What 'problem' does the design solve?

Joseph Lum: The design solved almost all the pre-existing problems in other lancets. For starts, it’s less painful because SAFETiCET’s patented technology uses a rotational movement rather than force to break the catch that holds the preloaded needle. Its small size, a result of the concise area of movement required for activation, makes it portable and encourages regular testing. It’s also vibration-proof because the activation mechanism prevents self-triggering. Its attractive and gentle features make the blood testing process considerably less intimidating.

More importantly, SAFETiCET’s greatest practical features are that it’s safe – single use with self-retractable needle and pilfer-proof outer casing – and intuitive to use, which means less training time is required, especially for patients with dexterity problems.

What challenges did you encounter during the design or manufacturing process? How did you resolve them?

Joseph: My philosophy is that nothing is impossible. That said, we faced a four-pronged challenge.

The first was financial. As a small and medium-sized business, a lot of funding, including bank loans, went into research and development. It took five years and four generations to arrive at the final design.

The second challenge was technical. The technology of needle handling is not mature in Singapore, especially when we needed help to put the needle into the mould. It was also difficult to source the automation to assemble SAFETiCET’s components.

Our third challenge was obtaining supplies, especially for the springs, during the development period. We had to rely on external suppliers to make samples for us, and each time, we had to depend on the supplier’s capacity and wait at least one to two months for a sample. In the end, we decided to develop our own in-house capability for spring-making and needle-handling machines.

Our forth challenge was the human factor. It’s difficult to find good engineers who have the expertise and knowledge in making medical devices. We had no choice but to recruit and train our own engineers.

How did the end-user experience motivate you as a designer?

Joseph: When we first launched our product at a medical exhibition in San Antonio, Texas, I noticed that all the professional nurses who tested SAFETiCET had similar positive comments: they felt that the device was less painful compared to the other lancets they had been using.

We have also participated in two community exhibitions in New York and Chicago. More than 98 percent of the diabetic patients voted SAFETiCET as the least painful lancet they had come across. Some even said that SAFETiCET is painless.

A senior diabetic educator in America commented that SAFETiCET prolongs life simply because it’s less painful to use which means people will be more willing to test their glucose levels regularly. This results in better control of the disease.

We also sponsored SAFETiCET at a diabetic camp for children in North Carolina. These kids were as young as six. Most of them loved SAFETiCET as it’s easier and less painful to use.

How might the community or end-user be co-opted into the design process?

Joseph: There have long been complaints about lancets, in general, especially about the pain factor. When designing SAFETiCET, we used these complaints as our driver and objectives to create a better product and, at the same time, make improvements on the design and appearance of the produce. Some of our ideas, in face, come from the end-users’ feedback.

What's the best advice anyone has given you about design, or the business of deisgn? And how have you used that advice in your work?

Joseph: In the business of design, the product has to be relevant. It has to be relevant to the current market and the expectations of the end-users. After completing our fourth generation of SAFETiCET, our sales person observed that the product was still too big. And so, we went back to the drawing board and spent a few more months to improve on the design to make it even smaller.

My takeaway from the entire process is that, as designers, we need to be flexible, and be able to accept criticism. It’s the only way to create a better product.

What existing design do you think has a positive impact on society?

Joseph: The motorised smart wheelchair. It gives people who might other wise be highly dependent the ability to move around freely and independently. It can go up stairs, and it can even get the person into a car so that he or she can drive without needing someone to assist in the process.