DTC: A New Solution to Ostomy Patients

Dec 29, 2023

D T C

DTC (Design Thinking and Communication) is a two-quarter-long foundational course at Northwestern where engineering meets human need. In Q1, we designed a magnetic latch to help ostomy bag users with limited motor function. In Q2, we worked with Sophie, a young woman with cerebral palsy, to create an ergonomic cup handle, allowing her to drink independently.

D T C

Preface

DTC is one of those classes that hides a sucker punch under all its sticky notes and brainstorming sessions. You start off thinking it’s about sketches and prototypes. Then you realize it’s about people.

In the first quarter, we met ostomy patients who described the frustrating, daily ballet of managing a medical device with hands that didn’t always cooperate. So we built a magnetic latch—simple, clean, and forgiving of missed grasps.

In the second, we met Sophie. She had the strength to hold a cup and the willpower to try, but nothing on the market that made it possible. So we designed a handle that clipped onto any cup she wanted, in whatever position she needed. The first time she used it on her own, our entire team forgot how to talk.

DTC didn’t teach me how to make perfect things—it taught me how to make right things. Things that matter. Things that listen.