Design is defined as the search for a solution in any field. 


The act of design is a complex, dynamic and intricate task: is the integration of social, economic and technical requirements, biological needs, ergonomics, psychological effects, materials, shape, color, volume and space, all designed and interrelated with the environment that surrounds users”.

Yes, this is our work. In addition, to perform it, research, observation and dialogue are very important. Many times users have the answers and we simply have to give them form.

In 2015, there was an interesting expo called “Design for living, 99 projects for the real world” at the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, where Oscar Guayabero, organizer of the exhibition, collected 99 objects created in order to improve our daily life, improve the environment and the society collecting creative and innovative solutions like these:

“Embrace” is an infant incubator for prematures. It’s a sleeping bag with a device that provides constant heat support to the newborns. The concept is an electric blanket and this device transfers the heat to the baby for hours. At any moment the baby is in contact with any kind of electricity and it´s portable, so the mother can be with the newborn at all times. In addition to being a great solution, its cost is much smaller than an normal incubator.



I love this change in stands for serum and medicine bags, painting them in colors and creating funny characters. With this little idea, the device goes from imposing respect to be toys. Sometimes, with very few things, we can completely change an object.



“Osteid Smart Brace” is created to replace the plaster. It is a high-performance 3D Sling, that has in addition a bone stimulator placed on the arm. It uses the effect “low intensity pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS)” to reduce the working time. Each Osteoid is performed using a 3D scanner in the injured area, by which each sling is tailored to the user, probe adapters engage in forms of the sling and they can be easily removed.


These are some projects designed to cure or make easier the daily life of users suffering from chronic disease, mutilation or disability.

But the expo included many more designs: a dispenser of medications to avoid mistakes in doses or pills with micro-camera that make endoscopic procedures in a non-intrusive way. Spoons outweighing the tremor have been designed for people who suffer from Parkinson’s and food not spilling them to eat, diapers for seniors who perform certain analytical as detection of infections or as turn any chair into a wheelchair through a basic kit.

You can see all these designs in this video.

As you can see we can do many things, because everything is not invented.

We can design to improve lives of people with a disease. We can improve the recovery of patients, make the work easier to the healthcare professionals and we can make to get families involved in the care.

There is no limit, it depends on us.

Let’s talk and design for cure!

Best regards
Mónica Ferrero, designer in Lab In Action