Nicholas Barker

independent consulting firm providing full industrial design services for clients in medical equipment/devices, consumer electronics, photography processing equipment, furniture and baby care.

Datascope Corp. Vice President Corporate Design 1995 - 2009
• Reporting directly to CEO, responsible for overall appearance and strategy for Datascope brand across 4 operating divisions: Patient Monitoring, Cardiac Assist, Vascular Grafts and Interventional Products
• Started and built cross-functional design department supporting all creative activities. Responsible for $2.5 million budget and staff of 17 in 3 departments with an average tenure in the design group of over 11 years.
• Expanded the role of industrial design team at Datascope from R&D support to strategic contributor identifying competitive opportunities and initiating several product improvement projects resulting is cost savings and improved customer experiences.
• Created fresh look for all capital equipment winning numerous awards and improving sales. Example: when new balloon pump console platform was introduced sales of Datascope pumps increased over 40% year to year and margins and market share increased
• Elevated perceived value of disposables with new easy to understand graphic information systems, product packaging and brand identity
• Introduced formal user centered research using outside research firms resulting in fundamental competitive discoveries that altered corporate strategy on key projects and began framework for future product planning. Example: ethnographic research in CCU & ICU revealed that most nurses were not able to perform many critical functions on monitors they had been using for many years. These discoveries led to the decision to launch an ambitious program to completely reinvent the user interface for a critical care monitor. Early user tests indicated significant improvements on ease of use and a very positive emotional reaction from nurses.
• Developed long term relationships with numerous outside creative and research firms including full service product design, research, structural packaging, exhibit design, graphic design and identity, photographers, prototype and production manufacturers.
• Started new media department to produce web sites, promotion animations and video. Bringing this function in-house allowed for more efficiencies and exploration in product UI and best-in-class interactive clinical e-learning and promotional web development further improving the customer experience.
• Responsible for all exhibit design in the US and Europe Working with firms in both continents. Co-developed award winning exhibit design in United States.
• Managed all design/aesthetic aspects on construction and interiors of new $30 million 140,000 sq ft facility in Mahwah, New Jersey.
• Launched Corporate Graphic Standards web site

Datascope, Manager Industrial Design 1991 - 1994
• Designed all structural sterile packaging for new vascular sealing device
• Developed new architecture for balloon pump platform supporting large disposable catheter business
• Began to build corporate design team hiring top local talent including graphics, packaging and industrial design

First employee of product design consulting firm that grew to be the 2nd largest in the Seattle area (after Teague), Client industries included healthcare, advanced technology, sports and fitness, consumer electronics and housewares.

Note: company no longer exists - sold to Teague in 1992