AED Signage

sign making imge

The first run of signage has been installed in the AED at Grafton campus. This project has been developed on and off over the last few months, so here are some reflections / key learnings to summerise:

- Simple ideas. It's important not to overcomplicate simple problems. We identified a need; current signage for the AED is on flat walls and doors that are often open making it difficult for patients, family and new staff to navigate the open plan space. We responded to the need with a multi-faced signage cube, visible from all angles.- Prototyping quickly and talking to users with prototypes in-hand is very efficient. Sketch designs and CAD work can only go so far in explaining a concept.

- Make mistakes quickly. For a simple project like this, testing prototypes in the space is vital. It was here that staff and users could voice feedback immediately and key design strengths/flaws were uncovered. For example: We played with the idea of retrofitting the sign to the current warning LED panels above each room. The idea received mixed feedback and it was concluded that the signage obscured the warning light from some angles.

- Make friends along the way. The trust that has developed from solving a problem together with AED staff is invaluable. Moving forward, we have developed working relationships to tackle more complex problems ahead.

- Learn by Doing. As we  seek to design better healthcare experiences for patients, families and staff, small projects like this help us to define the way we best work together.

Moving forward a longer term manufacturing and supply plan needs to be set in place, as well as developing potential back-lit versions to function as 'room in use' markers.

ED Signage 1

ED Signage 2

Makerbot for the LAB

Rapid prototyping technology is becoming an inseparable component of design. 3D printing is especially useful for quickly visualising complex forms that would otherwise be impossible to model quickly and cheaply. We are excited to have our own MakerBot printer for design lab staff and student projects and  there is massive potential within healthcare to leverage 3D printing for better health care experiences.

International Connections

As well as working on collaborative networks within the DHW lab, international collaborations with other ventures working in a similar areas are also vital. At the 2013 Design/Health Symposium, the DHW lab brought over Dan Wolstenholme  from the UK's LAB 4 LIVING, to share his insight into how design/health collaborations can work effectively. We look forward to developing a stronger relationship with the LAB for LIVING in months/years ahead.

Check out this write up in the link below:

Lab 4 Living: Connecting with New Zealand 

Mercury Energy: Sprout Iv pole

Well done to Neerali and the progress she is making with her sprout IV pole. Its not an easy task to get a product into production and use at the hospital – So well done for getting this far and keep going! Check out this letter from the project sponsor, Mercury Energy:

Public Spaces: Research tools

Recently, the DHW lab has been working with the 'Public Spaces at Grafton' project team to develop tools for researching users and how the space is being used. A number of Interactive interview tools have been put together to aid the interviewers, and produce meaningful, clear feedback to shape the redesign of public spaces at the hospital. The tools are being tested and prototyped to make sure they work effectively.

ED: Patient Pathway Signage Process

Since our last post on the ED signage project, we have spent some time resolving the details of the physical form, typography, colour and sourcing materials. We slightly extended the length of the sides of the sign, whilst retaining a more square profile for the front face. This allows the letting to sit further out from the folded edge where it attaches to the wall, improving visibility. We managed to find a soft-looking, white matte acrylic material to use for the signage body, and experimented with a variety of coloured vinyls for the typography. After consulting with staff in the Adult Emergency department, we settled on a matte red vinyl which creates a consistency with the red wayfinding line that runs through the department. The combination of low reflective, matte materials allows the typography to 'pop' off the body of the sign, which disappears into the white walls.

Having resolved these finer details, we are now ready to produce a small batch run for the Adult Emergency department. We developed a CNC routed MDF former, which we will use to manufacture the first lot of signs. The process is very simple and straight forward: the sign blanks are laser cut out of a flat sheet of acrylic, which we then attach to the MDF former and use a heat gun to bend around the corners of the former. Finally, we cut the lettering from a vinyl sheet then press it to the folded blanks. Easy. We're excited to get these up in the ED to see how patients and staff respond to them, and to document the effect they have on improving wayfinding within the department.