This service embeds Units as design leadership alongside your product and engineering team to drive concept decisions and ergonomics with a strong design voice. It is built for moments where the product is taking shape and tradeoffs need to be made fast, with clarity and evidence. Units aligns with product and engineering on the critical questions to resolve, such as handling, posture, workflow fit, interface logic, safety constraints, and manufacturability. We then lead the design of multiple concept directions and express them through the right level of prototypes, from physical mockups and 3D prints to mixed hardware and UI setups and clickable flows. Concepts are reviewed with your team and tested with end users, operators, or clinicians when relevant, typically across two to three rounds, to compare approaches and converge on what holds up in real scenarios. The outcome is a clear set of design decisions, a selected direction, and a refined concept that your team can engineer with confidence. Key deliverables include: (i) Concept Set (multiple directions with principles and tradeoffs); (ii) Decision and Test Readout (ergonomics findings, risks, recommendations); and (iii) Selected Direction Package (refined concept ready for engineering).
Daily rate: €1,000/day. Typical effort: 25-60 days depending on number of concepts, prototype depth, and test rounds. Estimated total: €25,000 - €60,000. Prototype fabrication and external testing costs are excluded unless agreed upfront.
This service is typically structured as 4-week phases, repeated as needed to explore concepts, prototype, and validate ergonomics. Most collaborations run 6 to 12 months, depending on the number of concepts, prototype depth, test scheduling, and engineering readiness. Deadlines are agreed at kick-off and updated at the start of each phase. This service does not replace regulatory or clinical trial activities and does not include grant writing, proposal drafting, or EU project management. Prototype fabrication and external testing costs are excluded unless agreed upfront.
Prototyping & PoC
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Is this the service you are looking for? If so, you can apply to the service through EIC ACCESS+! Eligible applicants can also get co-funding through the EIC ACCESS+ initiative. Find out more on the project webiste.
Receive up to €60,000 in grants, covering up to 50% of the costs, to access specialised services from the EIC Service Catalogue. Learn more on the EIC ACCESS+ website.