ISO 11608: All change for injector standards

April 1st 2021

Steve Augustyn

Senior Consultant Mechanical Engineer

Anyone who works with injection devices will be familiar with the ISO 11608 series of standards. The standards cover requirements, test methods, and design guidance for needle-based injection systems, and they are currently nearing the end of the most comprehensive review and update since 2012.

This review of ISO 11608 aims to better align the various parts of the standard and define a new class of device coming to the market, on-body delivery systems (OBDS), which the current revision of the standards doesn’t adequately describe. CDP develops and verifies many needle-based injection systems on behalf of our clients. Our manufacturing capability also gives us insight into the challenge of moving from building a handful of devices to building thousands of products. The Final Draft International Standard will be published soon, and I’d like to share some of the proposed changes.

It’s important to note that the current status of these standard parts is “draft”. The details of these documents may well change before publication, assuming that the various international bodies approve the publication of these standards. That said, let’s get into some detail.

ISO 11608 – update history in brief

Since the publication of ISO 11608-1: Pen Injectors for Medical Use – Requirements and Test Methods in 2000, the standard has expanded to cover many aspects of needle-based injection systems (NIS). The various parts of the published standards now cover:

General Requirements (11608-1 since 2012)
Needles (11608-2)
Finished Containers (11608-3)
Electronic and Electromechanical Injectors (11608-4)
Automated Functions (11608-5)

These standards were then joined by 11608-7 (Accessibility for persons with visual impairment) in 2016, which covers design guidance for improving accessibility to NIS for visually impaired users. These parts of the standard come under the remit of ISO Technical Committee 84 (ISO TC84), a committee focused on defining the requirements and test methods to ensure safe and effective devices are made available to the widest number of people.

I’ve had the privilege of being one of the UK’s representatives to this committee since 2013, so I’ve had a front-row seat for many of these discussions. So, what changes should device manufacturers and designers anticipate?

ISO 11608-1 – Needle-based Injection Systems

In this revision of the 11608 family, TC84 has worked to align the various parts, ensuring every potential NIS is addressed in the collection of parts, that they integrate well, and topics aren’t duplicated. ISO 11608-1 is the ‘parent’ part – the fundamental section of the standard that establishes the requirements and test methods for all NIS devices covered by the whole standard.

The revision to part one includes the introduction of OBDS (more fully described in ISO 11608-6) and several new concepts. These concepts include primary function, the functions of the device that allow it to be used safely and effectively. Functional stability, which expands testing regimens to simulate whole-life testing for reusable devices, is also introduced in this revision. In addition, the design specification for the NIS must consider the impact and requirements of the medicinal product, and the guidance on risk-based design approaches has been expanded.

There are also several smaller modifications to ISO 11608, including moving all requirements for electronics and EMC testing to ISO 11608-4, the addition of a choking hazard warning for small components, and the associated test fixture. A section has also been added to the document giving guidance on design verification with reference to ISO 13485.

ISO 11608-2 – Double-ended Pen Needles

The changes to ISO 11608-2 (Double-Ended Pen Needles) are more subtle. The determination of flow rate has been expanded to include suggested flow ranges and the sample sizes have been brought in line with the requirements in ISO 11608-1. The testing requirements to confirm compatibility between a needle and a specific NIS have been revised to include dose delivery and needle hub removal force. In addition, the samples required for functional compatibility have been reduced and guidance has been added regarding the requirements for the inner needle shield.

ISO 11608-3 – Containers and Integrated Fluid Paths

The scope of ISO11608-3 has now been expanded beyond defining cartridge geometry and performance to cover NIS Containers and Integrated Fluid Paths. Again, this change has been prompted by the development of OBDS. The requirement for resealing the cartridge has been reduced from 1.5x the intended use to a minimum of 1.0x the intended life. At the same time, the particle size for coring characterization has increased from 50um to 150um or larger. General requirements for soft cannulas and fluid line connections have also been added – another feature of the standard that can be traced back to introducing the OBDS class of device. Cartridge geometry definition has also been moved to an informative annex, meaning it’s no longer mandatory.

ISO 11608-4 – Needle-based Injection Systems Containing Electronics

I’ve had no direct visibility of the updates to ISO 11608-4. However, colleagues from the dedicated work group have summarized the two high-level changes as:

an expansion of the scope to include all electronics on a NIS (not just those concerned with the delivery of the drug product)
medicinal product delivery while connected to mains power (for recharging the battery) will be permitted

The challenge for part 4 has been to reference the parts of IEC 60601 which are appropriate for NIS. Part 4 references IEC 60601 explicitly, adopting the general requirements, means of patient protection, and power input requirements from the relevant components of the standard. The minimum ingress protection has been increased from IP22 to IP52, allowable temperatures for skin contact are defined, failure obvious to the user after free fall preconditioning is permitted, and the use of NIS in oxygen-rich environments has been defined.

ISO 11608-5 – Automated Functions

The revised text for ISO 11608-5 now explicitly directs the reader to ISO 11608-1 for general requirements and focuses on automated needle insertion and dose delivery. Requirements for fenestrated needles (needles with holes in the side) have been defined and the implications of non-perpendicular needle and cannula insertion are explored. The dose accuracy test has been modified for needles with automated insertion, and defining and measuring automated dose delivery time is now a requirement.

ISO 11608-6 – On-body Delivery Systems

This review includes the introduction of ISO 11608-6 defining the requirements for OBDS. This part of the standard initially expanded quickly as new terms and definitions were added but many of the new concepts have been adopted into the following component documents: 11608-1 (General Requirements), 11608-3 (Container and Integrated Fluid Paths), and 11608-5 (Automated Functions).

The crucial difference between an OBDS and an infusion pump is that the OBDS’s performance is defined by dose accuracy for a fixed volume; an infusion pump is defined by the rate at which the medicinal product is delivered. OBDS are also distinct from other NIS types in that they are attached to the body, whereas traditional NIS are held by the user for the duration of the delivery. The requirements and design guidance reflect this difference in use and the concept of a delivery profile (as a characterization tool, not a performance requirement) has been included to help device builders better understand their products.

This summary only scratches the surface of the comprehensive review of ISO 11608, and on the current timeline, these changes will not be published until late 2022, but if your development program extends beyond that date, I hope you found this summary helpful. The draft standards can be purchased from the ISO web store if you’d like to better understand the scope of the changes and the implications for your device development and verification program. If you’re a device developer and struggling with device performance, CDP has expert teams to help overcome these problems.

I’d like to thank my colleagues from ISO for their assistance in drafting this summary. In particular, Robert Nesbitt, Director of Portfolio Strategy at Abbvie and project leader for the ISO 11608-1 review, and Bibi Nellemose and Lars Brogaard from Danish Standards, whose tireless efforts as TC84’s secretariat keep the whole process running smoothly.

Connect with CDP

For more on how to navigate ISO 11608 changes and develop injection devices that meet evolving standards, contact Cambridge Design Partnership.

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Making it last: Why testing is vital to product sustainability

March 25th 2021

Jonathan Wilkins

Mark Buckingham

How long do we expect a product to last? Many sophisticated technology products, such as phones and tablets, are routinely replaced after a few years as specifications evolve rapidly. But what about a chair or a toaster? There are a huge range of products that we only replace when they wear out, but how long will this take, and how do we decide when minor changes add up to justify a replacement? When we prepare new product designs, how do we test to predict whether the lifetime will be months, years, or decades?

The challenges of biomaterials

Many consumer products contain large quantities of plastics derived from crude oil. But there’s increasing consumer interest in products made from bio-based materials derived from plant matter. While bio-based plastics are renewable, many are recent innovations. There may be a temptation for designers to make a direct substitution between a well-established plastic derived from crude oil and a bio-based plastic. Yet the two materials are unlikely to behave on a “like for like” basis. Because of limited service experience, there’s often a lack of data or understanding of how new types of plastics degrade and age over time. As a result, long-term testing and lifetime predictions of bio-based materials is a particularly relevant topic and can begin right at the start of a design project, while still in the materials selection phase.

Designing for the long term

We want newly designed products to have a long service life and to withstand normal rough handling. If we buy a shiny new phone, bike, or car, we expect it to start looking slightly rough and worn after a while, but we don’t want it to break or change color too soon. How do we check for this? We need to think about how the product will be used and how it might fail.

We can look at this challenge in terms of material selection. How do products age under different applications? What types of rough handling will a product need to withstand, and will the result be sudden failure or a gradual loss of properties? How will subtle changes in the appearance of the product over time affect its suitability for continued use? Does it matter if it becomes less glossy or even changes in color? Is it easy to keep clean? Do certain design elements require local reinforcement to prevent early failures at potential weak points? It’s easy to overlook these questions when an existing product is redesigned, particularly if a change in material is proposed.

Even when changing the grade of the same plastic material, such as polypropylene, small variations in the amount or type of fillers and other additives, or the length of the polymer chains, can modify its behavior. We can’t look up a single set of properties for polypropylene as there are a huge number of grades with different characteristics. The impact of even a small change may be to move a design from rugged to marginal, with a substantially increased chance of failure. It’s vital to select specific tests in order to evaluate the risks for a particular application.

Better, or just different?

There are many perfectly sensible drivers for changing materials, including cost or weight reduction, improvement in properties or sustainability. In each case we seek to improve, but have we unwittingly introduced a new way in which the product might fail? If the appearance or feel of the product has changed, might it be used differently? If it appears to be stiffer and more rugged, is it OK for me to push it harder? Have we considered how to test the product design to take all possible failure modes into account? If the customer could misunderstand how to use the product there’s an increased chance of unanticipated rough handling.

If we design a product to have a long lifetime, we also need to take customer preferences into account. Until recently, there were drivers to replace products simply because they look a little old and tired. But much greater awareness of environmental issues has encouraged customers to continue to use well-liked older products until they fail, and to consider repairing them to enhance their useful life. Whatever nature can create, nature can also degrade. So, if we consider replacing a synthetic plastic with a natural material, then it may be biodegradable under the conditions of use and so it may fail in new and unexpected ways.

Mechanical performance testing is always a good place to start. As well as testing the finished product, additional trials on small pieces, or “coupons”, of the component materials will highlight any changes in properties after environmental aging. For many regulated applications, such as medical, food packaging or toys, there are specific mandatory tests, for example measuring levels of extractable or leachable materials. But in a novel design it’s often other, non-mandated tests that show up how a particular product might fail. It’s then the responsibility of the designer to investigate and mitigate the possible failure modes in a new product. Key tests will show up early signs of wear, damage or other aging and it may not be necessary to test the item to destruction.

Taking it outside

If a product is to be used outdoors or at high or low temperatures, the risk of failure must be checked over a wide range of conditions. Artificial weathering environments with water spray and UV light mean we can quickly predict the impact of many years of outdoor exposure. As well as possible changes in mechanical performance, the stability of color and other aspects of appearance can also be tested. For example, we expect the paint on a car to begin to degrade only after many years.

Specific environments will put additional stresses on some types of materials. The salt in a marine environment or the sand in a desert may cause wear much more quickly. Beneath the hood of a gas-powered vehicle, the components will be exposed to high temperatures and oil, fuel, and other fluids. Materials used in aircraft, high voltage systems and nuclear power stations also need to perform reliably in very specific ways.

Standing the test of time

Long-term subtle changes can be difficult to detect. For example, many plastics undergo creep when subjected to loads and specialized test regimes are needed to detect when substitution with a stiffer material is necessary. Exposure to fluids can also cause long-term changes, particularly when plastics slowly absorb the fluid and become softened and distorted.

If a product is designed to last for decades, for example if it’s installed within a building, then we need to carry out accelerated aging evaluation to test how its properties will perform over this period. One response is to apply the rule that the rates of chemical changes increase with temperature in a predictable, mathematical way.

By storing samples in ovens at a range of elevated temperatures and testing them periodically, we can build a picture of how the same material will perform over decades at room temperature. This methodology is often termed the Arrhenius approach. For example, it may allow us to predict behavior after 10 years at 20°C in only around six months, by accelerating the testing at 60°C. We can even immerse the accelerated test samples in fluids if we want to simulate use in wet conditions, for example in food or beverage applications.

A route through the maze

With appropriate experience in design, material selection and evaluation, it’s possible to devise a new product and to put together a suitable test plan. The data generated can be applied to provide confidence that a new design or a change of material will lead to a product with a long lifetime. After all, when we like a pair of shoes, we want them to wear out slowly, and there’s no reason why the same can’t apply to our favorite products.

What next for events in the world of COVID-19?

February 11th 2021

Ana Romero

The impact of the pandemic has dramatically shaken up the world of conferences and events. Ana Romero, Digital Marketer and Events Coordinator at Cambridge Design Partnership, looks back over a tumultuous year and asks, “what next”?

Here we are, almost exactly a year ago. This is Pharmapack, in Paris. The two-day event was attended by 5,500 delegates and more than 400 exhibitors, and just look at the optimism on our faces! We don’t know it yet, but this is the last physical event we’ll attend before the pandemic descends, forcing us into our spare rooms and at the mercy of Teams, Zoom, and an emerging world of digital-only events.

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CDP team at Pharmapack in Paris, February 2020. Left to right; Jon Powell, Senior Consultant, Ana Romero, Digital Marketer and Events Coordinator, Martha Hodgson, Market and Design Insights Research Consultant, and Uri Baruch, Partner and Head of Drug Delivery

Welcome to chaos

A month later, in March 2020, the events world was in chaos and turmoil. I was busy contacting the organizers of each event we were planning to attend, checking their websites for updates, following the news and, arranging refunds for cancelled conferences.

Many conference organizers simply announced that they would be cancelling their 2020 offering and would be back in 2021. But others tried to offer a virtual experience. The idea of going online came as a relief to us here at CDP – as we were just as keen as before to share our expertise, to network with our peers, and meet tomorrow’s clients.

However, the transition to digital has been challenging, especially for event organizers dramatically adapting their business model and event delivery in a matter of weeks.

Forget the plan; it’s time to adapt.

So what have we learned? The most immediate learning for us at CDP has been that a good virtual conference is made by enabling the sort of interactions which make a physical conference so valuable. Can you get talking with someone who is visiting the event, develop them into a contact and then, hopefully, a client?

The first virtual conference we attended didn’t work at all. We couldn’t network with other companies, to reach the people we wanted or to strike up any sort of rapport with other attendees. A low bar had been set.

However, in only a few months, I’ve seen many improvements in the different platforms used and some real successes so far. Several virtual conferences we’ve attended during the pandemic have offered far better ways to connect and market to delegates. For example, some platforms allowed us to see and filter the delegate list (by name, role, and company name) and to request a one-to-one meeting with that person. In addition, the ability to watch presentations on demand made it easier to book a video conference during a session slot and later go and watch what we missed, something that wouldn’t have been possible in a real-life event.

Virtual conferences have crystallized how important it is to have your material in a digital and interactive format. We’ve learned to have just enough collateral in the digital booth to initiate a conversation. In a virtual exhibition, it’s easier to visit a virtual booth and fill your virtual goodie bag with all of the marketing collateral with just a click. This also has the risk of someone (including competitors) downloading your collateral and leaving the booth without saying a word. While this wouldn’t normally happen in a physical event it’s not hugely problematic: our materials can be seen by anyone.

One downside is that international events may not be particularly international: if an event is taking place on UK time and you want people from around the globe to virtually attend, you’ll find it’s tricky to enable conversations between members that are located in the US or Asia, due to the time differences. We’ve noticed this effect in the events we’ve taken part in.

We don’t expect face-to-face events to return properly in 2021. While many events companies are talking a confident game that plans for face-to-face before the year is out, most are adding other options to their virtual offerings. Think here of webinars, roundtables, and other additions that tend to suggest the new world is becoming “baked in”.

The post-COVID future

With all this virtual activity and conferencing ability we might ask, will the world ever go back to face-to-face conferences?

My feeling is that the leap to digital is a permanent one, but that physical conferences are far from finished. There are some significant downsides to virtual interaction that cannot easily be overcome. The first is the nature of the experience itself. If you travel to a conference and attend for two or three days, you are committed. You have spent time and money to get there, and as a result, you give it all your attention and energy, which makes the whole process more immersive. By contrast, a digital conference that you attend from your office or your home will struggle to capture your focus in the same way. You are so much more likely to be reading emails, on the phone, or being interrupted by your kids.

The very fact that it is so effortless to attend a digital conference can make it a less valued experience. If you “bump into” a delegate virtually, by messaging them through the conference’s contact system, it is far easier for them to ignore you. However, if you meet them at a real-life event, your chances of striking up a fruitful conversation are far stronger. Perhaps this is a good thing, forcing us to be on top of our game, offering nothing but compelling content and conversations. Although the process of tracking down attendees at a virtual conference is now quite slick, there’s nothing quite like meeting someone face-to-face and all of the non-verbal communication that goes into those meetings. It’s much harder to entertain clients and to build up goodwill online.

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Ben Strutt, Partner and Head of Design and Front-end Innovation, speaking with Max Angelov from the CDP offices in Cambridge ahead of presenting at last year’s virtual Global Innovation Forum, November 2020.

A crucial part of why we here at CDP value the opportunities offered by real-life conferences is that they give us the chance to develop and share our thought leadership. The events themselves are part of our learning, and giving presentations or taking part in discussions help to raise our profile in our key markets. The fact that a virtual conference presentation will often remain online for several months extends our reach significantly. We can also access information which shows who has been watching and, where it’s relevant and data protection allows, we can reach out to them afterwards to continue the conversation. This is a definite advantage of virtual events.

But when it comes to displaying our physical work, we want to show off what we create and allow booth visitors to interact with a connected inhaler, an innovative food packaging concept or any other product development. It’s hard to replicate the tactile experience of a real-life display of products that can be picked up and examined and where a visitor can ask questions of the development team.

All of this suggests that we’re headed for a future of hybrid physical and digital events. There will be real-life events, but some digital tools, such as one-to-one video meetings, digital roundtables, and others currently being explored will stay. Physical and remote attendees will be offered far more connectivity and interaction with other attendees than ever before.

In the meantime, as we press through the pandemic and emerge on the other side, it’s crucial to be creative and make use of the technology that allows us to connect virtually. It’s fair to say that virtual events are not yet providing the full benefits of a real-life gathering. But we are where we are and it’s in all our interests to work with digital alternatives so that we can keep doing business, one way or another. Whether it’s physical or digital, I’ll see you there.

Blockchain in real-world applications. It’s not just about cryptocurrency.

December 18th 2020

James Baker

Blockchain technology has been commonly used and popularised by Bitcoin. However, the original concept was simply to create a chain of data blocks that were robust of themselves, containing data within themselves to prove the integrity of the collected information. First seen in the 1990s, it is thought to be the earliest use of what became the blockchain concept to secure lists of information, using a combination of cryptographic algorithms and networks of data hashes. In this blog, James Baker from CDP explores other blockchain applications beyond Bitcoin.

How blockchain works

In a blockchain, each block contains an item of information – for example a certificate, an amount of money or a record of an event – and the identity of what or who this data relates to. The data in the block is encrypted. A hash is also calculated for each block, where a hash is a summary number of fixed length that can be reliably calculated from the block contents, but cannot be backwards calculated to determine those contents. The hash can be examined to determine if the contents have been changed, without knowing what the contents are. Each block also contains the hash from the previous block. This is what forms the blockchain, allowing it to be extended with new entries whilst maintaining its integrity. Each new block contains a hash of the previous iteration of the chain, providing a history of what came before. Often, it is called the ‘public ledger’ of records and provides a verifiable list of events within the chain of information. The sequence of hashes easily shows if any block within the chain is changed or tampered with.

In 2008, blockchain technology hit the limelight, driven by a virtual currency built as an application using the technology. It became known as Bitcoin, but there are now many different virtual currencies available. The architect behind this is known as Satoshi Nakamoto. It’s not clear if this is a real person, a pseudonym, or a collaborative group.

Blockchain is designed to be open, public and distributed, so is ideal to address the challenge of digital trust. The information and process is available and can be authenticated without reference to other sources. It is open to inspection by all, meaning that trust in blockchain is not trust in a single entity or organisation. This is the foundation that enables blockchain to add value in numerous applications, providing an economical and verifiable tool for identity, authentication, records, or duplication which would have been challenging to deploy with traditional approaches. The ultimate promise is to change how business is conducted, guaranteeing digital trust while cutting out many incumbents in the value chain.

At CDP, we see a wide variety of applications where we believe blockchain can help add value, for example:

Traceability throughout supply chains

This challenge exists in numerous markets. In food supply, connecting and verifying foodstuffs as they move between producers, suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers is the gold standard for traceability. We want to know where all the ingredients in our dinner come from, how they got here, and how old they are. The same challenge exists in all supply chains. Where did these components come from, and are they legitimate? Blockchain is providing traceability and transparency for everything from automotive spares to computer parts, from pharmaceuticals to diamonds. It’s a digital certificate for each item, with an unalterable record of events associated with each item.

Healthcare

Blockchain can support a wide range of healthcare applications, including management of clinical trial data, storage of insurance information and the handling of sensor data in remote monitoring applications. One particularly promising application is in medical records, where blockchain has the potential to allow patients to truly own and control access to their medical records, enabling instant updates and improving access to services as and when required. Modern delivery systems are increasingly becoming connected, so one day they could also update your medical record directly and in real time. When patients truly own and have immediate access to a detailed record of their health and related actions, they can take better control of their conditions and treatments. Blockchain is a building block for digital healthcare and can contribute to the goal of proactive wellness rather than reactive healthcare.

Contracts

Blockchain provides a great tool for authenticating contracts. Can we use it to get rid of lawyers? Maybe not. Once again, it is a digital certificate and a record of interactions between individuals or entities. So called Smart Contracts can be used to ensure that an agreement between parties will deliver what is agreed if the terms are met, as the contractual terms are written, or scripted, in software, which simply executes. We expect blockchain to be used in everything from employment contracts to rental agreements and beyond. One application we haven’t seen yet, for another type of contract, is blockchain marriage certificates. A scary thought: Digital weddings. Drunken Vegas weddings worldwide by app…

Trading

Blockchain can open up numerous trading markets, providing the means to eliminate some of the services traditionally offered by banking institutions. For example, blockchain can streamline ‘Know Your Customer’ verification and speed up trade settlements. But it’s not just about money – Blockchain can underpin the trading of any commodity. A poster child for this is renewable energy trading, seeking to take control away from the energy companies and allow direct trading between micro-producers, such as homeowners. We’ve described blockchain as a ‘public ledger’, and trading, which depends on robust recording of transaction agreements, is an ideal blockchain application.

Circular economy

There is considerable focus on the concepts of recycling, re-use, and the circular economy, as the world struggles to balance consumption with sustainability, and the need to reduce carbon emissions. Blockchain can provide a means to identify and authenticate products and parts through a digital identity and record of actions, and therefore can be a fundamental building block for circularity of use, both for direct re-use of products and for recycling of parts rather than just materials. Think here of reusable phone chargers and packaging. By proving a product’s origins in a transparent ledger we can begin to build the consumer trust that will be vital to behaviour change. With trust and provenance established, circular purchases and behaviours can be rewarded. Going further, blockchain can be used to ‘tokenise’ natural resources, such as trees, fish stocks or oil reserves, giving them a digital identity that can be properly valued and traded.

The time is now

It’s clear then that blockchain is moving out from under Bitcoin, becoming another tool in the innovation arsenal. If there is an aspect of your business that could benefit from traceability, authentication, logging of events, or public verification of information, then blockchain could be one of the technologies we deploy to ensure efficient operations in tomorrow’s global marketplace.

CDP on inhalation trends and what we learned at DDL2020

December 17th 2020

We’re living in an ever more virtual world. The rate of adoption and adaptation of technologies enabling remote connections and interactions has surpassed even the most optimistic predictions. An example of this is the annual Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) conference, hosted by The Aerosol Society, that a group of CDP colleagues attended last week. Usually held in Edinburgh, this year it was a virtual event. With the content available as a live stream and on demand and virtual booths providing instant access to downloadable material, this approach facilitated a wider reach and more flexibility for attendees seeking to learn about advances in the industry.

The first day highlighted the move to more sustainable lifecycles of products and how this must be balanced with effective drug delivery. With 630 million pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) being produced each year and low rates of recycling, even small changes could have a big impact; whether by moving towards biobased polyolefin materials, inclusion of foaming agents to reduce the mass of plastic, or changes to another dosage form. This mirrors the trends that CDP has seen from our clients and the complex nature of plastic sustainability, discussed here by our colleague Dan. It was great to see the different approaches and how we are tackling this as an industry, making many small improvements that can add up to a significant change.

The second day went deep into specific formulations for targeted therapies. It’s always great to hear so many passionate scientists talk about their work and the benefit that it can have for patients. The biggest insight for us is how a deep and seemingly narrow investigation into a specific area can provide inspiration for unrelated therapies; the pharmacodynamic challenges of formulating an inhaled form of a parenterally administered product, engineering of particle sizes through spray drying, and the visualisation of drug particle distribution. Working across different sectors, this is the approach taken by CDP’s science team in projects such as determining the factors influencing vapour droplet size and technology scouting for novel delivery therapies. We were particularly excited to hear how advances in X-ray microscopy (XRM) are enabling the visualisation of active pharmaceutical ingredient distribution in pharmaceutical blends, giving real-life validation to predictive models of distribution and behaviour.

During the final day, the focus shifted to advances in delivery devices and challenges to the limits of their operation. Despite being widely used for over 60 years, studies show that over 70% of MDI users do not use the device as intended – so clearly there’s room for improvement. Whether the resolution is an adaption of the current MDI devices or switching to dry powder inhalers (DPIs) remains to be seen. With a step change in technology adoption this year, there is certainly a place for digital and connected solutions but as the final discussion group highlighted, in order to provide value from the digital advances the underlying technology needs to be robust.

CDP’s multidisciplinary, cross functional teams are here to help with your project needs. For more information, contact drug.delivery@cambridge-design.com

Women in innovation: Design & Research

December 16th 2020

Women play a crucial role in innovation and business success at CDP. We’re proud of the critical contribution made by our women colleagues, who lead in diverse areas of innovation including design, research, science, technology, engineering and human factors.

In this first interview of Women in Innovation series, we talked to four of our leaders working in the design and research field. Thanks to Nicki, Martha, Millie and Clodagh for sharing their stories.

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Nicki Sutton | Senior Innovation Consultant

My primary role is generating insights for innovation and design through immersive and exploratory research. That insight or opportunity specification forms the basis for early-stage concept generation and it’s always important for the researchers to be in the room when that happens. It means they represent the users, customers or wider stakeholders and ensure that their needs are being translated correctly into design and design attributes.

Does being a female researcher give you different perspectives from a male researcher in the same position?

Honestly, and speaking just personally, I don’t think so. I believe any good researcher should be able to cross divides such as gender, age, culture, etc., to empathize with the challenges that individual groups can face. Of course, some subject matters are quite gender based, where one gender may have a very different experience from the other, or not have the experience all! For example, at CDP, we’ve worked on condoms, sex toys, body hair removal and femcare, however we’ve always had mixed gender teams on those projects. Perhaps the women were a little further up the experience curve on some of the insight, but I don’t think the guys were held back!

Have any female mentors supported you through your career?

Not really. My university courses and the companies I’ve worked for during most of my career have been mainly male dominated environments. Since joining CDP I’ve been among the most senior women employee-owners and so there has not really been much scope for female mentorship. However, I do get inspired by the work of other women in the company – in the ‘front end innovation’ team and the wider organization. I see some of the younger women – researchers, strategists, designers, engineers – and I’m in awe of their sheer talent and confidence! I definitely think that our education system, at both school/college and university level, better prepares you for life in the commercial world compared to when I was passing through it!

Do you have any design heroes that you look up to?

As someone who sits at the insight end of design, I couldn’t possibly answer this question without mentioning Clay Christensen; the founding father of disruptive innovation and Jobs to be Done (JTBD). Indirectly, he has been as influential on my career as anyone. JTBD has been at the center of my work for the last 13 years. It’s now a mainstream innovation perspective, but it was still in its relative infancy when I was introduced to it. Focusing on the jobs that people want to get done in their lives as the input to design and innovation seems very obvious now, but when jobs thinking arrived, we lived in a very product-centric research world. Companies believed that users and consumers were too difficult to understand – saying one thing and doing another – so they just didn’t bother with research or research was ‘market research’ into products already launched. Today we live in a different world of design and innovation. One in which jobs, not products, are the driving force of progress.

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Martha Hodgson | Market & Design Insights Research Consultant

My passion is design research: gaining an in-depth understanding of the stakeholder, whether that’s the end user, the commercial sponsor or the key decision maker who sits within a supply chain. Uncovering and understanding unmet needs are at the heart of creating meaningful and effective innovation.

Does being a female designer give you different perspectives from a male designer in the same position?

Being a female can help in understanding some specific contexts -for example, femcare– but I believe what makes a good design researcher is your ability to semi-detach yourself personally and empathize with the context and end-user audience that you are designing for.

Do you think being female has any relevance to how you approach your work?

I think I approach design differently to any other women or men because of the unique journey I have taken to get to where I am today. My approach at work is shaped by my empathy and my understanding of others. I also believe that starting my career as a designer has shaped the innovator I am today and enables me to help improve lives through innovation. It provided me with a way of looking at the world, asking the right questions, interpreting what I see and hear, and making new connections that have led to uncovering new opportunities. It is the combination of characteristics, values, skills and capabilities that is each of our differentiators.

Have any female mentors supported you through your career?

Yes, I’ve had incredible women mentors, and at the same time, I’ve also had excellent men mentors. I consider myself very lucky to have different role models throughout my life and career, and there have always been strong female leaders in the places where I have worked.

Do you have any design heroes that you look up to?

No ‘heroes’ as such! I admire many examples of achievement in many forms where someone has been driven by passion, gumption, determination and a lot of hard work! I follow a group called The Female Lead on LinkedIn, which I find very inspirational – it showcases and celebrates female success, and the many forms it can take.

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Millie Ashton | Industrial Designer

Ever since I was a small child I’ve had a passion for design – I’ve spent many hours designing Lego houses, ceramic animals and 3D printed plant pots to name a few examples. Being able to turn a nebulous idea into a tangible 3D object never fails to excite me, and the fact that I’ve been able to pursue a career in it makes me feel extremely lucky. I’m grateful that my role provides me with the opportunity to help people and bring joy to them through my designs. There’s great satisfaction in creating solutions that have the potential to improve people’s everyday lives.

Does being a female designer give you different perspectives from a male designer in the same position?

I’d like to think that there aren’t many disparities between men and women in our perspectives or design approach. However, it’s difficult to deny that being a woman means you naturally have a perspective that just over half the world’s population doesn’t have – this is invaluable and allows me to use that empathy to tackle problem solving. We take pride in creating design that is centered around user insight, which is key to producing a successful solution for all gender identities. As a woman, I can come up with ideas and new ways of thinking that my male counterparts may not have, and challenge society’s norm of designing for the average adult male.

Do you think being female has any relevance to how you approach your work?

Yes, at CDP I always try to bring a fresh mindset and perspective to problems. As one of the youngest designers in the design team, I enjoy challenging and questioning design norms, as well as keeping a finger on the latest product trends. As the only female member of the Industrial Design team, I try to bring female insight into the products we design and ensure we’ve considered how other genders might use the product differently. I also feel it’s essential to design for future generations, considering how a product’s life cycle will impact the planet in years to come.

Have any female mentors supported you through your career?

Throughout my education and career, many of my peers and lecturers have been male. I didn’t have a female mentor at university, but I wish there had been more female role models to look up to. It has been refreshing at CDP to witness more women joining the company and being promoted into senior positions and hopefully female mentorship in design is something that will continue to be improved upon in time, as more women take up roles in the design industry.

What would you want to say to the design industry or anyone thinking of working in design?

My biggest tip would be this: don’t be afraid of failure or rejection. What you may think is a stupid or crazy idea might turn out to be ingenious. If you love designing things, don’t let self-doubt get in your way – passion often leads to success, and saying yes to new opportunities is vital when starting out. Never stop learning or assume you know everything, and ensure you get as much design related work experience or internships as you can, to figure out your niche.

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Clodagh Hogan | Human Factors and Usability Engineer

My background is in pharmaceutical chemistry, but I moved into the medical device design world so that I could bring my hands-on design skills and scientific background to people-centered design. I’ve always loved being able to turn an idea into a physical object and working in design allows you to be creative every day.

Does being a female designer give you different perspectives from a male designer in the same position?

No. How I approach a design challenge is based on my mindset, creativity, experience and style of problem solving. I work with multiple designers and we all have different perspectives and different skillsets, but this is down to the fact we are different people, not that we are different genders. If men were asked to list the benefits of being a man in design, it wouldn’t be something that I’d want to read and I’d take it as a negative dig towards women. I believe in equality, which means we must recognize that different people have different skills and that gender doesn’t really play a role in it at all.

Based on your experience, what are the top challenges you have faced as a woman working in innovation?

The biggest challenge I face as a woman in innovation is this assumption that I face challenges because I am a woman. I am lucky to be at an early stage in my career while things are actively changing, and it will only get better as time goes on, but change cannot happen overnight. In the near future, I hope that questions like this are no longer asked because we will be living in a world where people no longer assume that women face challenges just because they are women.

Do you have any design heroes that you look up to?

I don’t have any one specific design hero, but there are many graphic designers, illustrators, typographers, UX designers and product designers that I spend a lot of my spare time following and getting both motivation and inspiration from.

What would you say to the design industry and future woman and men that would like to work in design?

I would say that if you are interested in design, then pursue it and don’t let whether you are male or female get in your way. If you are a woman starting out, you will see that there is an imbalance. More women are taking up careers and education in design and STEM now, but it will take time for there to be balance. Know that you are starting your career during an exciting shift and that you are part of this important movement.

We hope to use these ideas and perspectives to inspire other women and girls to pursue a career in design and innovation. Our women designers add enormous value to our projects and team, and we believe it’s essential to celebrate this diversity. In our next blog we’ll share more stories of Women in Innovation, here at CDP.

Six strategies that accelerated innovation in 2020

December 3rd 2020

In so many ways, 2020 has not been the easiest of years in which to do business. But nonetheless, design technology company Cambridge Design Partnership is taking on more staff, opening new offices and gaining blue chip clients. Here, founding partner Mike Cane reveals six strategies the firm is employing to accelerate their innovation programs in this most challenging of times.

1. Finding ways to work faster

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up many unforeseen challenges, it has also provided a pressing need to hone our innovation approach this year, writes Cambridge Design Partnership founding partner Mike Cane. Our specialist knowledge of medical tech and diagnostics has seen us taking on large-scale, fast track projects to help tackle the pandemic, both in diagnostics and treatment for the disease. We are also delighted to have undertaken a significant amount of pro-bono work during the crisis, working on everything from PPE to ventilators, to help support the NHS and defeat the virus. All of these projects had urgent timescales not normally associated with complex healthcare programs, which has meant we have had to organise ourselves differently.

This huge demand to accelerate development timescales, without compromising performance and safety, has led us to refine our procedures and approaches to allow us to deliver these projects on time.

2. Market knowledge

We plan to celebrate CDP’s 25th anniversary in 2021 by hiring our 250th employee owner. This consistent organic growth has been the result of our focus on three key industry markets where innovation is particularly important to our clients’ success. This has driven us to develop in-depth knowledge and expertise in our customers’ industries, which creates a more fertile environment in which to develop the very best possible products for them.

3. A holistic approach

Here at CDP we purposely take a holistic approach to our work, with the aim of providing an end-to-end service from a clean sheet to product launch and post-market support. While our clients often come to us when they are already at some point along the new product development journey, this perspective allows us to be aware of how the task at hand contributes to the overall success of their venture. This allows us to plan projects more effectively and to add value beyond our immediate role.

Some clients do come to us for the very first strategic discussions and market research. We can then take their ideas through design and testing right up to launch and manufacture. This seamless approach enables them to avoid the pitfalls that result from changing teams at key stages in the development process.

4. Building expertise

Over the years, we have built up a wide range of technical expertise and as a result we increasingly have teams with in-depth technical specialists, such as medical robotics engineers. As the scale of our business grows, we can offer our colleagues exciting opportunities to work at the cutting edge of technology with some of the world’s largest companies. At the core of what we do is science and engineering, so we are always keen to hear from mechanical engineers, electronic engineers and software engineers, particularly those with experience of working in the regulated medical sector. We also have opportunities for people with manufacturing expertise, as we now offer our clients short-run manufacture in our own labs, as well as the know-how to take new products right up to the point of market launch and transfer to high-volume manufacture.

5. Combining local with remote

Today, our largest geographic market is the US, with assignments carried out by both our team in Raleigh, North Carolina and also at our HQ in Cambridge. Making sure we have team members close by our clients helps make sure we work closely in partnership. Also, given the shortage of engineering talent in the UK, especially in software engineering, it’s useful to be able to recruit from two pools of talent. All this means that our American operation is more important to us than ever and, as a result, we’ve recently invested in a new and larger R&D facility in Raleigh.

6. Facilities, people and performance

As well as our new office in the US, we are also investing in a state-of-the-art new facility in the UK that will be ready next year. This will significantly expand and upgrade our laboratories and workshops, as well as providing specialist facilities such as state of the art market research infrastructure, multi-technology 3D printing, optics, power electronics and manufacturing process development labs.

Among the many reasons for CDP’s consistent innovation performance is, I believe, our strong Employee Ownership culture and our innovation focused management team. We are now coming up to three years into full employee ownership, meaning that every staff member, or Employee Owners as we call them, has a real voice and stake in CDP’s approach and success. Our senior management team is 12 partners, each working in a different sector of the business, all focused on optimising our innovation projects. Even as we have grown, we have maintained our belief in a flat hierarchy, with Employee Owners fully empowered to create great new products

In conclusion…

Here at CDP, by far the most important thing we do is to put the success of our clients’ innovation projects at the centre of our business development planning. This means as well as developing new products, we are also developing our organisation, facilities and processes to provide the best possible support to our customers throughout the whole innovation process, helping them to launch the most competitive new products. As 2020 draws to a close, we’re optimistically looking to the future.

The future is smaller, faster, cheaper… and more energy efficient

November 26th 2020

James Baker

Ed Shelton

Power electronics technology is enabling big advances in electric transportation and smart energy delivery, as well as playing an important role in meeting the ever-increasing demand for global connectivity and data storage. In this blog, we explore some of these opportunities and the up and coming technology solutions that are already revolutionizing the world.

Electric Vehicles are fast becoming mainstream. For example, Tesla has developed from a start-up to a company with significant production capability, and we can see dozens of new models entering the market helped by financial incentives and tax breaks aimed at reducing fossil fuel demand. Market analysis firm IHS Markit predicts over 300 electric car models will be available in the EU by 2025. Batteries, electronic drives and the charging infrastructure are the foundations of this revolution, facilitating a transition from energy delivered rapidly in liquid form, to the clean and convenient power conducted by copper wires. However, right now the UK electricity grid infrastructure, like many around the world, can’t cope with significant adoption of EVs. So it is likely that smarter grid solutions, enabled by power electronics will be needed to support this innovation.

Another major application of power electronics is renewable energy conversion, both in consumer and commercial applications. While cleaner energy is a longer-term play, governments around the world are investing and carbon emissions are being driven down; for example, the UK has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050, and is poised to bring forward a ban on new fossil fuel vehicles to 2030 from 2040 as a way to help speed up adoption.

Other demands on energy are growing fast as well. For example, the number of devices connected to the Internet is exponentially increasing each year as our desire to consume data, such as online streaming services continues to grow. This in turn drives networks, storage, bandwidth, and ultimately an increasing requirement for the electrical energy that powers these systems.

These applications all depend on power conversion or moving the electricity from one format to the next as the energy travels from generation to storage to point of use. To support this revolution, the electronic building blocks needed must become smaller, cheaper and more reliable, and most importantly, more energy efficient.

Advances in semiconductor technology such as new power switching devices based on Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) wafer materials offer faster and more energy efficient switching performance than ever before. These WBG devices are a crucial ingredient to achieving higher power densities and greater efficiency when compared to traditional Silicon-based power converters.

WBG devices can switch faster, run hotter, handle higher voltages, and are available in smaller foot-print packages. Cost is a critical factor at the moment, but for the right applications they can offer a step-change improvement in both overall system-level converter cost and efficiency; representing a significant breakthrough and enabling new and exciting end applications. In the longer term, as production volumes rise, WBG devices are expected to reach price parity with Silicon MOSFETs. For GaN on Silicon devices, perhaps cost parity will even be achieved with Silicon IGBTs, due to their common Silicon wafer processes and greater process simplicity for the GaN device. As an example, both Tesla and Toyota have already used Silicon Carbide semiconductors in the traction drive systems for their electric cars. These devices have also found application in the DC and AC power converters in both the off-board and on-board charging systems.

However, WBG devices are not a simple drop-in replacement for existing Silicon devices. They present significant implementation challenges, often resulting in performance that is far from optimal, or designs that prove unreliable and prone to failure. Engineers have passed through a learning curve with each new generation of Silicon switching device. WBG devices are a significant step in that evolutionary path and require even greater attention to circuit details; in particular, a good understanding of low inductance high current printed circuit board design.

Fully accessing the benefits of WBG devices requires significant detail engineering. What was once the realm of the power electronics engineer has now become a significant cross-functional challenge. The latest chip-scale packaging requires careful attention to thermal management that is a collaborative design between electrical and mechanical disciplines to create a multi-physics solution. Also, in these high-performance circuits, test and measurement present significant challenges as fast switching edges generate harmonic frequencies that are well into radio frequency engineering.

But the business opportunity is the potential to get a better product to the market and avoid getting left behind in an inevitably changing technology environment.

CDP has a specialist team of engineers who can create new products with energy conversion utilizing the latest WBG technologies, and get them to market rapidly. Using our core capabilities, technology building blocks and quality processes, we can help realize the promise of smaller, faster, cheaper…. and a more energy efficient future.

Dreaming big during COVID-19

November 16th 2020

Laura Sierra

Product designer Laura Sierra is working with Cambridge Design Partnership as part of the marketing team. Here, she reflects on what she learnt during an international design competition, the Dream Big Challenge.

Laura says: I’m an industrial product designer from Colombia, now specialising in marketing and communications for the design world. I’ve studied for a Masters degree in Science and Marketing at Anglia Ruskin University. This led to me working on a project here at CDP, communicating all the amazing and innovative work the company does to the wider world.

In 2015, I had a wonderful opportunity to join a team competing in the Dream Big Challenge. It’s an international design competition for youth teams and to my surprise and delight, our team won. The whole experience was life-changing. Usually, the challenge takes place in a vast hall in Barcelona, where teams have just three hours to come up with disruptive and exciting solutions to design challenges.

This year, I was scheduled to get involved again. But, of course, Covid-19 meant that the plan for hundreds of young international designers getting together was never going to happen. The contest is sponsored by the likes of Santander and Nike. Cancellation would have been a major disappointment to all concerned.

But instead of giving up on the competition altogether, the organisers moved it online. So we competed anyway, using communications technology such as Zoom, working against the clock. This year’s online event attracted 900 competitors from all over the world. More than 350 projects were submitted, making this last-minute switch online a huge success.

My team chose to focus on the field of Education, as several of us had a keen interest in this area. In our home country of Colombia, a substantial percentage of children are not able to go to school and are also unable to reach the internet. So they miss out on education entirely. Could we think of a way to reach them?

To our delight, our project, called Ekko, scooped the third prize in the Education category. Our project was based on the idea of reaching children in remote areas via SMS messaging and radio. We aimed the project at pupils from 12-18 upwards, who could follow a class on the radio and interact with teachers via SMS. Many families have access to phones and radios in Colombia but do not have computers or access to the internet. And, of course, this model has potential in so many countries around the world. In Colombia, 47.7% of the population (23 million people) do not have internet access in their homes.

I learned a lot from the hectic three-hour webinar in which our team designed this education programme. Much of what I learned is proving very useful in my other online collaborative work during the Covid-19 crisis. Here is what I discovered about teamwork when you’re all working remotely under lots of pressure:

1. Have the right tools

I soon realised that it is important to have the tools which allow you to migrate between online and offline with ease. Make sure you have digital tools, creative materials and can do (and share) fast sketching so that you can share ideas as seamlessly as possible. In the competition, colleagues were connected from other places, even in different time zones. Working remotely using tools like Zoom, Google Meetings and WhatsApp was possible but also very intense. There is no doubt that online events change human interaction and experience. It is essential to have the proper tools to hand, allowing creatives and entrepreneurs to develop their projects remotely in a flexible and stress-free way.

2. Find your common purpose

A common aim really helps an online project. If you have a clear reason why you’re undertaking the work, things will be much easier. In our competition there was a choice of five different sectors: Health, Sport, Education, Work and Sustainability. I worked with university professors Andres Rubiano and John Higuera. All of us are passionate about social innovation and wanted to change education, making it fun, free and interactive. This really helped our motivation when things didn’t go smoothly.

3. Creativity is key

Using your imagination in challenging times is more important than ever. An open mindset allows us to manage challenges. I truly think that each day is an opportunity to learn and design a better world. The key is to let our imagination fly, allowing it to create and to not panic about failing. This competition taught me that, even during a lockdown, working remotely, it was possible to connect online, study other projects, explore new ideas and connect with new people.

In conclusion: I’m delighted to say that our project, Ekko, is now in the throes of becoming a reality in Colombia. It looks as though those tumultuous three hours of intense activity could end up changing the lives of thousands of children for years ahead. That really is a good result, isn’t it?

Innovation visionaries and entrepreneurs converge for the Global Innovation Forum 10th anniversary, in an inaugural Virtual Edition

November 10th 2020

Over the last ten years, the Global Innovation Forum has built an enviable reputation for an annual assembly of some of the world’s most influential innovation leaders and creative business pioneers. Each year they share cross-sector insight, personal stories of success, and critically, the important lessons learnt through failure! In this milestone anniversary year, the organisers have responded to world events in true innovation style by pivoting, from the physical gathering in London, to going digital – in a live, fully immersive experience running from the 17 to 19 of November.

Combining streamed talks, virtual tours, digital workshops and 1-on-1 video meetings, three of our own innovation leaders, Ben Strutt, Chris Houghton and James Harmer, will be hosting a series of diverse talks with international personalities who have each broken new ground in their respective fields.

This year’s event theme “Bring back the fun”, could not be more appropriate, better timed, or more greatly needed as the world continues to adapt to widespread remote working and fewer face-to-face collaborations. Buzzing with a line-up of design and innovation leaders from companies including Google, Disney, P&G, Amazon, Unilever, Lego, IBM, Impossible Foods, Glaxo Smith Kline, Mondelez, plus world record breakers, and design legends, it promises to deliver a high-octane three day virtual event.

website_cdp-body_ben-strutt-head-of-design “In times of crisis, society repeatedly displays extraordinary resilience, capacity for adaption, and change. It is likely that 2020 will be remembered as a defining period in which bold steps were taken to reimagine the future, initiating years of mass technology and service progress, compressed into just months” commented Cambridge Design Partnership Director, Ben Strutt.

“While challenges lay ahead, there are so many reasons to be positive and inspired by the experiences of others, get connected (safely!) – and have fun – values that resonate strongly with our Employee Owner team”

For 25 years Cambridge Design Partnership’s integrated team of researchers, strategists, designers, engineers and scientists have worked in partnership with our clients across consumer, industrial and healthcare markets, on the toughest challenges – pushing technological and creative boundaries – to improve lives and create better experiences.

“This Virtual Edition of the GIF event will be an extraordinary opportunity, in an extraordinary time for a wider global audience than ever before to be inspired, and connect with like-minded innovators”.

Three of our senior innovation leaders will host six of the streamed discussions, and be available for further conversation throughout the event. We are also able to offer an exclusive discount code on delegate passes – please reach out to conferences@cambridge-design.com to find out more.

Meet our event moderators and the sessions they’ll be hosting, in this short video:

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“The peculiar Amazon approach to culture and innovation” with Eric Tachibana, Amazon Web Services. November 17th at 10:30 am

“Chasing perfect” with Frank Stephenson, Iconic Car Designer. November 18th at 10:00 am

“Overcoming obstacles, living in the moment and avoiding risky situations” with Kane Avellano- Adventurer, Entrepreneur & Guinness World Record Circumnavigator. November 19th at 13:10 pm

Tribute to the late Sir Ken Robinson, 1950-2020, prior to the broadcast of the most watched TED talk of all time, ‘Do schools kill creativity?’ November 19th at 12:40 pm

James Harmer

James leads insight and innovation projects for major food and beverage industry clients, with responsibility for ‘joining the dots’ between consumer needs, strategic opportunity, and breakthrough branded-packaging innovation. With a portfolio spanning more than 25 years of partnership with global FMCG companies, including Unilever, Nestle and PepsiCo, James has a strong focus on helping clients unlock innovation opportunity in a sustainable circular economy.

James commented “It’s an amazing privilege to speak to some of the world’s leading innovators across such a broad range of areas. I’m going to be exploring diverse topics from the carbon budget to the future of comics! Ken Lashley will be bringing a different perspective on how to integrate creativity into their work to inspire everyone and Gif. Whilst Rebekah Moses is sharing an incredible case study on ‘planet saving innovation’, addressing the future of food that will have everyone engaged and enthused”.

“Becoming one of the comics go-to cover artist” Ken Lashley, Marvel. November 18th at 13.50 pm

“Addressing climate change & sustainable food futures through plant-based meat” Rebekah Moses, Impossible Foods. November 19th at 13:50 pm

Chris Houghton

Chris is Head of FMCG at CDP, leading brand innovation & packaging design capabilities and is a Partner in the Business. He is a designer and strategic innovator with over 20 years of experience working with global brands to deliver new products and packaging. During his career has been entrusted by more than 100 brands – ranging from Cadbury and Coca-Cola to Lego and Reebok. Chris is delighted to be interviewing Ivy Ross, VP, Head of Design for all Hardware Products at Google.

“Google has grown at a phenomenal rate over the past 20 years, investing and acquiring a diverse portfolio of innovation assets, including artificial intelligence and machine learning. Expanding from software into hardware required a clear design vision which Ivy has orchestrated over the past seven years. Combining design and science, empathy and analysis, their hardware products boast a distinctive identity and have humanised technology within our increasing smart homes” reflected Chris.

“The intersection of Design and Science” with Ivy Ross, Google. November 17th at 15:30 pm

We hope you can join us at GIF, November 17^th-19^th to see the full agenda. For more information, you can contact us at conferences@cambridge-design.com