immediate family is in Colombia. I came to the U.S. when I was 19 with the goal of pursuing industrial design. I actually wanted to be a Disney animator—that was my childhood dream—but making things with my hands was also something I enjoyed. I applied to schools to study industrial design but in Colombia the application isn’t based on a portfolio, it’s based on your SAT equivalent scores. My scores weren’t great, so I was not accepted to my main schools. I took that as a sign that maybe I should go somewhere else, so I came to New York. I spent a year applying to school, I got my first job working at an art supply store at the Art Students League of New York. I took courses there on metal welding and live drawing. I hold that year of my life as one of the best. Ultimately, I got into Pratt, Parsons, and RISD. There was something about Pratt that I really enjoyed when I visited the campus, so I went for Pratt. Also, my mother’s a designer, and I think that’s part of why I gravitated towards industrial design. She has a business doing Italian-style kitchen carpentry and I spent a lot of time in the factory making silly projects as a kid. I even went to Salon De Mobile before I went to college. That exposure to the Italian world was very inspiring to me, and I was fortunate to be surrounded by people in the design world early on.

Q: 

What is your area of specialization within design? What drew you to it?

A:

I don’t see myself specialized, I consider myself a problem solver with a business mind. Having said that,  I’ve become very comfortable with homegoods. I like anything around the home, whether it’s housewares, kitchen tools or the core; furniture and lighting. However, as a designer, I look to be challenged, so I’m constantly looking for new markets, new projects that will excite me and keep me on my toes. For instance six years ago, I started doing something completely different called Aztro Marketplace. I met a lot of my clients by visiting trade shows. In walking the trade shows, you realize how much money goes into visiting those trade shows, especially for international brands. If you’re coming from Spain, or you’re coming from Argentina, being in the U.S. for a trade show is very expensive. So I wondered, why isn’t there a platform that helps you connect with retailers here in the U.S.? 

I had this idea back in 2015 and felt like it would be unfair to myself not to try it. So, in 2019, I started Aztro, which meant A-Z trading online. I built the platform from the ground up. It involved a lot of web development—working with programmers, understanding user flows—and that got me deep into UX/UI. I had to learn it the hard way because my business was constantly revisiting things and integrating feedback from stores or brands. I walked out of that experience very knowledgeable and it opened another path in my career: working with digital interfaces, whether websites or applications.

Q: 

In 2012, you started your own studio. What motivated that leap, and how has your approach to design evolved as a result?

A:

The motivation was a biking accident that I had. I was freelancing for several consultancies in New York at the time. As much as I loved it—because I was getting my hands on a lot of different projects—I always felt like an outside entity, someone who was just passing through. One day, I got hit by a bus in Chinatown and my bike was destroyed. I was lucky that it wasn’t more serious, but I knew that I couldn’t say I was enjoying what I was doing if it had been worse. I needed a change. A few weeks later, Camille Thayer from Pratt emailed me, saying, “We need someone who knows Rhino and Solidworks. Would you be interested in teaching this class?” A lot of things just came together. I also had my first client offer me a project and I thought, Maybe this is a sign that I could do something on my own.

Q:

You work across disciplines, from industrial design to UX/UI and branding. How has this multidisciplinary approach influenced your perspective on product design?

A: 

Earlier in my career, when I was doing a lot of product design, I was focused on the physicality of the product and manufacturing. Now I think more about the overall experience; the journey of why someone decides to use a product. What is the motivation? What are the pain points that drove them to want the product? UX opened me up to thinking about the product beyond just the moment of putting it on the shelf and walking away. UX is a user-centric way of thinking about how the product lives and how it fits into the user’s life.

Q:

Tell us about  the idea of “emotional function” in your design philosophy. Could you share an example of a product where this principle was particularly successful? 

A:

Kibo Piggy Bank for Nambe by designer Alvaro Uribe
The Kibo Piggy Bank for Nambé, designed by Alvaro Uribe. Photo courtesy of Alvaro Uribe.

We have these expectations of how things work. We walk into a space with an expectation of what’s going to happen or how something might look or work. I think that, as humans, we build connections with products that surprise and inspire us. When you buy a product, you’re expecting it to fulfill a specific function, but when it performs especially well, or when it sits on your shelf and you’re happy to see it, it exceeds your expectations, and creates an emotional connection. I feel like we live in a world where there are so many products. Looking back at my parents, they cherish their first camera. There was this sentimental connection with products because the products had done so much for them. They were also valuable. The appreciation I felt for products was much more present back then. I feel that now there’s an opportunity to have an emotional connection but it requires intention. It won’t happen by chance. A design I often get emails about is the Kibo Piggy Bank for Nambe, which delivers both functionally and aesthetically.

Q: 

Industrial design balances artistic vision with business and user needs. How do you navigate this when developing a new product?

A:

Every client is different. Some projects are driven by market research—looking at what’s out there, identifying gaps, and creating something that fills a real need. Other clients live in more artistic or conceptual spaces, so the work leans more into visual storytelling or expression. Either way, as a designer, you’re responsible for making sure the product not only looks good but also functions efficiently and intuitively. That’s why UX and UI go hand in hand—they’re equally important. Take something as simple as a menu: it should clearly map the sections of a site, but who says it can’t also be exciting? A few years ago, I worked with a digital agency in Toronto on a corporate website. Instead of a standard dropdown, we used the golden ratio spiral to build a dynamic menu—featured projects had the most visual weight, secondary sections were subdominant, and older content took on a subtle, supportive role.

Q:

Like you, we are constantly partnering with engineers at Interwoven Design. Could you talk about the relationship between engineers and designers and how to get the most from that partnership? 

A:

Engineers bring a level of analytical rigor that balances and elevates the more user-centered and experiential focus that designers often bring to the table. In any multidisciplinary collaboration, it’s the diversity of viewpoints—technical, aesthetic, functional—that leads to stronger, more market-ready products.

For example, when we’re working on something like an injection-molded product, engineers help ground the design in reality—highlighting constraints, opportunities for efficiency, and manufacturability. When you are working on an app, the programmers will be thinking about speed, efficiency and reliability of the system.The best collaborations happen when both sides listen and respect each other’s expertise. In my experience, when that mutual understanding exists, the process becomes incredibly fluid and effective.

Q:

Looking back at your body of work, could you share a project that stands out as especially meaningful to you? 

A:

Two projects come to mind. The first is the mobile and desktop app I designed while serving as Head of Design at Outpave, a SaaS platform focused on expense management for small businesses in the construction industry. I had the privilege of working with an exceptionally talented and inspiring team, supported by bold, design-driven leadership. That made a world of difference—every detail mattered, and nothing was overlooked.

The challenge was tackling a space that’s often chaotic: contractors managing expenses across multiple vendors, job sites, and categories. By pairing a mobile app with a robust desktop experience, we gave users the flexibility to allocate expenses, track transactions, and simplify bookkeeping in a seamless way. The end result was a product that felt intuitive and fluid, even though it was handling deeply complex workflows. That’s what made it special—transforming a technically dense process into something smooth, clear, and beautifully simple.

Coliseum Chair for Slide Design
The Coliseum Chair for Slide Design, designed by Alvaro Uribe. Photo courtesy of Alvaro Uribe.

The second project is the Coliseum Chair, which I designed for Slide Design, an Italian brand known for its bold indoor-outdoor furniture and strong storytelling through design. Collaborating with an Italian company was a dream come true—there’s a deep appreciation for artistic vision, paired with exceptional craftsmanship and manufacturing precision.

The chair itself was inspired by the architectural arches of the Roman Colosseum, reinterpreted into a sculptural, functional form. It quickly became an iconic piece for the brand and was prominently featured at last year’s Salone del Mobile, drawing attention for its blend of historic inspiration and contemporary aesthetics.

Q:

What are some of the biggest challenges facing industrial designers today, and how do you approach them in your own work?

A:

Keeping up with technology is a big challenge. There is so much at our disposal as designers, and learning them all feels challenging and potentially confusing. There’s so much more, but how do you integrate them properly into your process? It can easily feel like you’re trying everything but not using anything at its full potential. I think that’s a challenge. 

From a job standpoint, I also feel that the industrial design consulting industry has gotten smaller since I was a student. It used to be mostly consultancies offering design services to brands but now many brands have in-house design teams. Even within in-house design teams, I feel like designers have become incredibly efficient. It used to be that you needed a big team of designers, but now a designer can do the job of three other designers. That’s challenging in the sense that there are only so many opportunities out there for the amount of industrial designers graduating every year.

Having said that, at the core of every industrial designer there’s always problem-solving. It’s been nice to see designers moving into strategy and other areas, applying that core skill of problem-solving to business, strategy, environmental practices, and so on.

Q: 

What advice would you give to designers looking to create products that stand the test of time—both in function and emotional resonance?

A:

Two things. Do a lot of research, and try to have a process that allows you to make mistakes. Nowadays, we might spend an hour or two a day looking at social media. The amount of images we consume is not great for your design process. Inevitably, your brain will connect one idea to another, and then you’re feeding into this trend that we’re all reinforcing. Suddenly I feel like,  I’ve seen this before. I can’t put my finger on where. One of the things I love about Pratt is that we teach abstraction; the ability to look at ideas in a very abstract way and sketch and allow yourself to have an idea that does nothing. And maybe it does do nothing, but maybe it triggered something that led you to the next idea. Today a lot of designers want to get to their idea without obstacles or without issues. As an industry, we need to embrace people showing their mistakes, showing their failures, showing what didn’t work out just as much as what did. When we celebrate that part of the process, that’s where innovation happens.

Q:

What concerns you about the future of industrial design? What gives you hope?

A:

Industrial design is unappreciated as an industry, in my opinion. I think we bring a lot of value to businesses but we can be seen as a commodity. It’s like design-washing, where the company calls something design but it’s not really design. Industrial design is such a robust field. When you’re studying industrial design, you’re expected to master a wide range of skills—sketching, CAD, rendering, user research, market research, prototyping, model making, craft, understanding materials and manufacturing processes. You also learn to think strategically about product lifecycles and marketing. It’s so much more than just making things look good.

Yet when you step into the job market, the salaries often don’t reflect the depth or value of that expertise. And that’s frustrating—because the impact of good design is tangible. You can measure it, track it, and see how it drives success. Some brands get this—they’re design-led, and they invest in it properly. But they’re the exception. Too much of the industry still undervalues design, keeping it in the underdog position it doesn’t deserve.

We build connections with products that surprise and inspire us.

When it comes to hope for the industry, I believe in the resilience of designers. At their core, designers are problem-solvers—not just in their work, but in how they navigate their own paths. Many are already pivoting into new industries, bringing fresh perspectives wherever they go. Emerging fields like artificial intelligence are opening doors for industrial designers to shape all kinds of human experiences, far beyond physical products. The market is evolving, and designers have the adaptability and creativity to evolve with it.

Q:

What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects you’re particularly excited about?

A:

I have a range of work across both industrial design and UX, and it’s always exciting—but lately, I’ve felt a growing urge to be part of something bigger, where I can make a deeper impact. I’m now open to the idea of joining a team if the right opportunity comes along. In the meantime, I have some exciting new collections launching with clients, including a Judaica collection for Nambe, branding and web development for Wooda, barware items with a Portuguese brand, new projects with brands in Italy, and mentoring young talent alongside my role as a professor.

On top of that, I’ve been even more energized by my personal projects. Over the past year, I’ve really gotten into 3D printing as manufacturing. The idea of what a brand is is shifting, and I believe designers are increasingly becoming brands themselves. 3D printing is a powerful catalyst for that shift—it removes the barriers of minimum orders and tooling costs, allowing you to design, produce, and sell directly to your own audience. You can now launch a product that feels just as refined as something on a store shelf, but with full control over the customer experience. That kind of creative freedom is incredibly exciting to me. I want to explore it firsthand. Knowing myself, I’ll definitely give it a shot.

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We hope you enjoyed this interview with industrial designer Alvaro Uribe! Check out the rest of our Spotlight series to hear more from leaders in the design industry. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for design news, multi-media recommendations, and to learn more about product design and development!

A Q&A with Packaging Designer Loreta Haaker

A Q&A with Packaging Designer Loreta Haaker

Spotlight articles shine a light on designers we admire, asking leaders in the field about their work and their design journey. In this interview we spoke with industrial designer and packaging design expert Loreta Haaker. From Lima to New York, Haaker has carved a distinctive path in the world of design, blending ingenuity with poetic storytelling. Her work—spanning furniture, soft goods, packaging, and food design—reflects a deep connection to her Peruvian roots, childhood memories, and the real as well as the magical elements of Latin American culture.

portrait of industrial designer Loreta Haaker
Photo courtesy of Loreta Haaker.

A graduate of Pratt Institute and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Loreta’s design philosophy fuses contemporary trends with an intuitive sense of materiality and form. Her approach is both precise and playful, crafting objects that evoke powerful experiences. Recognized early in her career as one of Cosas Design magazine’s top emerging designers, her work has since been showcased in Lima, Milan, Miami, and New York. We know all about Loreta’s talent here at Interwoven Design as she works on our social media team, creating the fantastic graphics you see on all our platforms, especially Instagram! We asked her about the collaboration between graphic packaging design and structural packaging design, where she sees innovation in the market, and where she looks for inspiration.

Q:

How did you get into packaging design?

A:

My journey into packaging design began in 2018 with a role as an industrial designer specializing in structural packaging at Ammunition, a leading design studio in California. Their Brooklyn studio in DUMBO focused exclusively on packaging, making it the perfect environment to dive in.

There, I learned that packaging design isn’t just about protection—it’s about the experience. I explored how packaging could extend the product’s story, incorporating innovation and sustainability. I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could. You have a preview of what packaging design is like at school, but it’s way more than you expect. That was my first experience, that was the first time I heard the term ‘structural packaging.’ It involves engineering because there are constraints around capacity and dimensions. If you just hear ‘packaging designer’, it might mean either graphics or structure, or both. Usually an industrial designer will call themselves the structural packaging designer, which is everything that’s not the graphics.

Later, in 2021, I began consulting for a beauty and cosmetics company in Peru. Over the past three years, I’ve worked on diverse packaging solutions: glass fragrance bottles, plastic makeup containers, and limited-edition cardboard boxes. Structural packaging design involves close collaboration with engineers, as factory production requires meeting technical specifications and restrictions.

Q:

You are part of the IW design team but you work remotely from Peru—could you tell us how that came about?

A:

Yes, I started with Interwoven Design right after graduating from the MID program at Pratt. I worked full-time during the summer of 2017. After that, I stayed in touch, collaborating on projects in New York on different occasions between 2018 and 2020. Since 2021, I’ve been working with IW remotely as a freelancer, and it’s incredible to think it’s been almost seven years since I first joined the team! The story actually began even earlier, in 2016, when I took Rebeccah’s Soft Goods class at Pratt. It was my first real exploration into soft materials and sewing, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable and impactful electives I’ve ever taken. She was doing a lot of technology components with other students in my class but I’m not that techie, so for me it was a perfect start in soft goods. I really like products made of fabric. That project was super interesting for me because I had never worked on a soft goods project before, even though I did my undergrad in ID.

I got my master’s in design at Pratt because the field had expanded so much around 3D printing and technology for prototyping between 2010 and 2020. After that semester, I partnered with Interwoven Design on a soft goods project, then it was in the summer and I stayed involved, working on different projects. At that point it was mostly conception or research. When I started working remotely, we already had a strong relationship.

After my master’s degree and after the pandemic, it was easier to work remotely. I could take advantage of that flexibility and be home [in Peru] while staying in touch with my clients. So that was great: that I could be back home but still have the rush of working in a global market in New York. 

Q:

What are some of the other types of work you do?

A:

As an industrial designer, my skills range from design thinking and concept development to hands-on exploration and making. While I’ve become a bit of a packaging expert—creating out-of-the-box experiences for consumer products—I’m always open to new opportunities and projects.

The fields I’ve explored include furniture, soft goods, accessories, food design, beauty and cosmetics, structural packaging, and product photography. I do a lot of cosmetics and beauty packaging. I don’t know why but I started getting a lot of clients who need packaging. I think packaging is something that moves a lot. Many of the branding companies I work with don’t have an in-house structural designer, and that caught my attention. I realized that I could offer structural packaging to different design studios. Some people call structural packaging secondary packaging, while primary will be something that touches the product. Then secondary packaging would be the box around the primary container.

Q:

Your Advent Calendar project won an award at the Latin America Design Awards last year. Could you tell us about it?

A:

esika Advent Calendar structural packaging design by Loreta Haaker
ésika Advent Calendar

Yes! It was a holiday unboxing experience for the beauty brand ésika—a limited-edition Advent Calendar. I was the structural packaging designer lead and collaborated with graphic designer Sandra Lanfranco. She added all the vibrant colors and finishing touches to the project. It was an advent calendar in the shape of a 5-sided Christmas tree that unfolded into a 360 degree display with 25 beauty products inside.

We had a lot of freedom because a calendar isn’t a traditional product, the packaging silhouette isn’t predetermined. We decided to play around with the shape, asking, How it could be a box without being a box? The only thing we needed to keep in mind was that we had to have 25 items and 25 ways to open it to access those items. Besides that it could be whatever you wanted. We were thinking about how we could make it a more contemporary structure, something that could display or be unboxed in different ways that could surprise you or give you a different feeling when you open it. Maybe it comes flat, and as you open it becomes a 3D structure.

esika Advent Calendar structural detail
ésika Advent Calendar detail

We made a lot of mockups, small ones. We realized we could fit a lot of sections if we thought about a 360 degree shape with pockets all around. As we were breaking down 25, we thought 5 sides would make sense. We wanted it to be so beautiful that you would want to leave it standing even once it was empty, and bring it out every Christmas. When you work together with the graphic designers, the concept is so much better, and the process invites more innovation. That really helped the strength of the project as a competition submission. We also created a mini version with three sides, each highlighting a best-selling beauty product.

The project was recognized by the Latin America Design Awards 2024 in Brazil and the Pentawards 2024 in London, earning bronze in both competitions for Brand Identity and Connected Packaging. This was my first time submitting a packaging project, and receiving this recognition was such an honor!

Q:

You do both industrial and graphic design. How do you integrate structural and graphic elements in packaging? 

A:

I do both, but my graphic skills are more intuitive—a way to communicate and reinforce ideas. While I don’t have formal training in graphic design, I’ve always had a strong visual sense and a love for it. For larger or more complex projects, I collaborate with graphic experts to co-create the best results.

Here’s how I see the relationship:

Structural packaging is the blueprint: it ensures the product is protected, functional, and user-friendly. Structural packaging offers protection for transport and display, functionality and ease of use, efficiency for display and logistics, and sustainability in materials and recyclability.

Graphic design gives the package its personality. It helps products stand out, communicate key benefits, and build emotional connections. Graphic design attracts attention, establishes brand identity, communicates product benefits, evokes emotions, and builds loyalty.

For me, a successful package seamlessly combines both elements. It’s vital to consider structural and graphic design together from the very start.

Q:

How does that collaboration go if you are working with a graphic design team? 

A:

For the advent calendar project we were on a team together from the beginning. We decided, Okay let’s prioritize the structure, the visual 3D form, and then we’ll work on the graphics. We did do that, but that whole time I was in conversation with the graphic designers, showing them my work. They started creating graphic design moodboards around my early ideas, and ideating alongside me even though the design isn’t finalized. That’s one way to do it.

Another example is a project for a jewelry designer client of mine, a sculptor who’s doing jewelry. I was designing boxes for her. She already had her branding, her logo, and things like that. She had the vision of what she wanted and then I asked, What’s the best way to apply that graphic content, that is already developed, to new packaging? I’m thinking about her brand: she’s working with her clients all the time. I thought we could do something artistic, like an origami box that could unfold flat so she could hand draw on it. Then on the other side would be the logo and business information. She was an artist and she sketches like crazy, so that was one of my suggestions, We could use a super nice paper, we won’t add any glue, and then why not try to draw on it to personalize it and see what happens? I finalized the project with that idea for future personalization, and now I see those personalized boxes on her Instagram, whenever she has a special item she creates this beautiful artwork on the packaging and it’s exactly how I envisioned it. It’s so amazing.

Loreta Haaker Quote Design isn't just about protection - it'a about the experience.

Another way to work with graphic designers is through brand agencies that decide, Okay let’s go full circle with this rebrand. I was working with an agency that was doing a rebrand for a bakery. They said, Let’s create a new look and feel, and we definitely need packaging because we want to stand out. For bakeries, everything looks the same, on the market. Everything looks the same. In this case we were looking for something super minimalistic. I had a small brief for the project, so the look and feel was already kind of set. They didn’t know how they wanted the packaging to look but they knew how they wanted it to feel. I was creating a system of packaging, where each size has a different purpose.  I was thinking about the proportions that would make sense. The tiny one is a perfect square. The second one will be the same height but twice as wide. The third and fourth would be proportionally related, scaling up. There was a look and feel but I had a lot of freedom around the dimensions. They already had a logo, so we played around with the best way to apply that logo, and the best colors. There were requirements in place, and the packaging needed to look good with the assets they already had. I went back and forth with the graphic designers to make sure that all of the elements were harmonious. If the teams are too independent, you can get graphic and structural designs that don’t look good with each other.

Q:

What role does unboxing play in your design considerations?

A:

Unboxing is one of the most exciting aspects of packaging design. It’s the moment when the user interacts with the product for the first time, and it sets the tone for their overall experience. I always aim to make this process smooth and enjoyable, elevating the product inside. There’s something special about unboxing—whether it’s the anticipation or the reveal—and I always keep that emotional connection in mind.

Q:

How do you test the functionality and durability of your packaging designs?

A:

The process starts with mock-ups to test basic concepts and usability. Afterward, prototypes are created for more detailed evaluations. On a larger scale, an engineering team often steps in to conduct rigorous tests on materials and structural performance, ensuring the packaging meets all functional requirements.

One of the biggest challenges today is addressing the environmental impact of packaging. Designers must be mindful of reducing waste, avoiding single-use plastics, and eliminating excessive materials.

To tackle this, I focus on sustainability by selecting eco-friendly alternatives and exploring innovative designs that optimize efficiency. It’s about finding solutions that balance creativity, functionality, and environmental responsibility.

Q:

Where are you seeing innovation in the market? What role does sustainability play?

A:

Absolutely! I’m particularly inspired by the increasing use of biodegradable and renewable materials. Plant-based options are becoming more common—they’re not only environmentally friendly but also have a forward-thinking aesthetic that resonates with modern consumers.

Examples of sustainable innovations include materials designed to disappear, such as algae-based solutions, from seaweed, and naturally grown packaging like mycelium, from mushrooms. These solutions represent a significant shift towards sustainability and demonstrate how nature-inspired designs can shape the future of packaging. 

Q:

How do you approach the design process for packaging compared to consumer products or furniture?

A:

The process is largely the same: research, ideation, conceptualization, exploration, design development, 3D modeling, technical drawings, and prototyping.

What’s different with packaging is the need to consider the product it contains. I typically receive a brand brief from the client and technical specifications from engineers. From there, I create mood boards and develop concepts that connect the product and its packaging in a cohesive way. Everything starts with research. Research everywhere. The farther from your starting point, the better. Take the bakery packaging example, I had seen a lot of different packaging solutions that are not related to bakeries, for example cosmetics, but there can be a nice relationship between the two. For beauty there is a lot of harmony with science, so cross-pollinating can work well. One idea for future development that I suggested for the bakery packaging was an external element, I pulled out some beautiful off-white shoelaces I had and tied it onto the smallest box. It made these tiny beautiful desserts feel special. They weren’t sure about it but they really loved the idea.

Q:

Where do you look for inspiration?

How to Wrap 5 Eggs Book Cover
How to Wrap Five Eggs by Hideyuki Oka

A:

Inspiration is everywhere, especially in everyday objects. Recently, I noticed a minimalist packaging solution at a bakery—a chocolate bear box with a locking detail shaped like a little bow. It was such a small touch but made all the difference. 

I also find inspiration in books. My favorite is the “Packaged for Life” series published by Victionary, which celebrates packaging that brings joy to daily life. I own the Coffee & Tea, Scent, and Chocolate editions. Chocolate is my favorite!

Another book I treasure is How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging by by Hideyuki Oka. It’s a stunning exploration of natural materials and traditional craft techniques, and it’s a constant reminder of the beauty in simplicity.

For me, nature is the ultimate source of inspiration. Spending time outdoors helps me reset and sparks new ideas. When I find something particularly special, I capture it with my instant camera and keep it as a memento—these snapshots often become seeds for creative exploration later on.

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User-Centered Product Design for Social Justice: Honoring the Legacy of MLK

User-Centered Product Design for Social Justice: Honoring the Legacy of MLK

In honor of Black History Month, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the intersection of design and social justice, inspired by the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His fight for equality, dignity, and inclusion reminds us that the choices we make—whether in activism, policy, or design—have the power to shape a more just world. Design is not just about aesthetics or functionality; it’s a tool for empowerment and systemic change. At Interwoven, we pride ourselves on having a diverse team from all over the world, and we know it makes our work stronger. In this Insight article, we explore how designers can honor Dr. King’s vision through design for social justice; creating solutions that dismantle barriers, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster equity in every corner of society.

Embodying MLK’s Vision Through Design

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr at Lectern

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned a society where justice and equality weren’t just ideals but tangible realities. He spoke of the “fierce urgency of now,” urging people to take action against injustice wherever it exists. Designers, too, have a responsibility to act with urgency and purpose, using their skills to tackle issues like poverty, racism, and discrimination. Design that embodies MLK’s vision isn’t just about creating something functional; it’s about fostering dignity and inclusion. 

While the challenges of inequality may feel overwhelming, design provides a pathway to bridge gaps between communities and create systemic change. By designing with empathy and inclusivity, we can address issues such as unequal access to education, the digital divide, or the lack of representation in media and technology. Designers hold the power to influence not just products or spaces but also perceptions, behaviors, and policies. By embedding the principles of justice and equality into their work, designers can help dismantle the systems that perpetuate exclusion and create a world that reflects the ideals Dr. King fought for—a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Strategies for Designers to Address Social Inequality

By tapping into the following resources and strategies, designers can begin to dismantle systemic barriers and build more inclusive, equitable futures.

Empathy-Driven Research

The first step in designing for social justice is understanding the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Empathy-driven research involves going beyond assumptions and engaging directly with those who are most affected by systemic inequalities. This might mean conducting ethnographic research, hosting co-creation workshops, or working alongside community leaders to identify the specific needs of a group. At Interwoven, we find ethnographic research to be incredibly powerful. Witnessing a community firsthand can provide deep insights into how they interact with their environment and with each other, leading to innovative insights that become the core of a design solution.

Inclusivity in Design Processes

To create equitable solutions, it’s essential to involve diverse voices throughout the design process. A more inclusive team ensures that a variety of perspectives, cultural contexts, and lived experiences inform the final product. Here are some key practices for inclusive design:

Focus on Universal and Accessible Design

Dr Martin Luther King Jr in a crowd

Universal design goes beyond meeting the needs of a specific group and aims to create products, spaces, and systems that are usable by everyone, regardless of ability, age, or socioeconomic status. Accessible design focuses specifically on ensuring that people with disabilities are not excluded. We believe that all design must be universal and accessible, and we bake it into our process from the start. Here are some practical steps for universal design:

  • Integrate accessibility guidelines into your design process (e.g., WCAG for digital products).
  • Consider physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities in product development.
  • Prototype and test with diverse user groups to identify barriers early.
  • Resources to Explore:

Sustainability and Justice

Social and environmental justice are deeply interconnected. Designers can address both by creating sustainable products and systems that benefit underserved communities. For example, affordable solar-powered devices can bring electricity to off-grid areas, and circular design principles can reduce waste in low-income neighborhoods. Here are some key sustainable design principles:

  • Source materials ethically and sustainably.
  • Consider the entire lifecycle of a product, including its disposal and reuse.
  • Prioritize affordability and accessibility in sustainable solutions.
  • Resources to Explore:

Building Your Knowledge and Network

To create meaningful change, designers must continuously educate themselves about social justice issues and connect with others doing this important work. Attend conferences, read books, and follow organizations at the forefront of inclusive and equity-focused design.

Case Studies: 4 Design Solutions that Advance Social Justice

The following case studies illustrate the transformative power of design to address social injustices and inequities. Each project, while addressing a specific need, contributes to the larger goal of creating a more just and inclusive world. By learning from these examples, designers can reimagine their own work to honor the values of equity and inclusion.

1. Accessible Packaging: Kellogg’s NaviLens Codes

Kellogg's Cornflakes box

Kellogg’s introduced packaging with NaviLens codes to make grocery shopping more inclusive for visually impaired consumers. These QR-style codes can be scanned from a distance using a smartphone, providing information such as product name, ingredients, and preparation instructions through audio. This innovation not only enhances accessibility but also promotes independence and dignity for individuals with visual impairments.

2. Universal Design in Public Spaces: Curb Cuts and Tactile Paving

Curb cuts, initially designed to help wheelchair users, have become a universal design feature in urban landscapes, benefiting people with strollers, delivery carts, and bicycles. Tactile paving, which uses textured ground surfaces, guides visually impaired individuals through public spaces like sidewalks and train stations. These simple yet powerful designs ensure public spaces are accessible to people of all abilities.

3. Community-Centered Initiatives: Brightmoor Maker Space

The Brightmoor Maker Space in Detroit empowers local residents, particularly youth, to develop skills in woodworking, digital fabrication, and entrepreneurship. By providing tools, training, and mentorship, this community space fosters economic opportunities and builds confidence among participants while addressing systemic inequities in education and employment.

4. Technology for Representation: Adobe’s Diverse Voices Initiative

Adobe launched the Diverse Voices campaign to promote inclusivity in digital design by showcasing creatives from underrepresented backgrounds. This initiative provides a platform for minority artists, highlighting their work while offering educational resources to help other designers create culturally sensitive and representative content.

Inspiring Designers to Take Action

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” This question challenges designers to think critically about their work and the impact it has on society. To truly honor Dr. King’s legacy, designers must go beyond aesthetics or functionality and consider how their designs can address inequality, amplify underrepresented voices, and create opportunities for all.

Guiding Questions for Designers

To begin incorporating social justice into your work, ask yourself:

  • Who are the most vulnerable or underserved stakeholders in my project?
  • How can my design solutions empower and uplift these individuals or communities?
  • Am I collaborating with the people I’m designing for, or imposing solutions from the outside?
  • Is my design equitable and inclusive in practice, not just intent?

These questions serve as a starting point to critically evaluate your design processes and outcomes, ensuring that justice and equity are central to your work.

Practical Ideas for Social Justice Projects

Justice spelled in scrabble tiles

Designers can make a tangible impact by tackling projects that address systemic inequities. Here are a few ideas to inspire action:

  1. Redesign Public Signage for Accessibility:
    Create multilingual, easily readable, and universally understood public signs to better serve diverse populations, consider incorporating icons or pictograms instead of or in addition to language.
  2. Affordable Assistive Devices:
    Develop low-cost tools like prosthetics, mobility aids, or sensory devices for individuals with disabilities, especially in low-income communities.
  3. Educational Kits for Underserved Youth:
    Design creative learning kits or online platforms to teach STEM and design skills to students in underrepresented areas, helping bridge educational gaps.
  4. Combat Food Deserts:
    Reimagine urban spaces by designing community gardens, mobile food markets, or apps that connect people in food deserts with affordable, healthy options.
  5. Improve Voting Accessibility:
    Design systems or tools that make voting more accessible for individuals with disabilities, non-native speakers, and those without reliable transportation.
  6. Amplify Underrepresented Voices:
    Build platforms that spotlight creatives and innovators from marginalized backgrounds, ensuring their work reaches a broader audience.
  7. Human-Centered Homeless Shelters:
    Reimagine the design of shelters to prioritize dignity, safety, and a sense of community for unhoused individuals.

Start Small, but Start Now

You don’t need to redesign the entire world to make a difference. Everyone can design for social justice. Start with a small, justice-driven project in your own community or within your current workplace. Even a single product, policy, or initiative that prioritizes inclusion and equity can spark meaningful change. Our projects always involve an element of keeping material and construction costs down as well as sourcing materials ethically, even if those projects aren’t explicitly social justice projects. Dr. King believed that every person has the power to contribute to justice and equality, and we believe that there is always a way to incorporate the principles of social justice into our practice. As a designer, your unique skills allow you to influence systems, spaces, and tools that touch millions of lives. Use this power wisely and intentionally to honor his vision and help create a world where equity isn’t just a goal—it’s a reality.

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A Q&A with Medical Design Consultant Yukiko Naoi

A Q&A with Medical Design Consultant Yukiko Naoi

Spotlight articles shine a light on designers we admire, asking leaders in the field about their work and their design journey. In this interview we spoke with medical design consultant and acupuncturist Yukiko Naoi.

Medical Design Consultant Yukiko Naoi
Photo courtesy of Yukiko Naoi.

Yukiko’s journey bridges the worlds of design, medicine, and wellness. With a foundation in acupuncture and Chinese medicine combined with degrees in interior design and industrial design, Yukiko has spent over a decade designing innovative medical devices, diagnostics, and consumer products as long time partner and president of TKDG, Tanaka Kapec Design Group. Her hands-on experience with medical precision rekindled her passion for acupuncture, leading her to found her clinic, Rest NYC. From working with children battling cancer at Columbia University Medical Center to exploring the healing power of group dynamics in community clinics, Yukiko’s work reflects a holistic approach to health, design, and the interconnectedness of human experiences. She is also a long-time friend of Interwoven, and has collaborated with us on a number of medical design projects. We asked her about the challenges of medical design, getting feedback from stakeholders in the design process, and how her dual roles of acupuncturist and medical design consultant influence one another.

Q:

Why is medical design different from other types of industrial design? And what are some of the unique challenges you face when designing for the healthcare industry?

A:

I’m going to be really honest. To tell you what is truly unique about medical design, I would have to know everything else. I’d have to know aviation design and everything. Let’s think about designing an airplane or a helicopter—that must be just as complicated. I can’t definitively say that medical design is unique, so I’ll just talk about how I see it compared to some more general products.

Even when you say medical design it could mean different classes of products. It could mean consumer products or it could mean products only used by doctors, where there’s a different level of product development.

In general, there are more regulations and requirements. There are requirements for manufacturing and materials, and multiple rounds of approval for those materials. Toys are similar. Those are the obvious challenges that are somewhat unique to medical design;  regulatory requirements as well as the involvement of the insurance agencies. Whatever product that you’re designing has to work with that system of patients, healthcare providers, and insurance companies. The insurance companies can come in at the very early stages of the project. Let’s say you are designing something that focuses on the patient but the doctor is going to be the one pitching the emerging technology to the patient. This puts the doctor in a certain position of power, but at the same time they need the insurance company’s approval so that insurance will pay. Let’s say it’s a diagnostic device. They need to have some sort of system of checks and balances in place so the doctors have a certain level of power, but not so much power that the insurance companies wouldn’t approve it.  

Many medical companies have in-house consultants; doctors, nurses, techs, and even insurance consultants. All of a sudden, your scope could change. You might realize that you need another step in place to make sure that there’s an opportunity for doctors to share their input before the final outcome or to account for how they manage data or patient information. As designers, we are trying to make everyone happy.

Then there is an enormous amount of people in the healthcare industry who have nothing to do with the insurance company. They get the product in place or in the doctor’s hand or they clean the product or store the product, and that’s their everyday life. We always try to include those people to really make the whole process smooth. The ultimate goal is to have better outcomes; to provide the best health care that you possibly can while eliminating human error and maximizing efficiency and all that good stuff. The new trend is patients getting more power. Of course we include patients in our research as well.

Q:

Medical designs have multiple users from the patients to the doctors and the other medical professionals who use it to the hospitals or clinics that invest in the product. How do you ensure your designs satisfy the needs of all of these groups? 

A:  

There is a harsh element to this, which is about where the money comes from. The clients provided the money to solve this issue, and we need to satisfy them. Then there’s the receiving side, the target user for the product. They should have the same goal, but those sides don’t always have the same priorities. Not every project results in the best of the best for everyone.  So there’s the harsh side of budgets and time constraints, and there’s the super soft side—that this is a product that humans will touch and feel and live with. Our goal is to make a bridge between the two so that no one is overlooked. It’s not always easy.

Q:

How do you gather and incorporate feedback from end-users, such as patients and healthcare providers, during the design process?

A:

We often shadow medical professionals so we can really understand their roles and know what to bring to their attention. There’s a little void that we need to fill because the product has to work at every stage, and as designers we’re often the only ones who see every stage of a product. Good clients would give us the time and budget to really understand the beginning and the end of the life cycle of each product; where material comes in, where it’s going to be made, how it’s going to be packaged, how it’s going to be shipped, the carbon footprint, and all that stuff. It makes for better design but also each stage costs money, and a lot of clients are interested in saving a penny wherever possible. We’re talking about millions of whatever product you design. It’s ultimately more successful to consider all of these details in product development.

It’s important for us to observe as well as interview stakeholders. People aren’t necessarily aware of what they do, it’s second nature to them so they don’t think about it. They have standard tasks they repeat over and over, nurses are a great example but this happens in all kinds of medical roles. They do tasks, and if you ask them about it they say…whatever they think they’re doing, This is better. I want this. I’m doing this. But the reality may not be the same. It’s interesting to see their perception of what they’re doing, and that is valuable information, but they’re working with the existing system, so they may not be able to see what we can do for them. What they say could be very different from what they’re doing. It’s powerful to hear their words as well as to see their environment and how they work in it. 

Ideally we hear from stakeholders with all levels of income, to hear from a huge, well-funded hospital in Texas and also to hear from the one person clinic. They may be doing the same procedure but in a very different environment, and to understand both is important. Location is important also, or real estate. Some users have more room, some have very little. A Manhattan clinic is tiny. The same goes for patients. We want to see people with huge families and small families, we want to see a wide range of age differences and body types. One product should be able to go to all those places and work at an optimal level.

Q:

How do you address the need for balancing functionality, safety, and aesthetics in your designs?

A:

As a designer, I think aesthetics is a given. This is why we’re designers instead of being engineers or marketing experts. Of course everything is a collaboration because there are engineers, salespeople, manufacturers…I think we have to trust ourselves to know that aesthetics is just what we do. It’s in our blood, it’s in everything we do, without thinking. Then just try to design an honest, elegant solution. We are like aesthetic ambassadors. I’m glad that a lot of medical companies value that, and I think there is a demand for aesthetically appealing products from patients and doctors as well, they don’t want to live with not so nice things.

Q:

What considerations go into designing products that need to withstand rigorous use and sanitation protocols?

A:

There are two main options, and they are complete opposites. One is a reusable medical product, and one is a disposable product. Many medical devices are disposable because of the danger of cross-contamination. That comes with challenges around material use and environmental impact.

Certainly we can play a huge role in selecting better optimal materials and considering the environment issues. A lot of companies are under pressure to show environmental accountability. On the other side are the reusable products that go through a sterilization process. There are always trusted, well-established systems for sterilization; protocols and procedures that people are reluctant to change because of the risk involved. It depends on the area of medical design as well. Orthopedic surgery instruments are usually reusable but it depends on the cost, because hospitals are businesses, and if they see that a sterilization process costs more than disposable products, they may decide to get rid of the sterilization process just because it’s not efficient or not profitable enough.

The sterilization process itself is its own area of medical product design. I’ve done a little work in that area, just enough to understand how complex it is. The sterilization process is done by a human. There is a machine, but there is a human working the machine, and you have to keep it sterile. There is some automation, but that space between the human and the automated machine is a great opportunity for industrial design.

It’s always fun for us to look at the options and push the envelope a little bit, to consider new materials and processes, but in the medical field anything new has to go through an extensive and expensive approval process. It feels like it really comes down to money: whether or not there is a company or a government entity that’s willing to fund the project. I have to say, in this huge, wealthy country there are enough people to do that, and that’s how good things come to the market.

Q:

You’ve worked with Interwoven on a number of projects, including the Breg CrossRunner Soft Knee Brace. Could you talk about some of the challenges of that project and how the team addressed them?

A:

This was a proper industrial design project. The challenge at the beginning of the product exploration, once the discovery was in place and we understood our parameters, was to mix the hard and soft materials on the body. We have to consider three elements; the human body, the soft goods and the hard parts, and we’re trying to integrate them to create a new combination of all three. That part was really fun. And again there was the aesthetic ambassador part, because we wanted people to want to wear this product, and for them to find it easy and comfortable to wear. It was quite successful.

Q:

On top of being an Industrial Designer, you are also an acupuncturist and have an active acupuncture practice.  Has acupuncture informed your medical design work? How do they influence one another?

A:

At one point in my career, I got a little disheartened with the design industry because of all these things that we just talked about, the frustration with the money-making industry, proof that it’s a for profit industry, nobody’s doing it for free. It’s ideal if designers can make money and help people, that’s the ultimate goal, but sometimes it doesn’t happen. I was discouraged, thinking, What’s the point? Sometimes I felt that the industry was operating with priorities that were different from mine. I thought, Okay, I’m just going to do more hands-on things to help people. I wanted to fix things. That’s what designers do: problem-solving mindset.

So I went into this hands-on phase, working with people individually, which was when I started doing acupuncture. It was amazing because I had the perspective of working with a huge company and a huge budget, able to impact thousands of people, and this was the opposite, and I really got to appreciate both ends of the industry. I also did a post-graduate internship at the Columbia hospital in their pediatric oncology department, and got to see how the hospital worked from the inside. I learned a lot and everyday I interacted with patients. You learn a lot by touching people, and that was a huge influence. 

Q:

What medical design trends or emerging technologies excite you most right now? How do you see the medical design field evolving over the next ten years?

A:

The undeniable trends are AI, wearable technology, and companion apps. I have mixed feelings about the direction the trends are heading, part excitement and part fear. AI has the potential to revolutionize diagnostics, improve accuracy, and reduce human error. Wearables and apps are empowering patients to take more control of their health. This empowering of the patient is exciting! The medical design field is moving toward more patient-centered designs, with devices getting smaller, smarter, and more seamlessly integrated into daily life. 

Sustainability should be important, and I want to believe that society can push for more eco-conscious materials and manufacturing practices. The growing trend of wellness and preventative care, outside reacting to diseases and conditions, empowers people to stay healthier and more engaged in managing their well-being. This feels like a logical direction to focus on. We call it “healthcare” because we are caring for people’s health.

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