The Vorso neurostimulation wearable, an earbud-style medical device by RKS Design.

Vorso

Neuroscience-driven wearable for chronic condition therapy.

Transforming medical treatment through human-centered design.

Developed in collaboration with Nēsos, this breakthrough wearable delivers targeted neurostimulation through a discreet, earbud-based system that treats chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. By stimulating the vagus nerve via gentle electrical pulses, Nēsos offers a non-invasive, drug-free alternative to managing inflammation and pain. RKS partnered with the Nēsos team to design a universally fitting, consumer-friendly form that preserves medical efficacy while ensuring daily comfort, accessibility, and scalability, bridging the gap between advanced science and human experience.

Client
Nēsos
Rendering of white VORSO earpieces with black tips, one shown close-up with the VORSO badge

Psycho-Aesthetics® & Research

Key Outputs

  • User personas and behavioral insights
  • Emotional journey maps
  • Comfort and perception studies
  • Design criteria for trust, ease, and familiarity

To ensure Vorso resonated both functionally and emotionally, RKS began with in-depth user research and Psycho-Aesthetics® analysis. The team studied the emotional barriers patients face with medical wearables (discomfort, self-consciousness, and distrust of complex technology) and mapped these insights to aesthetic and ergonomic opportunities. By reframing Vorso through the lens of empathy and daily usability, RKS identified the core emotional driver of the experience: restoring a sense of normalcy and control. These findings guided the design language, resulting in a form that feels familiar, balanced, and discreet while maintaining clinical precision.

How We Used Psycho-Aesthetics™ to Identify Unique Opportunities in the Project.

Using our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® 2.0 framework, RKS conducted in-depth interviews and observational research to understand how patients perceive and interact with medical wearables. We identified key emotional and usability barriers, such as anxiety around electrical stimulation, discomfort from prolonged wear, and hesitation toward clinical-looking devices. These insights informed the physical form and tactile experience of Vorso, guiding our team toward a design that conveys safety, familiarity, and confidence while maintaining medical precision.

2x2 matrix of self-actualization vs. interactivity placing the VORSO earpiece in the opportunity zone among earbuds
Grid of 16 presentation slides covering a P/A Map, benchmarking, ear fit tests, neckband and earpiece concepts, a case and IFU

Industrial Design

Key Outputs

  • Ergonomic and anthropometric studies
  • Universal fit geometry for 95th percentile users
  • 3D CAD and high-fidelity mockups
  • Form exploration and design refinement

To help Nēsos bring its groundbreaking neurostimulation therapy to life, RKS designed Vorso, a wearable medical device that delivers targeted vagus nerve stimulation through a comfortable, earbud-style form. The design team focused on ergonomics, scalability, and universal fit, developing a form that adapts seamlessly to 95% of users without the need for custom fittings. Each iteration balanced medical precision with consumer sensibility, ensuring the device felt effortless, approachable, and clinically effective.

Three renderings of the white Vorso neckband with wired earpieces, shown from different angles
Three close-up renderings of a white Vorso earpiece with black and white ear tips, shown from different angles
Vorso neckband and earpieces nested in an open blue carrying case, with an instruction card in the lid

Testing & Validation

Key Outputs

  • Physical fit validation prototypes
  • Comfort and usability test reports
  • Electrode placement and contact optimization
  • Iterative material and geometry refinement

RKS conducted extensive fit testing to validate comfort, usability, and electrode performance. Multiple prototype rounds were tested across a diverse user base to confirm optimal contact points, stability, and long-term wearability. Insights from these evaluations informed key refinements in material softness, ear geometry, and assembly methods, ensuring the device performed consistently in both comfort and efficacy.

Five black-and-white close-ups of different people's ears, each fitted with a white prototype earpiece
Four early earpiece prototypes with exposed wiring and electrodes, each paired with a hand sketch and an ear icon

Engineering & Refinement

Key Outputs

  • Integrated CAD assemblies and DFMA refinement
  • Component tolerance and sealing analysis
  • Electrode and sensor housing integration
  • Prototype engineering documentation

Collaborating closely with Nēsos engineers, RKS translated functional and electronic requirements into a manufacturable, integrated design. Careful consideration of housing tolerances, electrode interfaces, and assembly processes enabled precision alignment of medical-grade components within a compact form. The result was a refined, production-ready design that balances mechanical integrity with everyday usability.

Diagram of the earpiece labeling four articulation pivots, conductive pads and an attachment area for a pressurizing accessory
Three photos of a wired white earpiece prototype with black electrodes, and hands placing red parts into a gray mold

Packaging Design / IFU

Key Outputs

  • Packaging concept and graphic system
  • Instruction for Use (IFU) design and layout
  • User flow and unboxing sequence
  • Labeling and regulatory design compliance

To complement the sophistication of Vorso’s design, RKS developed packaging and Instructions for Use (IFU) that communicated clarity, trust, and ease of use. The experience was designed to guide patients intuitively (from unboxing to daily operation) while maintaining compliance with medical device labeling standards.

Vorso instruction cards showing the welcome card, setup steps for app pairing and earpiece placement, and the box cover
Rows of square Vorso instruction cards laid out at an angle, showing the cover and illustrated setup steps
Folded Vorso instruction booklet open to steps for pairing the device by phone and removing the solution applicator pen

Final Design

Key Outputs

  • Final production-ready design
  • Scalable manufacturing strategy
  • Clinical-grade usability validation
  • High-fidelity product visualizations

Through our partnership with Nēsos, RKS transformed complex neuromodulation technology into Vorso, a comfortable, elegant, and scalable wearable medical device. The final design embodies the intersection of science and empathy, offering patients a non-invasive, drug-free alternative for managing chronic conditions through precision-engineered simplicity.

Open blue Vorso case holding the white neckband, earpieces and applicator pen, with an instruction manual in the lid
White Vorso neckband with two wired earpieces, the Vorso logo printed on the neckband and earpiece

ready to partner with us?

Contact Us