Design thinking and human-centred design is often discussed and utilised by teams and organisations seeking to develop more optimal, effective or innovative solutions for better customer outcomes. In the healthcare sector the opportunity presented by the practice of human-centred design and design thinking in the pursuit of better patient outcomes is a natural alignment. However, healthcare challenges often involve complex problem sets, many stakeholders, large systems and actors that resist change. High-levels of investment and risk aversion results in the status quo of traditional technology-led processes and analytical decision-making dominating product and strategy development. In this case study we present the opportunities, challenges and benefits that including a design-led approach in developing complex healthcare technology can bring. Drawing on interviews with participants and reflections from the project team, we explore and articulate the key learning from using a design-led approach. In particular we discuss how design-led practices that place patients at the heart of technology development facilitated the project team in aligning key stakeholders, unearthing critical system considerations, and identifying product and sector-wide opportunities.
