Problem
Persona is one of the largest projects Pearson Matthews has worked on, taking seven years from concept to launch. After Clearblue pregnancy tests were successfully launched Unipath came to us with just four words: urine, women, hormones and fertility. This turned into one of the most complex projects imaginable.
Process
During the course of this project we refined our use of design thinking within R&D, exploring the broad issues to indicate what decisions needed making before generating detailed concepts that showed solutions. Evolving this structured approach kept the project moving and ensured a highly complex breakthrough project got to market.
Solution
Clearly in a breakthrough project, Unipath needed answers where, when and how the device could be used. We worked through issues like user scenarios for this new form of contraception, displaying feedback to the user, design of a reliable low cost meter and investigating manufacturing methods that produced tests for a fraction of the price of Clearblue. Pearson Matthews were responsible for all design, development and manufacturing issues, with only some limited electronics activities being handled externally.
Benefit
Hundreds of issues could have tripped up this development programme yet it reached the market. Not only is Unipath now a world leader in fertility and contraception but Persona has been on sale consistently for over ten years with no significant change.