There is no denying that the shortage of tests is causing more panic and unrest in the public. As a global community, we were not prepared with the right tools to curb the outbreak and we’ve learned our lessons the hard way. However, the learning is important and hopefully, this has taught our world leaders to put public health over profits and invest aggressively in resources like PPE and home testing kits so that should a similar situation arise again it won’t cause us to close down the world. Self-testing kits like Blink will ease the load on healthcare professionals and will inevitably educate the people on the protocols that can help flatten future curves.
Every industry from fashion to tech is doing their bit to contribute in this fight and designers are using their creative skills to come up with solutions like 3D printed or low-cost ventilators, facial protection gear or mobile ICU pods, and many other products that will mitigate situations like this in the future. Blink is yet another smart medical device created by designers who were influenced by our current situation. It is compact and was made to be used at home, it can perform basic medical tests and report on your vital signs. The user is guided through steps to measure their blood pressure, body temperature and even carry out basic blood, urine, and saliva tests. Blink collects the data and reports it to a physician who sends his feedback – this not only reduces the risk of transmission (especially in a pandemic) but also is reassuring instead of anxiety induced by overthinking.
Regularly monitoring your health will encourage people to adopt a better lifestyle. Blink’s inclusive design makes that choice accessible to our differently-abled demographic as well who may not be able to get their regular check-ups in quarantine which has a larger impact on their health and this gadget will enable them to be independent in complex times. The user interface is minimal and the user experience is simplified by making data easy to understand. These steps are enough to indicate when you should seek medical help and when you can treat yourself by simply resting up. Right now, most people are going for Covid-19 tests because they are panicking over one sneeze but having a home test kit can be reassuring and reduce strain on medical resources during a crisis. Blink was created to improve the healthcare system by saving time, money, energy and increasing the safety of everyone involved. It empowers you and helps you take better decisions in life – crisis or otherwise.
This project has received Gold awards in both IDEA and Spark Design Awards in 2017 and has been exhibited in Global Grad Show in Dubai.
Designers: Belfug Sener
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