To design better tech, understand context

What good is a sophisticated piece of medical equipment to people in Africa if it can’t handle the climate there? In this TED talk from 2018, biomedical engineer Tania Douglas, who researched medical innovation and technologies to improve medical device innovation in South Africa, shares stories of how we are often blinded to real needs in our pursuit of technology.

Her point is that a deeper understanding of the context where a technology is used can lead to better solutions. For designers and researchers, the talk is a clear case for contextual user research before building anything.