LABS EXAMINE BENEFITS OF DESIGN

Mention the word design and you’ll probably think of trendy gadgets, cars and expensive toys for the home. But what about the instruments you or your colleagues are using everyday? Have you noticed that products that might once have been ugly black boxes are starting to feature smooth, ergonomic lines and stylish colours? If you have, you may be wondering why there needs to be a design element for a product that is seemingly all about function. ?Until very recently design played little or no part the development of lab equipment, but we?re seeing more and more lab equipment companies coming to us wanting a design that will help them stand out from the competition,? says Bruce Hutchison of industrial design company DesignEdge: ?In the past, lab equipment was usually developed with little emphasis on ergonomics and aesthetics. Many products were made entirely of sheet metal and designed with limited understanding of manufacturing methods or user needs. This often led to products that worked well technically, but were big, ugly, expensive and didn?t work ergonomically ?