A Happy Accident
Five Lessons Learned from Designing in Healthcare
I (very happily) stumbled into experience design. I did not start in the field; quite the opposite. As an undergraduate, I created an interdisciplinary major concentrating in public health, studio art, and bioethics. After graduation, I decided to prepare for medical school. I completed a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, contributed to an exhibit on genomics at the Smithsonian, worked in a pediatric specialty outpatient clinic, and for a children’s psychiatric crisis group. Along the way I was thinking like a designer and just didn’t know it. I approached work, regardless of the setting, with an eye for the experiential. I value details, but also how the details fit into the larger picture or system. My brain would consistently jump to user oriented solutions, to issues of accessibility, and to the concept of participatory design. I didn’t know these terms in my previous professional roles until I chatted with the right people who triggered the light bulb over my head and introduced the concept of experience design. I haven’t looked back and remain passionate about applying design in healthcare and other settings.
I gained valuable insights and acquired new skills from each turn along my unconventional path to design. However, the one that has meant the most to me personally and professionally is my current work with The University of Vermont Medical Center working alongside Jeremy Beaudry and Katie McCurdy. After several months, I’ve learned more than a few things from them. It is nearly impossible to condense all I’ve learned into a five item list, but here is my best attempt:
1. The power of actually listening
Listening is an important aspect of many professional and personal interactions. I noticed from the beginning the way Jeremy and Katie listen is vastly different. They rarely interject or interrupt another person. They do not listen passively. Truly listening is an intentional act. To listen is to be present and to observe the verbal and nonverbal language. This is of the utmost importance in the healthcare setting. Patients, providers, and staff often embrace and let themselves fall into the inviting space Katie and Jeremy create with their own language. Patients, providers, and staff share deeply personal experiences, insights, hopes, and fears. This brings me to the next thing…
2. Value of co-designing and involving users early in the process
Many hospital systems say they advocate for patient-centered care. How many actually involve the patient or the user in problem solving? Not just feedback after a decision has been made, but earlier in the process before arriving to any possible solutions. This starts with research and interviews. Designers embedded in healthcare systems are able to invest the time in conducting thorough research and thus learn from patients’ experiences and insights. This helps to frame the direction of the work and involves the patient’s voice from the very beginning. Throughout the design process, returning to the patient to test prototypes and receive feedback keeps the patient perspective alive in the work. This is true for involving clinical staff as well. I frequently witness how empowered patients and staff feel when their experiences and voices are being woven into solving a problem. I observed how this approach yields more creative and sustainable results. In my previous professional experiences, policies and solutions originated from the top down approach, reinforcing hierarchical culture. The solutions rarely solved an issue or made a sustainable meaningful impact. Involving users early is a win-win. Users are empowered and richer solutions are crafted.
3. Document all steps and stages of your process
Katie and Jeremy have several projects going simultaneously, each in a different stage and moving at varying speeds. They document each stage, sprint, and test with photos and writing. Sketches, prototypes, post-its, photos all go on giant moveable cardboard pieces. The process is documented in a dynamic way and our studio is constantly in motion, moving and shifting alongside the work. The practical consequence of documenting is being able to return to your thought progression and sequence of ideas. The power of documenting is creating the ability to share the design process with others and fostering transparency. Documenting additionally honors each phase of a project and those who generously gave their time to participate.
4. Getting cozy with ambiguity is a good thing and crucial
When synthesizing the data and determining main insights from research, complex concepts would surface that I felt totally clueless about how to start to tackle. With each interview, we were sent in another direction. Jeremy would start talking about creating a prototype and I told him I had no idea whatsoever about the prototype. He responded with “I don’t either!” This is when I started to realize that I need to embrace the ambiguity that may be at times frustrating, but it is an essential element of the design process. Not knowing does not mean working haphazardly. It does mean being open to the research and settling into the unknown. I have a love/hate relationship with ambiguity. I hate not feeling prepared or having a plan. And yet, I love the potential of the unknown and being open to all possibilities. This experience has taught me to develop a more positive relationship with ambiguity and to feel confident swimming in a sea of uncertainty fueled by thorough research. And treading water is a lot of more tolerable when you are surrounded by some pretty fun folks who are excellent swimmers!
5. Positivity and passion are contagious
Katie and Jeremy are two members of an elite club: people who wake up excited to go to work. Thanks to them, I’ve joined that club as well. They focus on silver linings and see bureaucratic barriers as challenges to solve creatively. When they hear people say “I can’t do that”, they respond with accessible ways to empower them. They are focused, efficient individuals but always make time for humor and value laughter. Their professional and personal outlooks are refreshing and energizing. I’ve observed how their attitudes and approaches are infectious. People depart from meetings with them, visibly more energetic and full of smiles. Their optimism and passion are contagious - and I hope one day I can affect others the same way.
I’m energized by our current and unknown projects. I learn something new every day and find myself approaching both my professional and personal lives differently. My research and clinical experiences have informed my work today and will continue to do so. My meandering path into design initially felt like a series of wrong turns. Now I know it was a series of “right” turns, shaping me into a designer with a distinct perspective and diverse skill set, ready to tackle the problems of today and tomorrow.
