User needs are complex. Visting scholar and LUCA Product Design alumni, Beatrijs Van Hoof, a UX and Product Designer from Panton, designers for healthcare, came to Response_Able Futures to carry out a three-day workshop in Medical Device Development.

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The biggest takeaway? Medical Device Regulation (MDR) isn't a wall blocking creativity—it’s the ultimate design framework. ResFut students learned to stop viewing compliance as a hurdle and start seeing it as the structural foundation for safe, meaningful innovation. This philosophy flips the script, demanding that safety and risk mitigation are central to every design decision, ensuring the benefits of new technologies always outweigh the potential risks for patients. As one participant noted that this European approach feels less like ticking boxes and more like a continuous, collaborative conversation about safety and design from day one.

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The workshop provided hands-on experience and reflection on two essential aspects of healthcare design processes. They used the  Design Control Traceability Matrix (DCTM) and learned that this isn't just a spreadsheet, it’s the living document that tells the story of a product. It connects every feature, every design choice, back to a clear user need and a corresponding risk control measure. It’s the definitive rationale behind the "why." Next to this, students reflected on Verification vs. Validation. Verification checks if you built the product right (according to specs) while validation answers the truly crucial question: Did you build the right product—one that works effectively for the user/patient in the real world?

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The guiding principle for our students going forward is simple: First design the care process, then design the care solution.

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We are excited to see our ResFut designers gaining this essential, sophisticated understanding of how systematic design and deep empathy must coexist to create truly impactful healthcare solutions.

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A big thank you to Beatrijs for sharing this high-value industry experience and expertise.