Medical product design & packaging design for Phonak hearing devices

Phonak hearing aids become attractive consumer electronics products

In the past, the main problem with hearing aids wasn’t so much their usefulness, but their lack of acceptance. Whereas glasses, i.e. seeing aids, had long been turned into fashionable design objects, many of the hearing aids available didn’t appeal enough for people to want to wear them. The indication of disability came across all too clearly. The challenge, in terms of strategy and design, was to change this. Together with Phonak, Milani worked on repositioning the hearing aid as a consumer electronics product. The new strategy was decisively implemented by Phonak. The result: an 80% profit increase for Phonak hearing aids.

New design strategy for the medical product design of Phonak products

Soft contours, appealing colors, plus the use of microelectronics and other subtle innovations: Phonak hearing aids evolved into attractive consumer electronics products that are worn as happily and as naturally as glasses.

The first generation of hearing aids developed by Milani for Phonak was the Savia. It very quickly became the most successful hearing aid in the company’s product range.

A year later, Milani developed Audéo SMART; a quantum leap in hearing aid development. Not only was it the world’s smallest wireless hearing aid with a host of intelligent new functions, but it also came with an attractive design.