After a “terrifying” diabetes diagnosis at 20, she invented a device to help others like her

Nido makes insulin injections safer and more convenient for persons with diabetes

When Zoey Chan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 20, her world shifted overnight.

The then–NUS Industrial Design student had to learn how to inject herself with insulin three to five times a day, monitor her blood sugar around the clock, and carry around a jumble of needles, pens, and caps everywhere she went.

It was a new reality she wasn’t ready to accept.

“I was in denial for the most part,” Zoey recalled. “I refused to believe that this condition was real and that my entire life had to change right then and there. It was terrifying and isolating to navigate living with the condition.”

Acceptance was one thing, but living with it was another. Her daily routine started becoming more tedious and emotionally draining. Injecting insulin multiple times a day, often in public, felt awkward, messy, and isolating.

On top of that, she had to carry around used needles, which must be disposed of in hard, puncture-resistant containers with secure lids, together with their caps. “I was tired of fumbling with the small components, digging through my bag for needles, and how clunky the whole process felt when all I wanted was to get on with my day,” she said.

Zoey even began storing her supplies in a spectacles case because she couldn’t find a pouch that was compact or organised enough.

Through conversations with others who also live with Type 1 diabetes, she realised the problem wasn’t hers alone. “The tools we were given were not really designed for us—not in terms of lifestyle, discretion, or emotional experience.”

That realisation became the spark for nido—short for Neat Insulin Daily Organiser and a homophone for the word “needle”— a compact, intuitive device that helps users safely organise and eject insulin needles.

It took her one year and over 120 prototypes

Image Credit: Dyson

Zoey, now 23, first got the idea to create nido when it was time for her to choose a topic for her Final Year Thesis in university.

I wanted my last project to carry real meaning, so I challenged myself by choosing the topic I found hardest to face.

Zoey Chan

To bring her idea to life, Zoey received S$200 in funding from NUS for her thesis project—though most of the materials and costs were self-funded, she shared, without disclosing the total amount spent.

The entire process, from conceptualisation to its final design, took about a year. The first half focused on research, understanding the daily realities of people living with Type 1 diabetes, including her own. Zoey also conducted early user testing to explore which solutions resonated most with users.

After that, she began experimenting with countless prototypes, constantly refining her product down to the millimeter.

Image Credit: Dyson

“It started with a container that looked similar to an AirPods case,” Zoey shared. “The design went through numerous iterations before I landed on the final version of nido that exists today.”

All in all, she went through over 120 prototypes and refinements before nido reached its current stage.

One of the biggest challenges in her journey, Zoey explained, was designing for a process that looks different for everyone. “Injecting insulin may seem universal, but in reality, it’s deeply personal. Some people are fast and discreet, others are methodical and careful. I had to unlearn my own habits and stop assuming there was one ‘right’ way to design for it.”

That meant letting go of rigid solutions and embracing flexibility, even if it made the design process more complex.

Another major hurdle was balancing functionality with simplicity. Early prototypes had too many moving parts—they worked, but only if you already knew how to use them. “It took multiple rounds of testing and a lot of editing to arrive at something intuitive enough to be understood without explanation.”

Designing for a condition she personally lives with also came with emotional weight. “It’s hard to stay objective when the problem is so personal,” she admitted. “But involving other users, listening to their stories, and seeing their reactions to the prototypes kept me grounded. It reminded me that this was not just about me – it was about designing for a community.”

Bringing nido closer to real-world use

The current design of nido can securely hold up to four insulin pen needles, with compartments that accommodate different brands and sizes. It features a tapered slot that lets users safely remove the protective needle cap without dropping the needle or pricking their fingers, as well as a section for used parts and other waste to be discarded.

Image Credit: Dyson

nido currently holds a provisional patent and remains in the development stage. Zoey shared that she has been in talks with potential partners, preparing to share nido through new channels and planning to recruit more users to guide its next phase of refinement.

For now, Zoey has gathered feedback, mostly through informal chats and follow-ups with people she has met during her thesis, as well as those who have reached out to her about her project.

“The diabetes community has been incredible, and helpful, and I am so grateful for their outpour of support. Many shared that they felt seen by the project, which meant a lot to me because it resonated beyond my immediate circle,” she shared.

Zoey also noted that several healthcare professionals have responded to nido positively, especially to how the invention rethinks convenience and dignity in everyday care.

Image Credit: nido

For her invention, Zoey was recently named the 2025 national winner of the James Dyson Award (Singapore), receiving S$8,400 to support nido’s development.

The invention has also made it to the global shortlist of 20 pioneering innovations for the international James Dyson Award, with a chance to become the global winner and receive S$50,700 to fund the next stages of development—the results will be announced next week on Nov 5.

With the prize money she has now, Zoey is still considering “the best way to use it,” but her goal is to invest it in areas that would help bring nido closer to real-world use.

Making the journey easier

In Singapore, more than 400,000 people currently live with diabetes, and it’s a number that is expected to grow to about one million by 2050.

For many, navigating the condition is already difficult, but talking about it can be even harder. It’s an experience Zoey knows firsthand. At first, she felt “ashamed and did not know how to explain” what she was going through to family and friends.

Over time, she’s learned to extend herself grace. “The most challenging part was being gentle with myself, to learn that getting this condition was not anybody’s fault and that it was not because I ‘ate one too many sweets’,” she said.

“There are over 40 factors that affect one’s blood glucose levels, from stress to even atmospheric pressure. Some days, even when I do everything the same, my readings aren’t, and it’s hard not to feel like I’ve failed that day.”

She admits she’s still learning to manage life with Type 1 diabetes, and still discovering new challenges every day.

But through nido, Zoey hopes to make the journey a little easier for others like her.

It may be a small invention, but it responds to a very real and human frustration. Even if it quietly improves the experience for just a few people, that is the kind of impact I want to keep designing for.

Zoey Chan

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Featured Image Credit: Dyson