An Approach to applying Information Processing, Semiotics, and Product Semantics to the Design of Novel Medical Devices with Complex Physical Interfaces

Abstract

Usability is still a relatively new field of focus for Industrial Design, and it is an area with proven monetary and life-saving value. Of particular interest to usability is the design of medical devices with complex interfaces, which often operate in zero-tolerance scenarios when lives are on the line. In the design of these devices, unclear usability resulting in improper use is not an option. Product Semantics, the study of meaning applied to products; Semiotics, the study of sign-making; Information Processing, the study of how humans take in and deal with information, are all studies of usability in some dimensions. All have their own strengths and weaknesses. This thesis aims to create a design tool that will allow the industrial designer to take advantage of the benefits of all three areas in the design process of novel medical devices with complex interfaces.