User centred design is not optional in health and care. It is the difference between technology that families welcome into their homes and technology that never leaves the box.

At Supersense Technologies, it is far more than a design approach. It is the foundation of how we work every day.

Our Chief Technology Officer, Matt Ash, was recently invited to share our approach at the recent CONEXEN panel event hosted by Bradley Hardiman, speaking alongside Nadia Danhash and Laura Salisbury on the power of user centred design:

✨ We start in the real world.
Our work began with the challenge of supporting someone with dementia at home. Since then, we have gone into carers’ cafés and homes, with permission, to listen and learn directly. We design with people, not just for them, spotting the common threads across many lives and turning them into solutions that are simple, scalable and affordable.

✨ We design for dignity and trust.
Families want reassurance, not surveillance. That is why we avoid intrusive approaches and are crystal clear about data: where AI is used, what is shared, what is not, and who owns it. We design for trust as much as for function.

✨ We make design a discipline.
We embed users into our process at every stage. This is not a nice-to-have. It is how we stay disciplined, focused, and able to deliver products that make a genuine difference.

✨ We act on signals.
When families invent their own systems to cope, that shows where better design is needed. We pay close attention to those signals and use them to shape solutions that reduce effort rather than add to it.

✨ We test to understand.
With new technologies such as conversational AI, we run “Wizard of Oz” trials, simulating the interaction before building it, to uncover the real questions carers ask. These insights give us the guardrails to design responsibly and with empathy.

For us, user centred design is not about polishing a product at the end. It is about leading with people, building trust, and creating solutions that fit seamlessly into daily life.

If you are working on challenges in dementia care, ageing, or digital health, we would love to talk. We are always open to sharing our approach and learning about the problems that still need solving.