We are an interdisciplinary, user research and product design firm. At our core, user-centered methodologies drive innovation and sustainable product development of safety-critical devices and systems. This foundation of rigorous processes enables BH to be usability design experts. Our strategic relationships strive to discover, design and develop products and procedures which enhance technical, clinical and lifestyle conditions. We have cultivated long-term partnerships with start-up entities and market-leaders alike, assisting them to realize profitability and market-share growth through highly collaborative project management.

Status Updates in Response to COVID-19

In our workplace and in our private lives, we are finding ourselves needing to manage dynamic and challenging circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rest assured that BlackHägen Design continues to support our clients and the medical device R&D ecosystem during these challenging times. We remain open with uninterrupted expert services to meet all your needs while at the same time, as a healthcare sector company, we consider it our duty to act responsibly to protect our staff and community during the pandemic. The following measures have been established to meet these operational goals:

Availability & Bandwidth

Although we are prioritizing virtual meetings, our facilities are still open for lab work, testing and studies. Our current capacity is capable of accommodating your research, design and development needs via our embedded digital technology to implement the program in a responsible manner.

Sanitary Measures

A cleaning, hygiene and sanitation protocol has been developed by our staff nurse in order to accommodate study participants safely. She monitors the CDC updates daily and our protocols are subject to change accordingly. For the protection of our employees, clients and study participants, direct contact between personnel has been restricted per national social distancing measures. We also ensure that the minimum advisable distance is maintained between the participants and the facilitators, as well as between facilitators (moderator and note taker). We require employees and participants alike to maintain meticulous hygiene and guidelines have been reviewed and posted throughout the facilities.

Best Practices & Alternative Approaches

For product design and development reviews where we would typically evaluate physical models, we may deploy augmented/virtual reality assets that are available to us. As an alternative to user testing and studies requiring user participation, we continue to offer formative studies in the form of expert reviews and heuristic analyses to contribute to the usability engineering file.

Moving Forward

Project plans may require adjustment according to the official reports from various regional, national and international authorities regarding the crisis. Should there be a need for action, updates to workload, logistics and schedules will be immediately communicated to maximize continuity and project efficiency. We are taking care to re-evaluate these options and responsibilities on a daily basis.

We thank you for your support and trust in BlackHägen Design.