Universal Translator Cards: Testing prototype

It has been identified by hospital staff that a method of communication needs to be established  for patients who cannot speak English and an interpreter is not available to communicate daily needs i.e. toilet, water, food etc. This is frustrating and time consuming for both patients and staff, accompanied with feelings of embarrassment and vulnerability for the patient. 

The scope:

It must be disposable and printable on A4 paper to make it accessible to staff in wards, so they may directly download from the intranet. The imagery in the design should be as universal as possible and have the ability to be written on. 

To test, and make sure the cards communicate as intended the cards are being trialled in 4 participating wards in Auckland Hospital over 1 month. Feedback from staff and patients will validate whats working well in the design solution, and what needs further iteration.

Anesthesia illustrations

Take a look a these sweet illustrations by Emma Scheltema.  Emma is an illustrator working in the lab who recently developed a set of drawings to explain the development of modern Anaesthesia. The campaign highlighted how far the practise has come from when it was first successfully trialled in 1846.

Here is a sampling of the imagery she developed for the project. See more of her beautiful illustrations here. 

Guy Collier: MCI Research

The research platform afforded by the DHW lab allows PhD students like Guy Collier to conduct forward thinking, rigorous design/health research. 

Guy embarked on his PhD earlier this year, 'Medical Anthropology, Collaboration, & Designing for Mild Cognitive Impairment.'

The research aims to understand the experience of people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and analyse the day-to-day strategies and supports they find most helpful in managing their condition. In collaboration with AUT’s Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies and the Person Centred Research Centre (PCRC) , the interdisciplinary project will design and deliver a ‘user-centred’ digital resource for people with MCI. 

The PhD component nested in this project applies an anthropological lens to the transfer of knowledge between design and the health sciences. The goal of this research is to promote critical reflection on the historical, cultural, social, and political-economic underpinnings of the MCI project in ways that (1) ensure more reflexive engagement between applied, social and scientific knowledges, and (2) contribute to the development of an appropriate design intervention.

Guy is currently at the AFRM/NZRA Combined Rehabilitation Meeting presenting his research project. We look forward to following Guy's research project as it develops.

The Lab at 6 o' clock

After recent success at the Best Awards 2015, TV3 news ran a short story about what we are up to here in Auckland hospital. We are definitely not used to all the attention, but take it as confirmation that we are on the right track! Watch the clip here.

Further reading about the awards night can be found on the herald web site, where the lab also featured in the write up. 

Best Awards 2015

Since its formative stages, the Lab has recognised the need to establish credibility both within the healthcare and the wider design community.

At this years annual New Zealand Best Design Awards the DHW Lab was lucky enough to receive two awards, Silver in the Spatial Design category and a Purple Pin for the Public Good Award which recognises and celebrates work that has been undertaken for the welfare of communities and for public interest. The Purple Pin is the highest award given for work that raises the bar of New Zealand design.

The Lab would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and everyone who has helped to get this venture up and running!

See you soon Emme!

I have been thrilled to be a part of the lab for the past 10 months, and having the opportunity to work on projects I never thought I would be a part of. I have learnt how to co-design from the ground up, in a hands-on learning environment that has changed my way of design thinking. The inter-disciplinary nature of the lab has allowed me to collaborate with a range of designers, being part of projects all the way from branding and communication to spatial and product design.

The main thing I will take away from this experience are the pros and cons of being a “game-changer”. As a part of the lab, our goal is to improve the lives of staff and patients at Auckland Hospital, but in order to do so, we often 'rock the boat'. We are a completely new community for the hospital, and a big part of our job is learning how things are currently done to see whether we can make a positive change. I have met so many talented and caring staff, and being able to help them provide a better experience for their patients has been a highlight. I am so proud of all the work we do as a lab, and I can’t wait to return at the end of the year and continue improving lives with design, and mentoring AUT students at the start of their careers. 

For the next six weeks I will be treking from Cape Town to Nairobi, helping out on Cheetah conservation projects, orphanages, and exploring everything there is to see in southern Africa. It will be an eye-opening experience seeing how another world lives, and I’m excited to see how I will be inspired when I return. 

See you in six weeks, DHW Lab!