But how was Virgilio born?

But how was Virgilio born?

But how was Virgilio born?

In the following section we have included the research and the development of our system.

The agile methodology scheme we followed througout the whole course and development of our solution.
The agile methodology scheme we followed througout the whole course and development of our solution.

Research

Research

Research

The process of receiving healthcare is often a stressful experience, so reducing those emotions through design is a way to improve overall patient experience and positively influence healthcare outcomes.
Wayfinding refers to a set of design strategies that designers use to orient people within an unfamiliar built environment and to help them navigate through it. Wayfinding is how the built environment communicates with its users: offering simple, clear information on location and context, while reducing confusion and anxiety.

Envirnment Induced Disability

Patients may face disability in a hospital environment lacking proper accessibility, regardless of existing impairments. This includes individuals with physical, mental, sensory, or psychological challenges. Adapting hospitals for user needs extends beyond mobility issues to encompass difficulties in communication, hearing, vision, orientation, and spatial awareness.


Patients may face disability in a hospital environment lacking proper accessibility, regardless of existing impairments. This includes individuals with physical, mental, sensory, or psychological challenges. Adapting hospitals for user needs extends beyond mobility issues to encompass difficulties in communication, hearing, vision, orientation, and spatial awareness.




Hospital Travel Chain

The travel chain is the patient's journey from departure to receiving care at the hospital. Ensuring accessibility involves addressing practical concerns, such as improving the hospital experience for those with impairments and facilitating ease of navigation for the elderly. These principles aim to enhance comfort and usability for everyone involved in the healthcare process.


The travel chain is the patient's journey from departure to receiving care at the hospital. Ensuring accessibility involves addressing practical concerns, such as improving the hospital experience for those with impairments and facilitating ease of navigation for the elderly. These principles aim to enhance comfort and usability for everyone involved in the healthcare process.



Elderly Patients and Accessibility

By 2015, over 3.5% of Europe's population will be 85 or older, with many requiring care. While some may be cared for in retirement homes, the majority will need intermittent or follow-up care in hospitals, emphasizing specific accessibility needs. Measures for accessibility benefit not only disabled individuals but also contribute to overall comfort for all users in a hospital setting, regardless of age or health. This embodies the principle of design for all.

By 2015, over 3.5% of Europe's population will be 85 or older, with many requiring care. While some may be cared for in retirement homes, the majority will need intermittent or follow-up care in hospitals, emphasizing specific accessibility needs. Measures for accessibility benefit not only disabled individuals but also contribute to overall comfort for all users in a hospital setting, regardless of age or health. This embodies the principle of design for all.



Design Principles

Design Principles

Design Principles

Well thought out signage

Well thought out signage

This includes clear, concise, and easy-to-understand signage at key decision points, such as at entrances, hallways, elevators, stairways, and wards. Ensure consistency in design, colors and typography for clear communication.

This includes clear, concise, and easy-to-understand signage at key decision points, such as at entrances, hallways, elevators, stairways, and wards. Ensure consistency in design, colors and typography for clear communication.

Landmarks and visual recognition spots

Landmarks and visual
recognition spots

Landmarks and visual
recognition spots

Including landmarks and visual identifiers in the hospital environment can aid orientation and make it easier for users to remember the route. Example: Placing distinctive artwork, architectural features or color schemes as landmarks in the hospital.

Digital wayfinding

Digital wayfinding, such as interactive kiosks, mobile apps and touchscreens, can provide real-time information and personalised directions to help users navigate the hospital more easily.


Digital wayfinding, such as interactive kiosks, mobile apps and touchscreens, can provide real-time information and personalised directions to help users navigate the hospital more easily.

Inclusive design and Accessibility

Hospitals should be accessible to everyone, including people with reduced mobility, the visually impaired or the hearing impaired. Ensure that (digital) signage takes these groups into account by using clear, high-contrast fonts, tactile elements, Braille and audio signals where appropriate.

Site Investigation

Site Investigation

Site Investigation

We selected Policlinico as the main target environment. It is complex with diverse environmental elements such as various buildings, construction sites, bars, parking spots. We investigated mainly on the configuration of the environment, the current wayfinding system, as well as the experiences and opinions from patients, visitors, and staff.
At the beginning, we interviewed both staff and the elderly patients. However, we discovered that the interviewees answered totally different from how they behaved due to potential mental shame, so we mainly depended on observation to investigate their behaviours.

We selected Policlinico as the main target environment. It is complex with diverse environmental elements such as various buildings, construction sites, bars, parking spots. We investigated mainly on the configuration of the environment, the current wayfinding system, as well as the experiences and opinions from patients, visitors, and staff.
At the beginning, we interviewed both staff and the elderly patients. However, we discovered that the interviewees answered totally different from how they behaved due to potential mental shame, so we mainly depended on observation to investigate their behaviours.

Findings

Findings

Findings

Interview

The majority of elderly patients come by public transport
Most interviewees perceive the hospital as a maze
The elderly patients tend to ask rather than using the kiosks because they don't trust technology
Patients are always not aware of the steps they need to take in the current visit
Staff in the hospital are not 100% informed about everything, so they always give wrong answers
There are info points but they are always unavailable
Signs are often wrong or not clear or not in the right place, the hospital should redo it
Elderly patients wasted a lot of time in the navigation and they sometimes risk missing the time of the appointment

Observation and Shadowing

Lots of elderly patients wait and think in confusion
Middle age visitors try to follow the signage before asking, while the elderly tend to ask directly
There are kiosks but patients barely use them
There is always another accompanying person with an elderly patient
The maps and signs in the buildings are not easily accessible, people need to take effort to find them
There is a long way to walk from the entrance to the Ponti building (where to make registration)
Lots of elderly patients queue in front of the volunteers



Summary

The current signage system is not friendly for the elderly patients, leading to the necessity of asking hospital staff
The digital devices in the hospital are not user-friendly enough for the elderly patients, leading to distrust and reliance on asking
Patients are also not about to get 100% correct answers through asking, a lot of extra time and efforts are spent in 'trial and error'
Patients can still complete the process successfully, while the process might be troublesome and frustrating

Case studies

Case studies

Case studies

We defined two different cases tudies during our research that we consider significant for the development of Virgilio.

Purple wayfinding kiosk

Interactive digital map
The user enters the destination and the map shows the route to follow
Users can print the map with the route
Access to details, like opening times and stock levels
Display information about a point of interest
Deliver messages to visitors

Guidance system design

Paper bracelet with appointment receipt
The RFID on paper bracelet stores patient’s medical data
Paper bracelet is used to interact with the digital map
The map provide information about the route, directions, queuing information

Who are we designing for?

The research gave us also meaningful insights to better define our user. In the following gallery you can see the tools we used to gain a deeper understanding of our target users.

Ideation

Ideation

Ideation

After carrying out the research phase it was time to start thinking about possible solutions that could satisfy our goal

The concepts

The concepts

The concepts

Thanks to the creative sessions we did in group we were able to define three different concepts that could provide a valid solution to our problem

Insights and Design Opportunities

Insights and

Design Opportunities

Intuitive feedforward
and feedback

Avoid using a smartphone, provide easy interaction and haptic feedback instead

Don't forget the cost
and feasibility

Consider the cost and benefits of the proposed solutions

Streamline the whole
journey

Consider both indoor and outdoor navigation, and streamline the journey

Our Solution

Our Solution

Our Solution

Iteration

Iteration

Iteration

Throughout the whole design process we followed an iterative approach. This meant that we tested even with low fidelity prototypes, in order to gather meaningful insights about the overall experience and usage if the system.

Concept evolution

Concept evolution

Concept evolution

Thanks to the creative sessions we did in group we were able to define three different concepts that could provide a valid solution to our problem

Product Design

Product Design

Product Design

We developed the design of the different Virgilio touchpoints: the V Map, the V Compass and the V Point. After the Madness presentation in which we presented the MVP the design and aesthetic of the devices changed slightly, following some comments made by the testers.

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