Aims: Design thinking is increasingly valued in clinical practice, yet structured exposure remains uncommon in early training. During the study period, students rarely have opportunities to critically engage with design methods to understand how the design of medical technologies, devices and apparatus shapes recovery, adherence, and dignity. This study presnts a case study from a Design Thinking placement program at Monash University.

One candidate chose to enquire into the design challenges of hip protectors. Australia has 17,000 to 19,000 new hip fractures each year, and 93% are falls-related. While hip protectors reduce hip fractures, compliance is poor, with use ranging from 25–60% depending on the setting.

Methods: Monash University Design Health Collab hosts annual placements for undergraduate students across psychology, radiological sciences, and health sciences. The most recent placement involved a science student, incorporating anatomical risk-zone mapping, stakeholder analysis, biomimicry exploration, rapid sketch prototyping, and iterative design towards improving hip protectors.

Results: The student learned to question default clinical instruments and examine ergonomic and psychosocial drivers of poor adherence. A modular, garment-integrated concept was produced, combining a spatially graded impact-absorbing lattice with removable shear-thickening inserts that stiffen under sudden impact. The process cultivated transferable skills, including reframing the clinical problem around adherence rather than protection alone.

Conclusions:  This case study illustrates that early exposure to design thinking can equip future clinicians with creative and analytical skills that may support more reflective, adaptive, and patient-centred care.