The unseen problem that most medical designs often fail to consider is social stigma. Stigma is why some people don’t like using their asthma inhaler in public, or why some kids often take their dental retainers off when they’re among friends. Stigma can often cause an effective medical design to fail because their patients seem reticent or feel awkward.
The Brace was designed to eliminate the stigma around wearing chest-braces. Designed for children with pectus carinatum, also known as pigeon chest (an affliction that affects 1 in 400 children, causing their rib-cage to protrude outwards), the Brace works as a compression apparatus that gradually compresses the chest-plate inwards, bringing it back in shape. Designed by UK-based PDR, the Brace treats the harness as less of a medical apparatus and more like something out of a superhero costume. Its slim profile allows it to fit discreetly under clothes, while the product’s form itself takes on a much more innovative, contemporary approach, with angular lines, novel materials, and fresh-looking colors!
The Brace is a winner of the iF Gold Design Award for the year 2020.
Designer: PDR for R&D Surgical Ltd.
