Why Design Partners Matter in MedTech

In a sector where precision, safety and user experience are non-negotiable, the quality of your product design consultancy can make or break your medical technology. From diagnostics and wearables to interfaces and rehabilitation devices, choosing the right partner isn’t just about creativity; it’s about capability, compliance, and commercial success.

At Maddison, we’ve spent over four decades designing devices that deliver. Headquartered in the UK, we work with global MedTech innovators to take ideas from concept to clinic. But what sets a great product design consultancy apart? And why do leading medical companies continue to trust us with their most complex challenges?

This article breaks down what makes an exceptional product design partner, and how Maddison brings that to life across every project we touch.

1. Proven Specialism in MedTech

Many design consultancies claim to be sector-agnostic. Maddison is proudly not.

We are a specialist MedTech design partner with deep experience across:

• FemTech and female healthcare
• Wearables and on-body diagnostics
• Rehabilitation and assisted living technologies
• UX, GUI, and IFU development
• Diagnostic platforms and handheld devices

This focus means we understand the regulatory, clinical and human factors challenges our clients face—from MHRA submissions to ISO 62366 compliance and FDA usability validation.

Case in point: Our work with Phagenesis on the Phagenyx neurostimulation system delivered an ICU-ready interface and catheter design that met strict CE-marking requirements while supporting patient comfort and ease of use for stroke and critical care teams.

2. User-Centred, Clinically-Led Design

Great MedTech design starts with people. That means patients, clinicians, carers, and procurement teams.

Our team embeds user insight at every stage—from early ethnography and stakeholder workshops to high-fidelity usability testing and co-design. We understand:

• The cognitive load of an ICU nurse wearing PPE
• The discomfort of post-operative mobility aids
• The stigma surrounding intimate health devices
• The frustration of unclear or non-compliant IFUs

Example: In our collaboration with Callaly, we supported the user testing and final design of the Tampliner; the first significant redesign of tampon technology in 80 years. It now sets a benchmark in menstrual UX and intimate product trust.

3. Industrial Design Meets Engineering Integrity

You don’t just need a beautiful device. You need one that functions, scales, and passes regulatory scrutiny.

At Maddison, our team combines award-winning industrial design with experienced product engineering. We prototype early, iterate rapidly, and design for manufacture from day one.

Project spotlight: The Vivacta NIJI™ immunoassay platform combined a compact reader with a disposable cartridge to enable near-patient thyroid testing. Our team led the design and engineering of both components, resulting in a system so successful it was acquired by Novartis for $90M.

4. Agility and Access to Senior Talent

Unlike larger firms, we don’t pass clients off to junior teams after the pitch.

At Maddison, you get direct access to experienced designers, engineers and strategists throughout the process. Our model is lean, collaborative and outcome-driven, which means:

• Faster response times
• Decision-making without bureaucracy
• Projects that move forward, not in circles

Feedback from clients consistently highlights our ability to plug into client teams quickly, adapt to evolving requirements, and deliver faster than expected without compromising on quality.

5. Full Lifecycle Support

From napkin sketch to regulatory submission and manufacturing handover, Maddison supports the full product journey. We help clients:

• Explore and validate early concepts
• Develop high-fidelity prototypes for trials and V&V
• Design intuitive, compliant interfaces and IFUs
• Optimise for cost, scale, and regulatory readiness

Example: For Genomtec, we transformed a complex molecular diagnostics concept into a handheld system ready for clinical adoption. Our design supported single-handed use in PPE-restricted environments and built in hygiene, usability and manufacturability from the outset.

6. A Portfolio That Speaks Volumes

We don’t just talk the talk. Maddison’s track record includes dozens of successful devices now in global use. A few highlights:

• OvuSense: Clinically proven ovulation monitoring, delivered with comfort, hygiene and daily usability in mind
• SurePulse: Neonatal heart rate sensing designed for fast-paced delivery rooms and newborn fragility
• Creavo Corsensr: Magnetocardiography made portable for frontline A&E diagnosis
• Tunstall iVi: A discreet, wearable pendant that detects falls and connects users to emergency care without stigma
• GyneFix: Non-hormonal IUD insertion system optimised for sterilisation, safety and handling

7. Designed in Britain. Trusted Worldwide.

Based in Hampshire, UK, Maddison is proud to be a British design consultancy working on a global stage. We have partnered with clients from Europe to the US and supported clinical rollouts in NHS trusts, low-resource health programmes and CE-marked, FDA approved commercial platforms.

In an increasingly competitive design landscape, our blend of British industrial design heritage, regulatory fluency and human-centred innovation makes us a standout choice.

Conclusion: What to Look For in a Product Design Partner

When assessing MedTech design consultancies, ask:

• Do they understand regulatory and clinical constraints?
• Can they combine design creativity with engineering rigour?
• Have they delivered products in your category before?
• Do they understand the user as deeply as they understand the product?
• Will you get access to senior expertise throughout?

If the answer isn’t a clear yes to all five, keep looking.

At Maddison, we design devices that deliver. Whether you’re a startup founder navigating your first product or an R&D lead expanding an established pipeline, we’ll meet you where you are and take you where you need to go.

Ready to design what’s next?

Get in touch: Rob Butterfield, Managing Director
rob.butterfield@maddison.co.uk
Talk to us today