Wayfinding to health seeking focuses on the outpatient hospital experience, and how wayfinding may better support the journey of the user. Rather than investigating the environment in isolation, there is a holistic consideration of recieving care and how to better prepare and support those arriving to the department. Through designing artefacts that reflect the entirety of the patient journey (e.g. wayfinding to the clinic, and the healthcare experience), there is the potential for patients to have better informed decision making.
This project explores how design may support the wayfinding health seeker, taking the considerably higher demands of healthcare into consideration when designing solutions. The design outcome demonstrates the importance of cohesive and staggered information that is empathetic to the health-seeking journey, and does so via an outpatient clinic referral document, appointment letter and an environmental wayfinding prototype.
Starship Children's Hospital Outpatient department was used as an area to prototype and test potential wayfinding solutions. Due to being a masters project, alongside the short timeframe that accompanies this, the design was not permanently installed.
This project explores how design may support the wayfinding health seeker, taking the considerably higher demands of healthcare into consideration when designing solutions. The design outcome demonstrates the importance of cohesive and staggered information that is empathetic to the health-seeking journey, and does so via an outpatient clinic referral document, appointment letter and an environmental wayfinding prototype.
Starship Children's Hospital Outpatient department was used as an area to prototype and test potential wayfinding solutions. Due to being a masters project, alongside the short timeframe that accompanies this, the design was not permanently installed.
Prototype documentation
A wayfinding prototype, redesigning pre-visit material and environmental cues. A temporary install using 22 metres of vinyl in place for 10 days. Over 200 families gave feedback on the installed environmental prototype.
Final design
Pre-visit artefacts Patient referral document and appointment letter
Referral document Received from the GP when the patient is referred to the clinic, outlining the general journey of the service and upcoming events.
Appointment letter Received in the post. Addressed to the whole family as health affects more than the individual patient.
Appointment letter Getting to your appointment (wayfinding to the hospital), and Making the most of your time with us (wayfinding through the healthcare experience).
Getting to your appointment Details of the date and time are provided. A checklist of tasks to complete in order to arrive prepared to the clinic is offered, alongside transport and parking details.
Making the most of your time with us Building on the referral document, a more detailed outline of upcoming events are given. Questions and details can be documented before arriving, and recording the appointment outcomes.
