Open Here for Health
Medingo
People with diabetes simply want product messaging that is forthright, human, and candid. So that's the message we set out to construct for Medingo's Solo micro insulin pump.
For many, an insulin pump is a life-changing device: By providing small doses of insulin delivered through the skin throughout the day, pumps greatly improve management of the diabetes and quality of life. Medingo’s Solo™ micro pump is the smallest one available. Medingo approached frog to help develop brand messaging and package design. Our two main goals were to make it easy to use, and to position the pump as a lifestyle product as much as a medical product.
Our initial research showed that patients were excited about Solo’s small size, which meant they could be discreet. They also liked its aesthetic; the Solo could tumble out of a handbag and easily be mistaken for a phone or other mobile device. Most important was the discovery that diabetes patients have no time for medical jargon. After years of living with a chronic disease, they simply want a product that is forthright, human, and candid.
We constructed that messaging by assigning the Solo human characteristics: straightforward but not blunt; a peer, not an official; knowledgeable but not self-important;
provocative but not confrontational; and empathetic without being sympathetic. These personality traits informed the logotype and photographic imagery, as well as the typography and visual language of a brochure, an instructive quick guide, and a specification sheet.
Thinking Inside the Box
The ultimate goal for the Solo packaging we designed was to provide an optimal out-of-box experience—the process of unpacking the pump and getting it ready for use. Because there are so many elements to the starter kit, it was critical to arrange them in a systematic way that wouldn’t overwhelm or confuse the user. That same systemic packaging acted as an intuitive way for patients to discover the contents and guide them through their first use of the micro-pump. Our inspiration came from Russian Babushka dolls.
Also, the box itself is designed to be used as a storage container throughout the life of the device. In total, we created an entire system designed to fit seamlessly into the active and variable lives of diabetes patients.
