Detect

Rapid and affordable home diagnostics

I led the industrial design of Detect's readout device for their at home COVID-19 testing kit. This was a fast paced project where I worked with a cross functional and geographically distributed team of engineers and scientists to develop a clinical proof of concept into a mass producible consumer product in four weeks.

Concept generation

The readout device contains a blister pack filled with special chemicals and a test strip. When the user inserts their nasal swab sample cartridge, the blister ruptures, mixes with the sample and floods the test strip. Results are displayed through the window on the device in a matter of minutes, similar to a pregnancy test.

The form factor of the readout device must communicate accuracy, trustworthiness and approachability. It needed to be incredibly simple in its design and cheap to produce in quantities exceeding of 1M units. I explored both hand held and table top design concepts throughout development.

Prototyping

A variety of handheld and tabletop readout devices were prototyped using 3D printing to test the user interaction and experience of each concept.

Industrial design occured in tandem with engineering and clinical validation to ensure the reliability and robustness of the test. Clear and concise communication was essential throughout the development of the product.