Installment number three of our ‘Design for Life’ series hones in on how product design has helped aid our fitness and wellness journey, and takes a short tour of some of the more recent health and wellness product design innovations to hit the market.
This is such a competitive market, so it’s really awe inspiring every time you see something else that is new and unique – just when you think everything has surely been covered!
From health and fitness, to wellness and medical applications that allow you to really evolve your health and wellbeing, like the generation before could never have imagined (well clearly someone did imagine!).
So here are a few of our top finds that we think fit the ‘Design for Life’ health and wellness category, and could really make a difference.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
Wearable Glucose Monitor
Impressively, not only is this a first in the way of a wearable glucose monitor, but happily, there are no needles involved – this is a completely non-invasive approach to blood sugar monitoring for diabetics, and in some respects, begs the question, how has this taken so long?!
Fingers crossed this could become a ‘new normal’ for those experiencing diabetes. There is no doubt that this development would be a real revelation for many, but it also delivers a continuous measurement, which is next level.
This technology is said to also be able to monitor heart rate and electrocardiography (ECG).
For more on this sweet development, read on here.
Photo: Quantum Operation via Interesting Engineering
Loomy Loomy
Striking the right balance in how we live is one of the hottest of topics, and with technology usage at an all time high, there is no denying it is super tricky to switch off in this day in age.
We are becoming wise to the overuse of tech in our lives and with that in mind, it is great to see companies really taking on this issue and innovating to help redress the balance.
Loomy Loomy is a great example of that. This is a bedtime assistant if you will, which is an alarm clock, wireless charger, sleep monitor, mood light and more besides. One of the main aims of this clever device is to reduce your interaction with your smartphone during your down time, really helping the user to gain so much more from a restful night.
Sold – we’ll take 6! Here’s the link to grab yours.
Photo: Loomy Loomy via Yanko Design
The Tempo Studio
We first saw this fitness-based home studio tech during the first Lockdown of Covid-19 in 2020, and what better time for this sort of product to be hitting the market.
This is like the ‘Peleton’ of the gym and studio fitness (before Peleton started to diversify from studio cycling). This home fitness studio uses a motion-tracking camera which actively monitors your workout, your stance and your technique as you work through your routine.
The system includes a subscription to a team of personal trainers who work with you, using this inspired technology to help with course correction and coaching during the session.
Very. Cool. Learn more here.
Photo: Tempo via Yanko Design
Radiation-Free Screening for Breast Cancer
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have created a device that uses AI technology coupled with sensors to catch breast cancer quicker and earlier than the current methods.
Sounds great already, but add to that, this device does not require the use of radiation; it instead uses harmless microwaves to detect tumors rather than imaging. The innovation cost less than $5,000 to create and is designed to be a cheaper and faster approach to detecting cancer as early as possible.
To read more about the technology behind this fantastic advance, click here.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Embr
Wearable devices have, needless to say, been big business and this is such a great addition to that market, for people who want to keep a handle on their body temperature.
Embr created a patented technology which emits warming or cooling sensation on the inside of your wrist to send a signal to your nerves which interacts with your brain to stimulate a relief response to your entire body promptly.
There are so many great applications for this sort of technology, from pregnancy or the menopause, to those who simply feel the heat or cold more than others. This could even be great in a workout scenario, or just to keep your body at a constant comfortable state during a long working shift.
Learn more about this innovative design here.
Photo: Embr
Cell – Sanitizer and Wireless Charger Combined
To round off this ‘Design of Life’ focus on health and wellness, it probably wouldn’t be complete without the smallest of nods to the pandemic. This nifty design came through during Lockdown.
This is a wireless phone charger and sanitizer in one. Perhaps these haven’t quite gone mainstream just yet, but with Covid apparently here to stay (or taking a while to leave), perhaps we should really be adopting this sort of technology to help keep ourselves safe and to make a little dent into helping the virus take a hike!
Find out more about the project here.
Photo: Grant Shi of Ampere via Yanko Design
Health and wellness is such a great topic when it comes to product design. It must be one of the most adoptable and sought after verticals in product design.
Next time we’ll be talking about Design for Travel. But if you missed any of the series so far, you can pop back and take a look. We’ve already taken a quick look at design for rehabilitation and tech for the home, so hop back and grab a quick read.
Meanwhile, to follow along, you can find us over on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
We can’t wait to see you!
