iBGStar Blood Glucose Monitor

2011

Product Concept, Industrial Design, User Experience, User Interface

Blood Glucose, Measured Beautifully

The iBGStar was the first FDA-cleared medical device to connect directly to the iPhone, redefining what a medical product could be. Developed for Sanofi, it transformed blood-glucose monitoring into something personal, portable, and beautifully engineered. Its design and build quality stood out so strongly that Apple featured it in physical retail stores- an unprecedented moment for a medical device.

The product received widespread recognition, covered in hundreds of articles worldwide, and awarded a Red Dot Design Award for innovation and simplicity. Compact, precise, and tactile, it was the world’s smallest blood-glucose meter, designed to feel at home beside an iPhone rather than in a clinic.

When Apps Felt Alive

Software development began before the App Store even existed, when the idea of connecting a medical device to a phone was completely new. It was the golden era of app design – a time when interfaces were rich, tactile, and full of optimism. Every interaction felt alive, and iBGStar captured that spirit with a balance of functionality and delight.

The product worked both connected and independently. Because users relied on it for life-critical data, it included an internal battery that allowed it to operate for weeks on its own, automatically syncing results once reconnected. Reliability and design lived side by side.

When connected, the experience was unexpectedly fun. The team asked, “What if pricking your finger could actually be enjoyable?” The companion app featured a zooming animation that visualized blood being drawn into the test strip using particle effects and subsurface scattering. It turned a routine medical act into an engaging, memorable interaction – one that made users feel empowered rather than burdened.

Built Before Its Time

The iBGStar didn’t just improve glucose monitoring – it defined the connected health category. It proved that medical devices could meet consumer-grade expectations for design and usability without compromising accuracy or trust.

Many of today’s connected health products – from continuous glucose monitors to integrated smartphone health platforms – trace their roots to this project. The iBGStar showed that technology can be both precise and human, turning data into something people could truly connect with.

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