Doug Dietz and Adventure Series MRI - Creative Confidence #1
Doug Dietz, one of the medical imaging system designers at GE Healthcare, wrapped up an MRI machine project after 2.5 years of working on it.
Once he got an opportunity to see it installed in a hospital.
There he saw the machine, which was nominated for an International Design Excellence Award, scaring the patients. A young girl, who was waiting to be scanned, was terrified, and her parents were worried. The MRI technician had to call for an anesthesiologist.
That visit to the hospital made him see the anxiety and fear of young patients. He saw his design through the eyes of those kids. And it looked like a big scary machine, instead of a sleek piece of technology.
Searching for a fresh perspective and a different approach, he attended a week-long design workshop.
He learnt about the human-centered approach to design and innovation. He passed his design ideas through people in diverse industries and roles.
Now, Doug couldn't redesign the machine, but he could focus on redesigning the experience.
He observed kids at a day care centre. He talked with child life specialists, and other doctors and staff in the locality. Next, Doug designed the "Adventure Series" scanner.
His team applied colourful decals to the outside of the machine, and to every surface of the room. They also prepared scripts for the machine operators to lead the kids into the adventure. Pirate ship adventure and spaceship adventure were among the first experiences designed.
And the number of pediatric patients requiring to be sedated reduced drastically.
Lesson:
A creative mindset can be a powerful force for looking beyond the normal affairs. It can help improve on existing ideas.
New opportunities for innovation open up when you start the creative problem-solving process with empathy towards your target audience.
[Creative Confidence Newsletter: 1 of 25]
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