Could you imagine creating packaging for a new medical device (or any product) from scratch without any prior knowledge or information? Packaging is an essential part of early medical device design. Well-designed medical device packaging impresses your potential customers and investors alike while ensuring safe and secure delivery of the device to your end users.

Start-ups and medical companies are always looking for innovative ways to build a perfect end-user experience that melds cutting-edge packaging, stunning design, and safety. Sounds easy and simple, right? In reality, it’s a grand experimental journey made easier by following a few key steps to build your first packaging prototype.

Thoroughly defining the packaging requirements sets the stage for long-term success. It’s important to prequalify the basic requirements prior to validating the entire package so that time and money are saved in the long run. In Part 1 of our series on medical device packaging, we’ll go through the steps Elastic Care used to prequalify and build a minimum viable product (MVP): to build, validate, and iterate the first prototype.

Be on the lookout for Parts 2 and 3 of our series, where we go into more depth on user experience and vendor management:

  • Part 2 focuses on working smarter by exploring user journeys, end-user experience, and tips for medical device companies planning their first packaging.
  • Part 3 discusses connecting with the best vendors on a prototype budget, the benefits of good project management, and how to launch your final packaging to market.

Packaging background information

At Elastic Care, the team created a product packaging concept designed to meet the unique needs of our end users: certified healthcare practitioners such as nurses and physicians. Healthcare practitioners are extremely busy with their day-to-day work. A nurse could be responsible for one patient at a time in a surgical setting, or six or more in a busy ward. When you design an “unboxing” experience for these end users, you have to engage with their persona, and the quality of the packaging has to be impressive.

Now imagine the product inside the packaging works with a smartphone application that guides the practitioner from one step to the next without referencing a user manual. In the same spirit, we designed an unboxing experience that lets the end user accomplish each task and move from point A to point B without getting trapped in the process. Achieving that goal starts with a well-designed package, and great design always starts with a prototype.

Construct a packaging prototype

One of the most important things to consider in packaging design is: how do I get started? The answer is simple: start with a brainstorm session, and part of that session is building a physical prototype. At Elastic Care, we gathered cardboard, scissors, and tape and put together a prototype for early adopters. We laid out all the components we wanted inside the package and explored how an end user would experience the journey from opening the box to a fully assembled device. Don’t be disappointed if your first few attempts don’t work out; you’ll likely iterate several times before a setup feels natural. The purpose of this cycle is to reduce re-work and avoid complicated packaging.

Have you ever watched someone unbox an Apple product? Do it right now. You’ll be surprised how much end users appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the packaging. Apple pays as much attention to its packaging as it does to its products. Make the unboxing easy for your end users, and begin your research by constructing a prototype version.

Validate and iterate the prototype

The next stage gets more interesting. Once you finish a first working prototype, you might be excited to test it with colleagues, and they are bound to find errors and problems with the unboxing experience that put you back at square one. Don’t let that get you down; treat it as an opportunity to be innovative and think outside the box. Throughout the process of creating an MVP, apply the feedback and lessons learned and iterate to make the packaging as user-friendly as possible.

This is the approach championed by entrepreneur and author Eric Ries, who in “The Lean Startup” writes about developing products more efficiently and getting them into customers’ hands faster. The same scientific approach applies to packaging: test it with co-workers at the earliest stages, note where they hit issues or make errors during unboxing, and iterate until you find a solution that works.

Work smarter, not harder

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”
Napoleon Hill

Once you’ve validated and iterated your packaging, your next step is to look for packaging vendors locally or globally. When you have complex packaging with multiple components, it’s best to find a local vendor so weekly on-site meetings, calls, and emails happen within the same time zone, a real advantage for both parties.

In Part 2 of this series we’ll take the process further and explore innovative packaging, working with vendors, and refining your packaging after multiple rounds of iteration, validation, and execution. If you have questions, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.