Brussels-based biopharmaceutical company UCB and its design partners have won a Red Dot Communication Design award for the packaging used for the rheumatoid arthritis drug Cimzia.
The annual Red Dot Design Awards recognise the best in product design, communication and design concepts. This year the Communication Design competition received more than 6,000 entries from 42 countries. Winners are evaluated according to degree of innovation, functionality and quality.
UCB worked with OXO Good Grips, a company dedicated to universal design, on the development of the Cimzia syringe and packaging components. OXO's long-time design partner, Smart Design, which has offices in New York, San Francisco and Barcelona, led the team in developing all the elements of the packaging.
Davin Stowell, ceo and founder of Smart Design, said: "The design team immersed themselves in the world of people who live with rheumatoid arthritis in order to understand their experience with limited dexterity. We developed a syringe and packaging components designed specifically for these patients. We aimed to make them feel more in control during the process of self-injection, more empowered, instead of reminding them of their illness."
The packaging includes a curved front panel that allows fingers to slide underneath and lift it open. Following three easy steps, the users are led through a straightforward process. The tray accommodates patients" dexterity limitations when removing the syringe.
As part of the packaging components, a step-by-step guide extracts key information from the full Patient Information Leaflet. The guide follows the same design as the box, and includes simple photography that aims to communicate the features of the syringe at a glance.
UCB, OXO and Smart Design will receive the award at a gala awards dinner in Essen, Germany on 9 December.