A typical case of “can you design (insert product here)?”
Often companies and their employees forget: it is not about the product, but rather the user-problem which funds the whole business-case supported by that problem or need…
Add to that a big and growing dental market in China, where in its infancy, it is now time to look forward in multiple directions, to become that leading brand instead of the cheap supplier of another.
So we kind-a looked at it all, did the whole positioning, competitor research, talk about identity, gaps, portfolio…
But there was literally nothing “new”… It felt like designing for a product which at launch will already be outdated. It lacked a clear “point of view” and where to go in the future.
We took the role upon us to use design to confront and challenge the company’s division and see where they really want to go in the future…
Armed with this lack of vision and knowing the company division was only recently setup as an extension from the dental 3D printing, we knew it could be interesting to play a bigger role in the dental industry.
As the client did not have a vision into what direction to go, it was time to tap into the patient-experience to find options.
Giving a clear view on the needs/wants of both doctor and patient, we suggested a lot of improvements and options to implement.
I feel we had the most fruitful discussions and acceptance here, as the company was open to learn about the role of UX in software and doctor/patient experience. More than about the product-side-of-things.
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Our interviews pointed towards the scanner as a very valuable touchpoint for patient-involvement. The scanner-wand truly becomes a magical tool in the hands of the dentist, by showing the patient, not scaring him/her.
This dynamic is a great opportunity for a dental practitioner, to become the trusted advisor about dental health and beauty, both very important mega-trends in China.
Introducing a service-model to bring more value, rapidly in a Chinese market, while at the same time differentiating on value instead of cost in the US market.
Currently there are pointers for a few initiatives amongst dental practitioners themselves, clearly showing the validity in the US.
Finally understanding that a user and data-led strategy is superior to a low-cost strategy… well, or…
“We could combine both strategies to disrupt, since we are in China!?”
Then we zoomed in and out… Finding needs and their solutions, rethinking strategy, considering options both for product and service… Tons of ideas, but focussed into a new vision, grounded in needs!
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