RGi worked in close collaboration with NHSBT to design a specification for a range of products and elements which go to make up a mobile blood donation session.
We carried out design observation sessions, studying the process from storage, transport and session set up, typically in a community centre or sports hall, through to greeting and information collection of the donors, through the blood and plasma collection process itself, and on to the donor care and the all important tea and a biscuit. Following this the efficient dismantling of the session, involving around 12 chair systems, collected and packed along with ancillary equipment onto the vans in purpose designed trolleys. Care for the donors and their comfort throughout the session was a priority, resulting in a whole new system including reclining, stackable donor chairs, trollyes and privacy screens.
During the information gathering and checking session on arrival, privacy was identified as key, as personal and medical details are discussed. A new means of screening the donor and nurse from the rest of the room was explored. Wide ranging concepts led to a set of specifications for a new design of portable screen set to be produced.
The new screen design and materials were selected to be sound absorbing, sufficient to provide a high degree of confidentiality/speech privacy when used for health screening purposes. The screens had to be light weight, handleable by one person, modular in size, robust and repairable.. They needed to be easy to clean and to carry the NHSBT and devolved regional branding.
RGi went through stages of design, rapid prototyping and testing with several of the regional teams, arriving at a designed solution and specification. A tender to supply was issued and the resulting screen set has been manufactured and supplied to the regions of the UK, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, each with their own variation of branding.
