We Listen Deeper
So the Interface Disappears
Behind every medical product is a critical moment when anxiety rises and users hesitate. We design for those moments, making the product clearer and easier to use when it matters most.
For 25+ years, we've worked alongside the clinicians, technicians, and lab scientists who use FDA-regulated medical interfaces under pressure. We know where anxiety peaks in surgical suites, ICUs, and cath labs, and how to translate user needs, spoken and unspoken, into workflows that let clinicians focus on their work, not the interface.
When you work with Areteworks, you work directly with senior practitioners. No layers between you and the design work. Decades of medical device experience, from scoping through delivery. It's why medical device companies choose us over larger consultancies.
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Trusted by medical device leaders since 2002
Trusted by medical device leaders since 2002
UX that Works-Clear impact.
Arterion® Contrast Injection System
In CT and MR imaging, contrast media must be delivered with precise timing and dose during a scan that can’t be paused. Drawing on decades of medical device experience, Areteworks translated radiologist and CT technologist workflow into an injection sequence that reduces use error — designing the touchscreen interface for Medrad’s Arterion system.
“Areteworks deeply understood our clinical goals and delivered a design that exceeded expectations. Their work brought the Arterion to life with an interface radiologists trust.”
— Director, Product Development, Medrad Radiology
HemoSphere Advanced Monitoring
In the cardiac ICU, clinicians read hemodynamic data on patients whose status can change in seconds. Drawing on decades of medical device experience, Areteworks translated clinician input into the visual hierarchy, data visualization, and alarm logic clinicians rely on under pressure — designing the interface for Edwards’ HemoSphere monitoring platform.
“Areteworks grasped our complex ICU workflows quickly and delivered an interface that enhanced data visibility without compromising usability. An outstanding design partner.”
– Edwards Lifesciences
COBE CARDIOVASCULAR
Cardiopulmonary bypass system that takes over the function of the heart and lungs during open-heart surgery — operated by perfusionists managing the patient’s circulation, oxygenation, and temperature throughout the procedure. Drawing on decades of medical device experience, Areteworks led the UX across the perfusion control system, translating the perfusionist’s workflow into a workstation that supports sustained attention across hours-long, life-critical procedures. In clinical use in cardiac centers internationally.
Testimonial
Areteworks understood what a perfusionist actually does. The console gave us situational awareness across every pump and parameter without making us hunt for what mattered. We could focus on the patient, not on operating the machine.”
— COBE Cardiovascular
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Noninvasive spinal cord stimulation for spinal cord injury rehab — used by clinicians in clinic and patients continuing therapy at home. Drawing on decades of medical device experience, Areteworks led UX from sketch to FDA clearance, translating clinician and patient needs into two interfaces sharing one embedded system. FDA cleared and in clinical use across the U.S. and Europe.
“Areteworks took ExaStim from concept to FDA clearance with a workflow that worked for both our clinical team and our patients. They thought about safety, usability, and regulatory rigor from day one.”
— Niche Bio
Intraoperative Aberrometer
The first commercially available intraoperative wavefront aberrometer — used by cataract surgeons to measure the refractive state of the eye in real time during surgery, guiding IOL power selection, astigmatism correction, and lens alignment. Drawing on decades of medical device experience, Areteworks led the UX across the microscope-mounted hardware, the footswitch-controlled measurement workflow, and the real-time display surgeons relied on under sterile field conditions. FDA cleared and used in cataract surgeries worldwide, now part of Alcon’s ORA System portfolio.
Testimonial
“Areteworks understood what cataract surgeons actually need in the operating room. The measurement workflow felt natural from the first time we used it, and the display gave us exactly the information we needed at exactly the right moment. They designed for the surgical field, not for the spec sheet.”
— WaveTec Vision
NanoDrop ONE
Showcased in Areteworks’ UX design agency portfolio, this scientific user experience redesign of the NanoDrop system improved measurement speed and reduced cognitive load—scoring 40% higher in usability testing and enhancing efficiency in high-volume lab environments through expert UX consulting.
“Areteworks helped streamline our NanoDrop system interface, making sample measurement faster and more intuitive for lab technicians. Their design reduced cognitive load and scored 40% higher in usability testing, enabling quicker turnaround in high-volume environments. Their attention to detail, user-centered approach, and seamless collaboration made them a trusted partner in delivering high-quality results.”
Trusted By Industry Leaders
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Areteworks delivered a clean, intuitive interface that integrated seamlessly with HemoSphere’s advanced monitoring platform. Their UX team quickly grasped the complexity of our workflows and responded with thoughtful, user-centered solutions. Through multiple iterations and rapid stakeholder feedback, they created a design that enhanced data visibility without compromising usability. We’re impressed by their speed, clarity, and deep understanding of healthcare UX—truly outstanding work from a reliable and talented partner.
– Edwards Lifesciences
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Steven, you did a marvelous job! Our legacy heart-lung perfusion system had many usability challenges and relied too heavily on human precision. Your team worked closely with our engineers and product managers to completely transform the application.
The final product exceeded even our management team’s expectations. It is more intuitive, reliable, and thoughtfully designed than we imagined possible. All I can say is: WOW!COBE CARDIOVASCULAR, Director
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Areteworks played a key role in helping us bring the Arterion® Injection System to market with a user interface that’s both visually clear and exceptionally easy to use. Their team grasped the critical need to support radiologists with timely, patient-specific injection cues. The result was a refined design that truly enhances clinical decision-making. Kudos to the design team—their work exceeded our expectations in every way.
– Medrad
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Areteworks, our trusted UX Design Agency, delivered intuitive and elegant UI concepts that were both visually refined and highly functional. Their thoughtful approach and deep understanding of our complex scientific workflows led to a 35% reduction in user errors and a 40% improvement in overall process efficiency. Their designs impressed multiple teams and made a real difference across our healthcare organization.
Thermo Fisher, Scientific Manufacturing Project
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Areteworks took ExaStim from concept to FDA clearance with a workflow that worked for both our clinical team and our patients. They thought about safety, usability, and regulatory rigor from day one.
EXASTIM, Project Manager
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We have worked with numerous design firms and can say Areteworks delivers impressive, innovative UI/UX solutions.
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Areteworks played a critical role in shaping the user interface for our Enigma ML portable molecular testing platform. Despite limited screen real estate, their team successfully delivered a clean, intuitive UI that made complex diagnostic data easy to interpret at the point of care. Their thoughtful design approach helped us create a seamless and efficient experience for clinical users. The result: a smarter, faster interface tailored for real-world medical environments.
– Enigma Diagnostics
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Partnering with Areteworks, a top UX Design Agency, transformed our applications. Their intuitive and innovative UX solutions led to a 40% increase in team productivity—far beyond what we expected in such a short time. By deeply understanding user pain points, they created streamlined workflows that felt natural and easy to adopt. Areteworks delivered beyond expectations and made a lasting impact on both usability and performance.
– Client Ormco, Dental App
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Areteworks’ team is exceptional, and we truly value our collaboration with your team.
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Areteworks understood what cataract surgeons actually need in the operating room. The measurement workflow felt natural from the first time we used it, and the display gave us exactly the information we needed at exactly the right moment. They designed for the surgical field, not for the spec sheet.
- WAVETECH VISION
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Steven and his team did an outstanding job with the UX redesign. We were transitioning from a physical dial-based interface to a fully touchscreen system, which required the entire user experience to be reimagined.
His team conducted thorough field research and successfully translated real user pain points into intuitive, practical features. They were collaborative, thoughtful, and highly effective throughout the process. I would absolutely work with Steven and his team again on future projects.COBE BCT, Project Director
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Areteworks produce work that is unmatched in quality and thoroughness.
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This is the best user interface I’ve seen on a navigation device." That was the immediate reaction from an Apple Evangelist during our product demo—and we couldn’t agree more. Areteworks delivered a sleek, responsive interface that made complex GPS functionality feel effortless and intuitive. Their design balanced visual clarity with practical usability, enabling users to navigate terrain with confidence and ease. The attention to detail, from gesture interactions to information hierarchy, was outstanding. Areteworks elevated the entire user experience, transforming a technical tool into a user-friendly handheld solution that impressed both industry experts and real-world users alike.
– Magellan Navigation App
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Areteworks brought a user-first perspective to our Intelligent TV initiative, seamlessly unifying the experience across Smart TVs, mobile devices, and remotes. Their ability to simplify complex interactions into a cohesive, elegant interface was outstanding. The result was a smarter, more connected ecosystem that significantly improved usability and elevated our entire product experience.
– Samsung Intelligent TV Project
Trusted UX Design Agency Services
Clinical Workflow Design
Clinical environments don't forgive friction. We design workflows that match how clinicians actually work — under time pressure, with interruptions, and across shifts. Our work supports adoption, reduces use error, and earns clinician trust in environments where mistakes have consequences. Industry experience includes Edwards Lifesciences ICU monitoring, Medrad contrast injection systems, and Medtronic medical devices.
Medical Device UI Design
FDA regulated UI design for medical devices and healthcare software. We translate use specifications, task analyses, and URRA findings into interfaces that meet IEC 62366-1 expectations and feel intuitive to clinicians. From point of care diagnostics to ICU monitoring, our UI work supports both compliance and clinical confidence.
Visual Design
We start with one question. Can clinicians interpret data and operate the device with accuracy and ease in their real working environments? They expect medical interfaces to feel as modern as the technology they use every day, while staying clinical, not consumer. Color, iconography, and density follow clinical conventions. We design for gloved hands, glare, low light, and color blind users.
User Research for Regulated Products
Clinical environments require real research, not generic personas. We run contextual interviews, observe clinicians at work, and study real workflows under genuine time pressure. The result is design grounded in how people actually behave in high stakes environments, not how they describe themselves in a survey. Research at the level the work demands.
Formative Evaluation & Summative Validation
Early iterative testing saves companies time and budget. Formative evaluations show how your application will perform with clinicians, patients, nurses, or technicians, and signal how it will hold up during Summative testing (if needed). When Summative validation is required for FDA submission, we coordinate with certified Human Factors specialists, giving you senior design judgment without bringing a separate firm in late.
Prototyping
Static screens win arguments. Working prototypes settle them. We build interactive prototypes in Figma and Figma Make so the team, leadership, and clinicians can test workflows and give feedback before development starts. Fast iteration, fast feedback, and a much shorter path between a design idea and a validated decision.
Our Flexible UX Process
As a UX Design Agency, our flexible process solves user pain points through intuitive, scalable designs rooted in User-Centered Design (UCD) and Design Thinking. We can collaborate end-to-end or focus on individual phases—like research, design, prototyping, or testing—using short cycles for rapid ideation, iteration, and refinement to deliver meaningful results faster.
- Steps: Research & Ideate; Design & Prototype; Test & Iterate; Implement & Refine.
- Ideal for Medical Devices, healthcare and evolving business needs.
- Outcomes: Smarter, cost-effective solutions with up to 50% faster execution. Tailored to your use discover how it fits your project. Book a free process consultation today!
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UX Insights & Trends
Explore our latest thoughts on UX, backed by 25 years of experience.
Where Use Error Hides in High-Pressure Clinical Workflows
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UI Design Services for Healthcare: Navigating Contradictions for Optimal UI
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Storytelling in Healthcare UX to Enhance Patient Care
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