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MAGEN
Saving lives through performance enhancing equipment / Medic Backpacks + BP jacket.
Context
Deliverables
Magen was developed as an independent research and development project undertaken by two Industrial Designers from RISD. A member of the team had prior experience serving with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Working alongside combat medics and soldiers in the field, the need for dedicated medical equipment became apparent. This experience combined with a passion to solve problems through design lead the team to develop Magen to help enhance performance and shave critical time off rescue efforts.
User Research
Product Development
Rapid Prototyping
Small Scale manufacturing
Industry Collaboration
Samsonite Corporation
Outcome
MAGEN, the Hebrew word for 'shield', is a line of products aimed at saving lives through performance enhancing equipment. The two backpacks and the protective vest, Mantaray, Electricray and Stingray, are designed to streamline medical rescue operations in both combat and civilian scenarios using novel inbuild features and unique designs.
Achievements
Process Overview
The team behind Magen worked in collaboration with the RISD Department of Public Saftey to identify user needs derived from officers backgrounds coming from the military as well as law enforcement. Key insights from them drove our ideation and concept development process behind the product line. The product manufacturing and viability process were aided by the product design as well as the prototyping team at Samsonite.
My Role
The team shared common responsibilities of user research and analysis as well as concept development at every stage. My specific responsibilities included rapid prototyping at the initial stage as well as the final manufacturing of the Backpacks.
Process
Mind Mapping
Problem Identification
The team collected insights by surveying individuals with military, law enforcement and medic/para-medical backgrounds. Understanding their current equipment, its shortfalls and scope for improvements. Two distinct groups ie. EMTs and Military medics were identified as primary users, in the case of military medics, a secondary need for removal of the Bulletproof jacket worn by the soldiers was also an opportunity to aid their process of rescue.
Users
User Needs
Understanding the user and their needs were at the core of our concept development process. Through an in-depth user research phase, talking to individuals from different backgrounds we were able to identify the following critical needs.
Opportunities
Identifying problems enabled us to gauge opportunities for equipment which can enhance the performance of the emergency medical professional be it civilian or military.
Users needs
Equipment Mock-ups
Backpacks
Bulletproof Jacket
Keeping the users defined needs in mind, our goal was to design a modular, lightweight backpack which could greatly enhance the performance of medics.
Key Features
Focusing on the significant pain points, user feedback from the ideation phase as well as defining opportunities we were able to narrow down the product line. The MAGEN line is composed of two modular backpacks, with a similar design but differentiated by the core functioning component ie. a deployable shield for EMTs and a weight distribution, suspension system for the combat medics. A bulletproof vest with a rapid release system was also designed for front line soldiers.
EMT Backpack
Deployable Ballistic Shield
Stabilization / First Aid Kit
Support Waist Strap
Combat Medic Backpack
Back Support
Suspension system
Combat Solider BP Jacket
Quick-release buckles
Lateral Support Strap
Tactile removal handles
User Testing
User testing and feedback were at the core of our product development process. Key features such as duel access Zip as well as adjustable shoulder straps were derived during such processes.
MAGEN Product line
The MAGEN line of performance-enhancing equipment is composed of StingRay, medical backpack with a deployable shield for EMTs, MantaRay, medical backpack with a suspension system for Combat Medics and ElectricRay, a redesigned bulletproof jacket with a rapid removal system.
StingRay
Stingray, a modular EMT medical bag, is designed with a concealed rapidly deployable ballistic shield for high-risk situations. Keeping in mind the mission and the movement of the EMTs, the Stingray enables maximum functionality and protection without compromising the essential task of providing aid.
Mantaray is a user-friendly integrated medical kit bag which works seamlessly with existing equipment worn by Combat medics. It relies on a conceptual shock-absorbing mechanism, similar to the one used in vehicle suspension systems, to reduce the weight of the bag for the user.
MantaRay
ElectricRay
For the benefit of the soldier as well as combat medics, the rapid removal bulletproof vest, Electricray, allows the medics to work quickly and effectively without risking destabilization.Electricray can streamline the entire process, shaving off minutes from the rescue mission which can greatly impact the lives of the soldiers injured in the field.
Final Thoughts
The MAGEN Line can revolutionize the way medical professionals operate in the field be it civilian EMTs or combat military medics. MAGEN ensure that medics have quicker access to all the equipment they need based on prioritized compartmentalization as well as dedicated features based on their areas of operations. Overall the goal is to enable them to perform to the best of their abilities and save lives in the process.
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