Clearside Medical
USING UX TO HELP USERS SEE A PRODUCT’S FULL POTENTIAL
Getting ophthalmologists to adopt a revolutionary new microinjector required more than just a great product. It took a seamless user experience, too.
Seeing Your Product Through to the Top
A startup in the field of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, Clearside Biomedical knows a lot about eye health. However, after developing a revolutionary SCS™ (suprachoroidal space) Microinjector, the company still faced an uphill battle securing financing, FDA trials, and adoptees in the exam room. THRIVE addressed unforeseen user experience issues to push Clearside’s product to the forefront.
Understanding the Barriers to Product Adoption
Clearside’s innovative microinjector administers drugs to the posterior segment of the eye to treat diseases like uveitis, retinal vein occlusion and wet age-related macular, with less pain. It’s a serious advancement. But as we discovered, ophthalmic procedures are extremely efficient, well-oiled machines. Introducing anything new, no matter how revolutionary, can upset the balance in the exam room and kill a new product’s chances. Thus, Clearside would need to address the human side of their product, not just the technical aspects to create a compelling user experience and the momentum for change.
Seeing Inside and Beyond the Exam Room
Studying the product in practice, we found that the whole procedure involving Clearside’s SCS™ Microinjector lasted only two minutes, from the time the doctor entered the room to when they shut the door on their way out. Since usability requirements rule the day here, performance was already up to par. What was lacking was a clear value-add for the rest of the team: everyone from administrators to nurses.
Extending the Human Element
The process opened Clearside’s eyes to human factors they didn’t expect, everything from the way the device is acquired by the office to the way it is set up and reimbursed. THRIVE used this data to define an ideal user experience (IUX) framework, then built out experience principles on two levels: the first generation of product design, and the user experience journey for all stakeholders.
Forging New Partnerships
Our ability to help them see opportunity and define their IUX paid off: THRIVE’s work helped Clearside forge a new partnerships with pharmaceutical company Santen Inc. and led the SCS™ Microinjector into Phase 2 FDA clinical trials.
