At Baxter, I worked on the interaction model for a next-generation dialysis machine, collaborating closely with clinical experts to define how the device should behave in real treatment scenarios. The work unfolded through a series of exploratory prototypes: three intentionally different interpretations of how critical information, system status, user actions, and alarms could coexist in a high-stakes clinical environment without competing for attention.

My responsibility spanned ideation, UX, and UI design. Early in the project, much of the effort focused on understanding the workflow of dialysis from a clinician’s perspective—how they navigate setup and priming, troubleshooting, monitoring, and end-of-treatment routines, often while handling multiple patients or responding to unexpected events. These observations informed the core interaction principles: clarity under pressure, predictable system behavior, and the ability to surface urgent information instantly without obscuring essential context.

Prototyping became the main vehicle for exploration and alignment. We built and tested interactive scenarios to evaluate how different layouts, interaction patterns, and alarm hierarchies affected clinicians’ ability to understand machine state at a glance. Each prototype took a distinct stance: one prioritized visual hierarchy and spatial grouping, another emphasized temporal sequencing and guided actions. The third explored adaptive interfaces that shifted according to treatment phase. This divergence helped us identify which design principles consistently improved safety and operator confidence.

The project gave me practical insight into the cognitive demands, time pressure, and regulatory constraints that define interaction design in acute-care environments. It sharpened my ability to design for clarity in highly technical contexts, where the cost of confusion is high and the interface is a critical part of clinical safety.