Two Rounds, 24 Surgeons: Building Dialysis Access Messaging from the Inside Out
Build the concepts with the surgeons who know the products best, test them on everyone else, and stop once the findings settle.
A manufacturer wanted positioning and messaging for its portfolio of three dialysis access devices, presented as a single solution set.
The research used an iterative design with two rounds of 12 interviews, each lasting one hour by Zoom:
Round 1: brand enthusiasts, using the client's products in more than 60% of their creation and revision cases
Round 2: a broader mix of vascular surgeons using a wide range of brands
Starting with enthusiasts helped shape early concepts around the language of experienced users. The second round then tested whether those concepts worked for surgeons with lower brand loyalty. Concepts were revised after each round. Both rounds covered private, public, and academic hospitals.
The original plan was 35 interviews across three rounds. Feedback was so consistent by the end of round 2 that the team stopped at 24 and redirected the remaining budget to creative development and professional design of the materials.
A recruit doesn't have to hit its original target once findings have settled.
The study provided the client with a set of recommended concepts covering portfolio benefits, patient types, and supporting data, ready to be professionally designed and taken forward.
