Klant
Mediq
healthcare
medical device
learning tool
experience-bases
stuffed animal
Mediq’s comforting toy with a serious mission
What looks like a quick medical action can feel like a big hurdle. This especially applies to children - and their parents - who have to administer insulin as part of their diabetes diagnosis. Mediq, a leading player in Dutch healthcare for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, wanted to soften that reality. Not with another brochure or app, but with something more child-friendly: a custom-made item that turns practicing injections into something less scary, more familiar and a bit more human.
Turning fear into something you can practise on
Mediq’s brief went far beyond ‘we need a giveaway’. They wanted to develop a custom item with special patches to help young diabetes patients - or their parents - get used to self-injecting insulin in an accessible and reassuring way. It wasn’t about theory but real life. In the kitchen or bedroom, at home or on the road. The goals were clear:
- Educative: offer a playful way to get familiar with injection routines.
- Comforting: reduce stress and anxiety around needles.
- Engaging: increase confidence and acceptance in day-to-day diabetes management.
- Qualitive: create a safe, durable product suitable for both children and adults.
Listening first, then shaping the solution
Together with Mediq we started off with a joint brainstorm session, mapping both the functional and emotional needs of the target group. It's after this process we came to a very concrete idea: a soft, approachable plush toy fitted with clearly marked injection patches. Patients and parents can use it to rehearse the exact actions they’ll later perform on themselves or their child: how to hold the pen, where to inject, how it feels to go through the motions. The plush isn’t there to distract from reality, but to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It becomes a friendly stand-in during the learning phase. Something friendly that acts as a quiet reminder: you’ve got this.
Prototyping, testing and making it safe
From there, our team moved into concept design and prototyping: a soft, approachable character, fitted with clearly marked injection zones that could be used again and again for practice. The prototype was tested and evaluated by Mediq to check:
- Is it intuitive to use?
- Does it feel reassuring, not clinical?
- Does it hold up to repeated ‘injections’ and handling?
Only after that round of feedback we started the definitive production, ensuring the plush meets strict standards for safety, durability and suitability for a vulnerable audience.
Beyond standard healthcare branding
This case is a surprising example of how merchandise can play a meaningful role in healthcare, far beyond branded stationery. The intent is already powerful though: turning a difficult, sometimes frightening routine into something people can practise, own and slowly grow comfortable with.
