Designing Healthcare

Hearts and Health

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:53:29 +0000

February is heart awareness month and today of course is Valentine’s Day (hooray for love!). In celebration of the day, here are some lovely, well-designed hearts. Hearts in red. Hearts in blue. Hearts for every one of you. And winner of the Best Designed Heart award goes to: the one thumping in your chest. Take … Continue reading →

Hierarchy of Effectiveness: the process

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:22:23 +0000

Last week I gave a centre-wide presentation (50+ people) about my work, a rewarding presentation because I got to share a variety of my pieces and the process behind them. Process is one of the most interesting things you can show someone because it is a glimpse behind the curtain, an affirmation that design is … Continue reading →

Barriers to creativity in healthcare

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:39:36 +0000

I only have time for a short-ish post this week so thought I’d explore a question that occurred to me recently. Why is creativity scary to some people in healthcare? Not design, not art, not innovation — but creativity itself, as a process. Some potential factors: Embracing creativity means doing things differently. In healthcare, different is … Continue reading →

A critical review: The Eatery

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:51:16 +0000

Working at an academic, non-profit institution means my team has no imperative to make money on what we build. Whether it is to our gain or detriment is up for debate, but we never talk about advertising, revenue, and rarely mention marketing. That we mostly ignore the B word (budget) during production is a refreshing … Continue reading →

Walking into a hospital: 20 Design Challenges

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:57:26 +0000

For anyone who doesn’t regularly spend time in a hospital, walking into one is challenging. You imagine everyone you see is a doctor or a nurse striding confidently toward a patient to, oh I don’t know, save someone’s life, their elevated status making you feel small and inconsequential. At every corner are stands with old … Continue reading →

Big issues facing mHealth’s ‘thrilling, disruptive potential’

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:04:59 +0000

I’m utterly hopeful about all the attention mobile health has been receiving in the news lately, I really am. The latest to grab my attention was this Fast Company article, “As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All” by Adam Bluesmen. Note: See other things I’ve … Continue reading →

Looking Forward, Looking Back

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:07:15 +0000

I am a goal setter, always have been, so the idea of making resolutions as an acceptable activity appeals to me greatly. This week, fresh back at work, I hunkered down with paper and pencil and burned this question into my mind until it no longer made sense: What do I want from the healthcare … Continue reading →

Holiday Usability Errors

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:54:23 +0000

Recently my huz and I finished some work for a dear old freelance client we’d been neglecting while I settled into my new routine with University Health Network. Though our response to her simple request had been weeks delayed (I don’t dare look up how long it actually was – it could well have been … Continue reading →

Where are healthcare’s big ideas?

admin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:24:40 +0000

Last weekend I attended (as an observer) Startup Weekend Toronto, a 54 hour event that takes place in over 123 countries in which all kinds of people pitch startup ideas. Those who pitch subsequently try to launch a business with a team made of people also participating in the event. The catch is that on … Continue reading →

Koko’s Big Mistake

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:28:44 +0000

Koko is a gorilla, you may know that already. You may also that Koko speaks with her hands, much like I do, much like all designers do. At the end of this video, Koko does something interesting. She makes a mistake. Watch this: Instead of signing “drink” and “more” in two concurrent steps (as humans … Continue reading →