Translating Emotion into Empathetic Medical Design

Paul Charlebois and Eric Olson are seated across from each other at a white table in a modern office setting. The man on the left has curly brown hair and is wearing a light blue button-up shirt. He is smiling and looking toward the man on the right, who has short gray hair, glasses, and is wearing a dark patterned shirt with a small microphone clipped to his collar. The background is a bright, blurred open-plan office with desks and chairs, creating a soft focus effect behind the subjects. A blue pen and a blurred stack of folders or documents are on the table in the foreground.
Resources

Translating Emotion into Empathetic Medical Design

YouTube video thumbnail

What does empathetic medical design really look like in practice? In this episode of Before the Build, Eric and Paul discuss how emotional insight from field research can profoundly impact the design of medical devices, especially when patients are facing some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Paul shares a story from a nuclear medicine facility where radioactive treatments create high-stakes challenges—not just for patients, but for the teams supporting them. From seemingly humorous anecdotes to fleeting moments of deep emotional connection, this episode unpacks how thoughtful field research leads to human-centered, practical improvements in device design.

Observing Patients Means Understanding People

The conversation explores how true empathy requires stepping into the patient’s world—literally. Field research often leads into hospital closets, nuclear medicine wings, and emotionally charged environments. These are the places where designers can truly understand the needs, fears, and limitations patients face every day.

In one striking moment, Paul describes locking eyes with a patient mid-infusion—capturing a mix of hope, fear, and vulnerability. It’s a reminder that good medical design isn’t just about performance or compliance; it’s about preserving dignity and simplifying care.

Why Empathy Drives Better Outcomes

Ultimately, empathetic medical design leads to better adoption, stronger clinician satisfaction, and more effective treatment workflows. When design accounts for emotional and practical realities—not just functional specs—it supports both patients and care providers in meaningful ways.

Learn more about StarFish Medical.

Two medtech professionals collaborating at a whiteboard covered in UX design notes and post-its, discussing user experience strategy for a medical device.

Medical Device Development: User Experience (UX), Human Factors (HF), and Industrial Design (ID) Unexpected Benefits

User Experience (UX), Human Factors (HF), and Industrial Design (ID) each have a major impact on the success of new medical devices. Their influence is especially important during product definition and early phases of device development.

High-fidelity handheld medical device concept created through generative AI prototyping tools.

Accelerating Early-Stage MedTech Design with Generative AI

Generative AI is gaining significant attention across industries, and MedTech is no exception. While some tools may still feel like entertaining curiosities, others are starting to make a real impact.

A gloved hand holds a COVID-19 lateral flow test in front of a white bathroom sink and tiled wall. Overlay text reads: ‘From ELISA to DIY?’ in bold white font on a black background.

ADLM Diagnostics Innovation and COVID Testing

Nick Allan and Nigel Syrotuck reflect on recent ADLM diagnostics innovation and how it has shaped the future of clinical testing.

A patient lies with eyes closed while a clinician marks dotted surgical lines on her face with a skin marker. The patient wears a surgical cap. Overlay text reads: ‘More than a procedure?’ in bold font on a white highlight box.

Patient-Centered Field Research in Medtech

In this Before the Build episode, Eric Olson and Paul Charlebois reflect on the value of patient-centered field research—and how firsthand observation can reframe design priorities and impact outcomes in profound ways.