Personal and professional passion inspire Product Design student

When senior Carmen Briones’ mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during Briones’ sophomore year at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), finding a bra that was comfortable with a medical port became an additional challenge. Briones ’26 (Product Design) answered that challenge in her Design for Human Interface class by designing Artemis – a product that reduces pain while increasing mobility.

“I thought that there would already be something on the market for patients with this issue, but there was nothing,” Briones says. “It made me realize that there are probably a lot of women out there struggling with this problem.”

Carmen Briones

“This was a heavily research-based project as I knew basically nothing about medical ports before,” explains Briones. “I interviewed people undergoing treatment and got their feedback after every revision to make sure the product was really solving their problem. They walked me through their process of trying to put on different styles of bras and their issues with each. I also did a market analysis to see what port-focused products are out there, how they benefit the user, price point, etc.”

Briones says she also reached “out to manufacturers to get accurate samples and estimates for price and timing if it ever went to market.”

As for senior year, Briones adds, “It has been wild so far. A product I designed (Andis Slimline Pro II) was released onto the market for the first time this semester thanks to an internship at Andis about a year and a half ago. (That also got me listed on a patent for the first time!)”

Outside of school, the President’s List student is equally busy. “This semester I’m interning at SI Jacobson Manufacturing, doing a bit of work for Solberg Design LLC in Milwaukee and helping to organize events for the MIAD chapter of IDSA as president,” says Briones.

“I don’t have anything locked in for thesis yet,” adds Briones, “but I would like to relate it to women’s healthcare if possible. It’s a topic that is not talked about or designed for enough.”

Learn more about MIAD’s Product Design major.