Building Better Healthcare

Now more than ever, the design of healthcare facilities is influenced by three key factors: economy, efficiency, and patient engagement. Modern healthcare environments require hundreds of decisions that must align with these critical drivers. But how do we create spaces that both encourage and support the care delivery that children and their medical providers expect?

Experience Mapping

Experience mapping is an insightful tool used to understand perspectives by literally stepping into someone else’s shoes. This approach, which has long been effective in various industries, is now proving invaluable in healthcare. It helps architects and designers capture the real opinions of patients, physicians, and staff about their healthcare experiences. Institutions like universities, hospitals, and retail venues leverage this tool to refine services and facilities, enhancing satisfaction and boosting business.

Originally utilized by web developers to gauge online user experiences across different web pages, experience mapping has evolved. It involves detailed qualitative research methods, such as idea sessions and interviews, to gather expectations and experiences. This method, employed by Grace Design Studios, enriches the design conversation.

Experience mapping differs from process mapping and typical customer service research. It provides a deep dive into the customer’s journey (patients, families, physicians, staff, insurers) from start to finish, identifying emotional triggers and interaction points. This approach not only helps in understanding operational procedures but also in capturing the emotions linked to these experiences, enabling the integration of both aspects into a cohesive design strategy that addresses the needs of both patients and healthcare providers.

Experience mapping is particularly effective in complex environments like hospitals, where multiple interactions occur. It’s becoming essential in designing child-focused healthcare environments and other sectors where understanding intricate customer relationships is crucial. This approach is beneficial when improving service, efficiency, or loyalty, redesigning facilities, updating branding, or implementing new technologies.

The process begins at the very first interaction point, such as the entrance of a facility. By empathetically engaging with the environment from the perspective of a new patient or family—whether arriving by ambulance, vehicle, public transport, or on foot—we meticulously document and analyze every touchpoint. Our design teams conduct thorough interviews and incorporate historical data to create a comprehensive document that outlines the patient experience and informs design decisions that will resonate well with users.

Experience mapping is more than a research technique; it’s a fundamental element of modern design, ensuring that new projects truly meet the needs of those who will use the facilities.

Project Spotlight

Hushabye Nursery, Phoenix, AZ

Hushabye Nursery offers a therapeutic and welcoming environment for short-term medical care to infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and their families. Our mission was to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to substance-exposed babies and their caregivers, positively impacting their lives for years to come. The facility is a safe and inclusive space where mothers, family members, and babies—from conception through childhood—can access integrative care and therapeutic support designed to optimize each child’s life outcomes. Their services include prenatal and postpartum support groups, inpatient nursery care, and outpatient therapies.