The Schumann Library is pleased to welcome to the Guarracino Family Gallery the Product Design & Development Collaborative (PDDC), a multidisciplinary team of Wentworth students whose goal is to solve real-world community and industry problems through a customer-centric approach. The installation “PDCC + Accelerate: An EPIC Innovation” introduces the design process used for the AccuRxY dosage control project, created in conjunction with a team of 5th year PharmD students from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS).
Background: MCPHS students came to PDDC with the idea of a next generation product that would enable improved dosing accuracy and reduce medication errors through a single dose syringe for patients who have conditions such as decreased dexterity, vision impairments or arthritis.
Challenges: As a deliverable, MCPHS requested that PDDC produce 10 functioning prototypes of a syringe within 4 weeks since MCPHS students would be presenting their idea in a Showcase on April 13. [Note: MCPHS came in number 3 out of 138 pitch ideas]. While PDDC had no budget, they were able to utilize the Library’s Tech Sandbox for free.
Specifications: The PDDC prototypes needed to be compatible with over-the-counter syringes; dosage control lock could be preset before administration; patients could easily re-administer the dose several times; user-friendly ergonomics for patients and pharmacists; and that the syringe would reduce and/or eliminates dose inaccuracies with liquid oral medications.
The exhibit details the 6-step strategy of the design process and includes a video showing how the syringe functions as well as 3D printed models of the various iterations. PDCC members used ideation, CAD and 3D printing to build prototypes for the syringe. You can also learn more about how to get involved as a PDDC partner and become part of upcoming projects!
Students from Wentworth on the PDDC team include:
- Jasmine Andrade (BSEN ’20 – Interdisciplinary Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Design Minor)
- Miranda Craig (BSME ’20 – Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Minor)
- Liam Dahler (BSEN ’20 – Interdisciplinary Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering Minor)
- Matthew Forrester (BSME ’20 – Mechanical Engineering)
- Thomas Houghton (BSME ’19 – Mechanical Engineering)
- Daniel Janowiec (BELM ’22 – Electro Mechanical Engineering)
Faculty and staff exhibit sponsors include Steve Chomyszak, Monique Fuchs and Ryan Bakinowski.
Here is a selection of slides that accompany the exhibit:
After viewing the exhibit, we encourage you to browse and borrow books from the library book display on the topic of design thinking and collaboration:
Arciszewski, Tomasz. Inventive Engineering: Knowledge and Skills for Creative Engineers. Boca Raton : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016.
Bahcall, Safi. Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2019.
Bucero, Alfonso. The Influential Project Manager: Winning Over Team Members and Stakeholders. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, 2015.
Christensen, Clayton M., and Michael E. Raynor. The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press, 2013.
Grant, Adam M., and Sheryl Sandberg. Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World. New York, New York: Viking, 2016.
Hallgrimsson, Bjarki. Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012.
Kushner, Ryan. Accelerate This!: A Super Not Boring Guide to Startup Accelerators and Clean Energy Entrepreneurship. Oakland, California: New Energy Nexus Publishing, 2018.
Luchs, Michael, Scott Swan, and Abbie Griffin. Design Thinking: New Product Development Essentials from the PDMA. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2015
Markova, Dawna, and Angie McArthur. Collaborative Intelligence: Thinking with People Who Think Differently. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Nixon, Natalie W. Strategic Design Thinking: Innovation in Products, Services, Experiences, and Beyond. New York, NY: Fairchild Books, 2016.
Sharon, Tomer, and Benjamin Gadbaw. Validating Product Ideas: Through Lean User Research. Brooklyn, New York: Rosenfeld Media, 2016.
The exhibit will be on view from July 25 – August 12, 2019 and is free and open to the public during regular library hours.
For more information please contact libraryexhibits@wit.edu.