UR Siddharth, an experience designer at Philips Healthcare R&D, is using product design to reduce response time in medical emergencies. At 24, UR Siddharth has worked on devices that aim to make critical procedures faster and safer. His best-known projects, Survive and Enable, focus on areas where delay can cost lives. These designs have earned him more than 85 international awards and two iF Design Awards, placing his work at the centre of healthcare design discussions.

UR Siddharth’s work stands out because it does not add complexity. Instead, it removes friction from existing systems used by doctors, nurses, and technicians.

Early interest in art and making things

UR Siddharth showed a strong interest in art from a young age. From Class 3 onward, he received annual awards for art in school. Drawing, painting, model-making, and craft filled his free time.

He says he struggles with distraction in general tasks, but creative work holds his attention. When solving design problems, he stays focused for long periods. This ability later helped him handle complex medical workflows.

His interest moved from visual art to problem-solving through design.

Preparing for a design career

Siddharth spent four years preparing for the entrance exam to the National Institute of Design. His first attempt ended in disappointment when he did not clear the final stage at NID Andhra Pradesh.

He applied again and secured an all-India rank one at NID Kurukshetra in Haryana. He says the experience shaped his thinking and discipline.

At NID, Siddharth learned to observe real users and real conditions. He moved beyond aesthetics and focused on usability, safety, and clarity.

Recognition during student projects

During his time at NID, Siddharth worked on several projects that received international recognition. His designs won awards from platforms such as the Red Dot Award, Core77, Lexus Design Award, and European Product Design Awards.

While these honours validated his work, one award carried special meaning. He won the iF Design Award twice for healthcare-focused projects.

Both winning designs addressed urgent medical needs.

Survive: cutting treatment time in poisoning cases

One of Siddharth’s key projects is Survive, an automated gastric irrigation device. Gastric irrigation removes toxins or poison from the stomach and is often used in emergency cases.

Conventional gastric irrigation can take up to 45 minutes and requires trained staff. Survive completes the process in two to five minutes.

The device automates the procedure and reduces manual steps. It is designed for use in ambulances, small hospitals, and remote locations. It can operate even when a medical expert is not immediately available.

The goal is simple. Reduce treatment time and improve survival chances. Survive earned Siddharth his first iF Design Award.

Enable: redesigning heart-lung machine controls

Siddharth’s second iF Design Award came for Enable, a redesign of the heart-lung machine interface used during open heart surgery.

The heart-lung machine supports blood flow, oxygen supply, and temperature control while the heart is stopped. During emergencies, the perfusionist operating the machine must act fast and manage many variables.

Siddharth spent five days at Fortis Hospital in Mohali observing emergency surgeries. He studied how operators interacted with the machine under pressure.

He redesigned the control panels to improve clarity and reduce decision time. The new layout helped operators respond faster during emergencies.

Enable addressed gaps in user interface and experience that slowed treatment. The redesign improved workflow without changing the medical process itself.

Moving into healthcare R&D

After graduating from NID, UR Siddharth joined Philips Healthcare R&D in Bengaluru.

As an experience designer, he works on medical devices used in hospitals and emergency settings. His role focuses on usability, safety, and reducing cognitive load for medical staff.

He collaborates with engineers, clinicians, and researchers to test designs in real scenarios.

Patents and registered designs

At 24, Siddharth has four patents pending and two registered designs under the intellectual property system. These cover healthcare device interfaces and design improvements.

He views patents as a way to protect solutions that can improve patient outcomes. For him, design holds value only when it works under pressure.

Design with social purpose

UR Siddharth says his interest lies in healthcare and social impact design. He believes design should solve real problems and reduce stress for users.

His work focuses on environments where errors and delays carry serious consequences. In hospitals, clarity and speed matter more than appearance.

Design leaders support this view. Shaon Sengupta, head of Philips Design India, has described Siddharth’s approach as “philanthropy by design.” He says Siddharth commits fully to solving real problems.

Recognition from the design community

Pradyumna Vyas, former director of NID Ahmedabad, has praised Siddharth’s confidence and creative ability. He says Siddharth combines technical skill with persuasion, which helps bring ideas into practice.

Such recognition reflects Siddharth’s growing role in healthcare design.

Looking ahead

UR Siddharth continues to work on medical systems where time and clarity matter. His focus remains on emergency care, where design flaws can cost lives.

At 24, his career is still at an early stage. Yet his work already shows how thoughtful design can improve healthcare outcomes without changing clinical methods.

As hospitals rely on more advanced machines, designers like Siddharth will play a larger role in making technology usable when it matters most.

FAQs

Q1. Who is UR Siddharth?
UR Siddharth is an Indian experience designer working at Philips Healthcare R&D. He designs medical devices for emergency care.

Q2. What is UR Siddharth’s age?
UR Siddharth is 24 years old.

Q3. What are Survive and Enable?
Survive is an automated gastric irrigation device. Enable is a redesigned heart-lung machine interface for emergency surgeries.

Q4. How many awards has UR Siddharth won?
UR Siddharth has won over 85 international design awards, including two iF Design Awards.