Emotional UX in Medical Device Design

Insights from World Usability Day 2024

November 16, 2024

In 2024, Smart Guard Technology participated in the Hungarian edition of World Usability Day, presenting on the role of emotional user experience in medical device design.

Medical device usability has traditionally focused on functionality—ensuring that systems are easy to operate and minimize user error. However, as devices increasingly move into everyday environments, this perspective is no longer sufficient. Users are often patients, not professionals, and their interaction with a device is influenced not only by instructions, but also by confidence, perception, and emotional state.

In wearable ECG systems, these factors have a direct impact on how consistently and correctly measurements are performed. If a device feels unclear or unreliable, users are less likely to engage with it over time, which can affect data quality and continuity.

The presentation highlighted the need to go beyond functional usability and consider how devices are experienced in real-world use. Emotional UX becomes part of the system’s overall design, influencing both user behavior and clinical relevance.

As wearable medical technologies become more integrated into daily life, understanding this connection is essential. Designing for real users in real situations is not only a usability challenge—it is a requirement for building reliable and effective medical systems.

https://www.saasco.hu/treningek/world-usability-day-egy-jobb-vilag-tervezese