Journey To Fun
Playful Hospital Wayfinding for QUT Design Lab
Queensland Children's Hospital needed to enhance their Entertainment Precinct’s branded identity; facilitate a joyful experience within that distracts families from illness; and improve its wayfinding for locating services. The designer addressed this through uniquely incorporating playground games into wayfinding. The visual design complements integrates architecture and environment. The co-design and interdisciplinary approach with stakeholders, key to the project success, is also unique.
Download Press Kit № 161077
Download Press Kit № 161077 Playful Hospital Wayfinding for QUT Design Lab by Children's Hospital Wayfinding Team to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.
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Journey to Fun by Children 039 s Hospital Wayfinding Team
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Playful Hospital Wayfinding by Children 039 s Hospital Wayfinding Team
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Children 039 s Hospital Wayfinding Team Journey to Fun
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Children 039 s Hospital Wayfinding Team Playful Hospital Wayfinding
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Unique Properties
Queensland Children's Hospital needed to enhance their Entertainment Precinct’s branded identity; facilitate a joyful experience within that distracts families from illness; and improve its wayfinding for locating services. We addressed this through uniquely incorporating playground games into wayfinding; and visual design that complements and integrates with architecture and environment. Our co-design and interdisciplinary approach with stakeholders, key to the project success, is also unique.
Tags
Design for Health, Co-Design, Collaboration, Hospital Wayfinding, Hospital Branding, Experience Design, Wayfinding, Branding, Environmental Graphic Design, Hospital, Pediatric
Production Technology
Co-design workshops with hospital stakeholders resulted in insights such as the parrot character. Using site photos and Photoshop, digital collages were created for feedback. Detailed wall and doorway measurements were taken to create layout templates. Paper and Procreate were used for illustration, with vectorizing in Illustrator. Vertical designs were printed as wall-sized panels and floor feather decals were individually die cut and installed.
Design Challenge
Designing within health and architectural constraints was exciting and a challenge. Our interdisciplinary team navigated challenges to integrate playful UX into wayfinding, considering factors from surface sterilization to inclusive design and complementing the orange colour scheme. Striving to 'escape flatland,' we used floor decals to encourage physical engagement akin to playground activities. Parrot characters peeked over doors, adding humor and enriching the playful experience design.
Project Duration
Starting October 2020 with co-design, research and prototyping, the concepts and imagery were refined by July 2021, then vectorized, with final approvals, printing and installation by September 2021. Publicly launched in October it remains a significant and impactful part of the Queensland Children’s Hospital, the primary facility of Queensland’s state-wide Hospital and Health Service, with over 350 beds, 40,000 patients annually, and according to Newsweek, the 10th best children's hospital internationally.
Operation Flow
The design utilizes wayfinding and UX design to tackle challenges like getting lost and limited engagement. Memorable landmarks created at lift wells aid recollection, with places (waterfall) replacing letters (lift A). Directional signage includes the parrot signage at the intersections near lift entries and the playfully directional feather trails on the floors. Colour and symbols (parrots, feathers) in the signage differentiates between destinations, while also uniquely representing each
Research
Level 6 'Entertainment Precinct' needed a distinctive, joyful identity and improved wayfinding. Design was informed by collaborative and human-centered methods, from co-design workshops to interviews and surveys. Post-completion feedback is overwhelmingly positive: one mother shared how her toddler, typically reluctant to walk, eagerly followed the feathers, demonstrating the design's positive impact on wellbeing. Our solution surpassed expectations and informs ongoing design and research.
Inspiration
Nature, children's games, collaboration with hospital stakeholders and the building's 'living tree' concept and parrot sculptures were key.Biophilic design and regional landscape led to nature-based placemaking at each entry point (Lifts A,B).Playful characterisations of parrots could relate to children and 3 unique parrots were created for each of the 3 services, using coloured feather trails and inspired by playground games like Hopscotch - immediately facilitating active and embodied play.
Image Credits
Image #1 : Photographer Sarah Osborne, Illustration Kirsten Baade, Documentation, 2021 Image #2 : Photographer Sarah Osborne, Illustration Kirsten Baade, Documentation, 2021 Image #3 : Photographer Sarah Osborne, Illustration Kirsten Baade, Documentation, 2021 Image #4 : Photographer Sarah Osborne, Illustration Kirsten Baade, Documentation, 2021 Image #5 : Photographer Sarah Osborne, Illustration Kirsten Baade, Documentation, 2021
Project Overview
Journey To Fun Playful Hospital Wayfinding has been a Iron winner in the Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design award category in the year 2023 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Iron Recognition
Children's Hospital Wayfinding Team was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2024, a testament to excellence of their work Journey To Fun Playful Hospital Wayfinding.
Children's Hospital Wayfinding Team Newsroom
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