KITT
AN AWARD-WINNING, LIFE SAVING, PRODUCT IDEA
MEDICAL DEVICE DESIGN
PROJECT BRIEF
KITT Medical was seeking a full-service UK product design company to help design and develop a life-saving product idea. 550 million people worldwide suffer from allergies, with one in five at risk of a fatal reaction known as anaphylaxis. KITT’s Co-founder and CEO, Zak Marks, is a severe allergy sufferer who had an idea for a ground-breaking emergency allergy kit to prevent avoidable deaths in schools and sought out our expert team to help.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
The Duku team delivered end-to-end product development and design services, from concept development to market. Due to the practical applications of the emergency product, it was more important than ever to conduct robust ‘real world’ testing to ensure proof of concept and optimise product functionality.
PRODUCT FEATURES
Colour-coded adrenaline pens: for fast and easy identification in an emergency
Simple-to-follow instructions: to empower untrained users to help in a crisis
Wall-mount: enabling accessibility in prominent and highly visible locations
Keys and emergency lock box: for added security
Bespoke software: Accredited CPD training, incident and medication tracking
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
KITT was developed with a focus on product safety and design for manufacture requirements
The concept development process began by establishing the key functionality and design criteria required for the project. We then developed user-friendly design features: designing the Anaphylaxis KITT with clearly colour-coded medications (2x 300mcg and 2x 150mcg adrenaline auto-injectors) and simple usage instructions. We also protected the intellectual property of the brand.
Utilising cost-effective computer-aided design (CAD), the Duku team was able to explore styling and size requirements. In-house 3D printers were used to quickly prototype the first concept, enabling Duku to evaluate the initial product design and refine it to improve functionality. A batch of high-quality CNC prototypes were then produced to implement into real-world product trials to gather user feedback.
Designed to be seen, the bright orange product branding is eye-catching and memorable; this serves the dual purpose of making the KITT highly visible in emergency situations and increasing product brand awareness.
A design for manufacture stage enabled Duku to refine injection moulding details such as surface textures and KITT brand colours. Duku manufactured the product, ensuring that every step in the manufacturing process ran smoothly, to budget and on time. We provided the client with transparent quotes, including accurate cost projections for the full manufacturing process, from set-up to shipping.
PROJECT OUTCOME
Duku and KITT successfully designed a product which could be wall-mounted in accessible locations around schools, meaning it would be readily available at the point of use during allergy-related emergencies. A bespoke staff key and emergency lock box was included to ensure that the product would not be damaged or tampered with. The final product is a user-friendly and effective medical device. It includes a subscription service with bespoke software to deliver ongoing CPD-accredited anaphylaxis training. The software also offers incident reporting and system management, showing the locations of KITT units and ensuring each is adequately stocked with in-date medications.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
Described as a ‘defibrillator for allergies’, the project won the 2022 Mayor’s Entrepreneur Award for its excellence. Since launching in 2023, KITT has been installed in over 500 UK schools and qualifying businesses, training has been rolled out to more than 12,000 staff members, and many lives have already been saved. KITT featured on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, ITV1 and Talk TV and received further recognition in print in The Times and The Independent news publications. It has been highly praised for its life-saving applications, comprehensive training programme, and simple, but effective design features.