Smallfry is an industrial design consultancy founded in 1971, with over 50 years’ experience developing successful medical devices. We offer an end-to-end service, from early-stage concept generation, through to design for manufacture. We also offer strategy and business support services, helping you navigate the concept to commercialisation journey.
Based in the Midlands, our team of industrial designers have a range of design experience, having developed products across the medical, consumer and industrial sectors.
Our clients range from start-ups and spinouts to global corporations. Regardless, our primary focus is to deliver a final product that isn’t only functional, but commercially successful.
How our Patron supports the medtech and life sciences sector
In 2019, we were approached by MicroBioSensor to design the casing for their device, allowing the instant identification of leukocyte levels by peritoneal dialysis professionals. The identification of infection levels during peritoneal dialysis was, at the time, taking up to 48 hours.
Beginning with research into the user journey and existing equipment, Smallfry made use of in-house rapid prototyping capability to quickly iterate and develop the design.
Smallfry’s designers then completed the design and engineering of the housing components suitable for production. Once validated, the manufacturing CAD and drawings were finalised, alongside assembly instructions.
The QuickCheck™ device is now used in pharmacies across the UK, delivering life-saving results in 6 seconds, compared to the previous 48 hours. With an overwhelmed healthcare system, devices like QuickCheck™ provide a genuine opportunity to not only relieve pressure, but also dramatically improve patient outcomes.
Smallfry is dedicated to providing more outcomes like the QuickCheck™.
Their impact
Smallfry have been developing products across a wide range of sectors since our foundation in Britain’s industrial heartlands, over fifty years ago.
Our CEO, Steve May-Russell, is a well-respected innovation and design mentor, working with local organisations, such as STEAMhouse, to provide workshops and one-to-one sessions for individuals looking to develop new and refreshed product and service offerings.
In recent years, Smallfry have also been trusted delivery partners in multiple initiatives across the region, including the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) and the West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster (WMHTC). We have been involved with Medilink Midlands since 2008.
