Untangling Instructions

08/04/2025 24 min Temporada 2 Episodio 2
Untangling Instructions

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Episode Synopsis

Lucy Sheldon and Clare Beddoes from Cambridge Design Partnership explain how to develop clear instructions for medical devices, and what Apple can teach us about making products so intuitive we don’t need instructions at all. And how do LEGO make instructions part of the act of play itself? When you walk into reception at Cambridge Design Partnership, you see lots of intriguing case studies on display – from heart catheters to smart pills to nasal swabs. As an innovation consultancy, it’s critical that people can actually use the medical devices they develop. Which is where clear instructions come in.  Lucy Sheldon is a Human Factors Engineer, focusing on good interaction design – helping people be at one with the technology they’re using – not battling against it. Clare Beddoes heads up Drug Delivery, thinking about the needs of the patient and medical teams. She works closely with Lucy’s team to make sure the drugs can be used safely, minimising risk in a very risk averse sector. We talk about the importance of sound and visuals in helping people use devices properly – and how they consider the emotional state of the end user, whether it’s someone using an Epi-Pen in a panic - or nervously taking a pregnancy test in the bathroom. And we take a break in the middle for playtime! Looking at LEGO and instructions aren’t just functional, they’re all part of the fun too. Useful links Connect with our guests on LinkedIn Clare Beddoes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-beddoes-661b2913 Lucy Sheldon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucysheldon  Cambridge Design Partnership: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cambridge-design-partnership  --- Sookio podcast page: https://www.sookio.com/podcast Produced by Rob Birnie at Made By DBM: https://madebydbm.com Links recorded at Cranes Nest podcast studio in Cambridge: https://www.thecranenest.co.uk/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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