Combining product architecture design with human-centered methods -Case MRI mobile stroke unit

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School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
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Date

2022

Department

muo

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Master's Programme in Collaborative and Industrial Design

Language

en

Pages

91

Series

Abstract

This thesis presents the design process for a mobile stroke unit (MSU) equipped with low field magnetic resonance imaging, for improving stroke treatment particularly in Nordic rural areas. Stroke is a time critical disorder that needs to be diagnosed and treated rapidly. Delays in treatment negatively affect the recovery of the patients. MSUs could speed up emergency stroke diagnosis and treatment in rural areas and improve patient outcomes. Compact and low-cost low field magnetic resonance imaging devices could enable imaging stroke patients in the ambulance without some of the limitations of competing technologies such as radiation-based computer tomography. The first research question this thesis aims to answer is: How should the structure and product architecture of a rural Finnish MSU with a low-field magnetic resonance imaging device be laid out? The secondary research question is: How can Product architecture mapping combined with human-centered design approach be used to assess the design requirements of a system like an MSU? The goal of the thesis was to provide a considered concept that visualizes the insights and product architecture choices and provides a basis for further work in a related research project. To learn about the use context, user research was conducted through interviewing experts in the fields of MSUs, emergency services and paramedic work. The user research focused on practices, daily life, and motives of these experts. The data from the user research was analyzed with an affinity diagram method and by connecting the findings to a product architecture map of the MSU system. To gain feedback, the choices were presented as concept visualizations to experts in emergency services, design and technology. The user research suggests that verbal communication, visibility of the patient’s state, and spatial configuration of the patient compartment unit are critical when designing the MSU. These insights were formed into a concept of the MSU and the imaging device. The use of combined human centered and product architecture design approaches was beneficial in transforming the user insights into applicable requirements. Transforming the requirements into a form of a physical concept still required significant effort. This was partly due to conflicts between the insights and physical design choices compounding on each other in the limited space

Description

Supervisor

Uusitalo, Severi

Thesis advisor

Ahola, Markus

Keywords

product architecture, design, human-centered, imaging, ambulance, HCD

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202206093705

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[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS