bcsinnovations

Andy Wyatt interviewed by Lyn Vicary

How long had you been with BCS when you were given the glucose meter project?
About 4 months actually! I wasn't given it as my own project, David ran it but I did the majority of the design work.

How many of you worked on it, or was it a one person project?
It was mostly me, I did the electronics, optics, firmware and software. I had a lot of help from the senior engineers Mac, Steve and of course David.

What was the original brief and how different is it from what the client envisaged?
Originally the intention was for an ultra low cost unit, as simple as possible. The spec changed a bit in that it became more of a premium product, with a custom display and a smart card to record the patient data as well as the factory calibration information. The beeper for audio feedback was also a later addition. These functions definitely made it a much better product than it otherwise would have been, and we still managed to get the build cost down low enough for volume production.

What was your greatest technical challenge in developing this product?
The original design wasn't too complex, but that was largely because we employed risk mitigation along the way. I wrote a "simulator" to demonstrate how the user interface would look, and this allowed us to get the custom LCD right the first time. We built up plastic mock-ups of the optics subassemblies before the detailed industrial design was commenced.

How long did it take to complete?
Only 10 months from starting the project to the client demonstrating it at the Medica conference in Germany!

What do you think was the deciding factor in winning the Australian Design Award of the Year ?
I think the judges were impressed with the design methodology we took. The product was also beautifully designed from an Industrial Design perspective, both in form and function. Neilsen Design did a great job of the Industrial Design.

What would you say was your greatest insight into bring a successful project like glucose meter from idea to completion?
Greatest insight? Make sure you mitigate risks as you go - test things early and often. Work closely with the client and all other parties (eg the industrial designer); the closer those relationships, the better the product and the smoother the process.