Leveraging AR to reimagine hospital navigation for children
Brief
The objective of this design project was to use augmented reality to create an experience. Coming from educational backgrounds in science and healthcare, our team brainstormed to identify and address a problem within the healthcare sector.
1 UX Researcher
1 Developer
Immersive Media
Course
Unity
Maya
AfterEffects
SparkAR
Overview
We set out with a clear goal: to transform the hospital experience for children, often seen as fearful, into an engaging and exciting adventure. By leveraging technology, we created "Bobo," an AR-powered way-finding app that turns routine hospital visits into interactive and enjoyable experiences.
Problem Statement
In paediatrics hospitals, navigating the complex layout often induces stress and fear in children and families.
Existing wayfinding systems are designed for adults, leaving a gap in accessibility and engagement for younger visitors. Our challenge was to create a child-friendly navigation solution that alleviates this anxiety while fostering independence.
Product Goal
To provide a user-friendly, engaging, and accessible navigation system that enables children of various ages to navigate hospital visits more independently.
End Goal
To improve patient satisfaction by reducing barriers for children, thereby allowing for more effective allocation of hospital staff resources.
Online Research
We conducted online research through various platforms. Many individuals conveyed their frustrations with navigating hospitals.
Common problems included language barriers, unclear signage, and insufficient staff to ask for directions.
- Toronto is a very multi-cultural city, many face language barriers in hospitals.
- Provide different language options during user onboarding.
- Confusing signage, out of order elevators, and moved offices.
- Automatic rerouting of routes when rooms change or out of service.
- Information desks often become inaccessible, leaving patients with no choice but to flag down medical staff like nurses or physicians for directional help.
- The size and complexity of hospitals can be daunting.
- Visitors can easily become overwhelmed trying to find the best way to get to their destination.
- Pathway overlay on the ground to guide users with minimal UI distractions.
- A mental walkthrough to their destination does not work.
- Prevent high cognitive load by adding a search bar to find the quickest route to their destination.
Ethnographic Research
For the next phase of our research, my team member and I travelled to the SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
We roamed the corridors, soaking in the ambiance, noting the anxiety-filled faces, and observed the navigational experience.
Research Findings & Observations
The atmosphere was somber, accompanied by the overall outdated design of the hospital. The environment did not seem inviting, especially towards children. While there were way-finding stickers close to the entrance of the hospital, they only went on for around 20 meters.
- Most children were having conversations with their parent/guardian but were not laughing or energetic.
- Almost all children had a neutral or somber expression when entering the hospital.
- A child was happily engaged with an interactive digital game located in the waiting room.
- He tried to engage his parents in his activity, who were seated a couple feet away.
- This was the only instance we observed a child interacting with a digital interaction, while being somewhat distanced from their guardian for an extended period.
- The waiting room featured a movie with closed captions for accessibility.
- Way-finding stickers were only prevalent near the entrance of the building, with their presence noticeably lacking in the rest of the hospital.
- Hallways and rooms were dimly lit with yellow lights and old fixtures.
- Most children were accompanied by a female adult.
- Several children were in wheelchairs.
- Children stayed very closely to their guardian.
Ideation
Embracing empathy and innovation, our team created the idea of "Bobo," an interactive AR-powered guide. The goal was to take a child's hand (virtually) and lead them through the hospital hallways, transforming the overwhelming environment into an engaging and fun experience.
Core Features
Throughout the research and design process, we consciously made accessibility our key focus. Every child in a hospital should be able to use our way-finding application to navigate their surroundings with confidence. Our goal was to break down barriers, enable independence, and create a welcoming environment for all children navigating complex hospitals.
Accessibility options
Customizable text size, closed captions, and AR navigation for easy use by children of all abilities.
Multilingual support
A range of language options ensures the app can accommodate Toronto's diverse population.
Quick search functionality
A search feature allows users to quickly find rooms and destinations within the hospital, reducing cognitive load.
AR navigation
Bobo, an animated AR guide, leads children through hospital halls, making the journey less overwhelming.
User Flow
Once our team finalized the core features for our MVP, we proceeded to outline the user journey. We considered how the users would interact with our app and took into account the specific context in which they would be using it.
Our primary objective was to create a user-friendly and efficient application. To achieve this, we integrated the insights gathered during our research phase and eliminated any unnecessary steps during the initial iteration of our product.
Lo-fi Wireframes Sketches
Once our team finalized the core features for our MVP, we proceeded to outline the user journey. We considered how the users would interact with our app and took into account the specific context in which they would be using it.
Our primary objective was to create a user-friendly and efficient application. To achieve this, we integrated the insights gathered during our research phase and eliminated any unnecessary steps during the initial iteration of our product.
With this first iteration, we were able to identify areas of improvement, and areas where we could streamline the process by reducing the number of steps.
Branding
Children often associate bright colours with joy and comfort. Inspired by this, we chose vibrant colours to represent our brand, aiming to spark a feeling of familiarity and excitement, counteracting the sterile, often intimidating, hospital environment.
Character Design
Our objective when designing the character was to make sure it was welcoming. My team member took a lead of designing the character. They ultimately created a 3D render of the character in Maya.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
Using the low-fidelity wireframes, I created an initial version of the mid-fidelity prototypes. As I went through the design process, I made ongoing adjustments to the colours and font, resulting in the following screens not following the final brand system.
High-Fidelity Prototype
In the second iteration, I simplified the UI further. I removed the signup requirement and added a language preference feature during onboarding, enhancing accessibility and usability.
Removed signup requirement
The hospital is already a stressful environment, therefore creating and having to memorize yet another password could pose as a barrier. I also removed the requirement for patient number to improve simplicity.
Added language preferences
This was designed in Toronto, one of the most multicultural city in the world. We added a language preference upon entering to reduce any confusion.
Added quick search button
We introduced a search button overlaid on the augmented reality screens, enabling users to conveniently modify their desired location.
Results
Reflection & Next Steps
This project taught me the importance of empathy-driven research in designing for sensitive environments like hospitals. While limited user testing was a constraint, future iterations would involve more rounds of testing with children to refine the app further.
Looking ahead, Bobo could become a more interactive companion, playing games and responding to emotions, transforming hospital visits from routine to engaging experiences.
