People Centered Service Experience Design, Design Research + Visual Communication Design

This study was built upon previous research conducted in the Fall of 2012 with IU Health Methodist PeriOperative Services to enhance the quality of the waiting experience. The results of a previous study identified multiple opportunity areas for improvement under three main themes: environment, communication and emotion.  For this study, we focused on the emotional component of the waiting experience and explored potential solutions through participatory, co-creative prototyping processes.

Objectives

Focused Research Questions:

• How Might We Better Respond To The Emotional Quality?
• How Might We Develop an Emotionally Sensitive System?

In this study, we approached the staff, patients and their families as main stakeholders to generate ideas in developing the solutions. Design research methods aided in asking questions, provided structure for dialogues, and stimulated the participants creative imagination. 

Project Design and Methods:

We conducted the participatory sessions with three groups of people: people with a waiting room experience in general, staff, and patients and their families. Each group had two types of participatory sessions; generative sessions focused on exploring ideas and insights and evaluative sessions focused on prototyping solutions.

Outcomes

• Enabled the visitors and staff to reflect on their experiences involved in the PeriOperative Services environment from emotional perspective

• Identified factors of emotional experiences and their relation to the quality of the “waiting experience”

• Generated ideas and insights to improve the emotional quality of the waiting experience

• Developed the conceptual models of an emotionally sensitive system

Design Thinking Team, Visual Communication Design

• Youngbok Hong, Research Advisor
• Ashley Bailey
• Sara Trempe
• Jinny Petrovsky

IU Methodist Hospital Coordinators

• Diane Bellamy
• Brandon Stuck
• Christine Barber

Document Design

• Ashley Bailey
• Sara Trempe

Skills Utilized

• Design research
• Qualitative research
• Research method development
• Participatory design facilitation
• Co-creative prototyping
• Recording & transcribing
• Data analysis & synthesis
• Photography
• Visual design
• Information design
• Concept development
• Design stategy
• Copywriting & editing
• Book design
• Print production
• Presentation