University of Iowa Children’s Hospital: Interactive Theater and More
Creative Brief
Role: User Experience Designer
Audience: Children 4-18
Needs: Create an immersive technology-based theater in the hospital lobby space for patients and families that also has flexible programming for hospital events. Most importantly we took the recovery process into consideration. Hospital stays can be a long and uncertain experience filled with intimidating equipment, unfamiliar people, and multiple treatment sessions. This experience was meant to assist children who’ve long been confined to a room to slowly work their way back into a public setting—complete with interactive games that help them transition to an active lifestyle.
From the doctors: Leverage the research from the National Children’s Medical Center in Washington, D.C. — that video games provide an uplifting experience that aids in pain relief. While playing, users are more likely to utilize muscles they typically would leave sedentary due to pain, increasing their range of motion more quickly.
Using Microsoft Kinect technology, we designed two interactive video experiences specifically for the theater.
Concept creation
The “Eagles’ Flight” experience allows participants to begin a journey in Iowa, and fly by landmarks throughout the US to give kids a sense of exploration.
The second mode “Story in the Stars” brings together three original stories as constellations in the night sky. As users experience a narrative, they interact with on-screen hot-spots to reveal animated elements.
custom story Writing & Voice Over
After concepts were selected, creating compelling content was key. I wrote all three custom stories, and helped with casting voice actors.
All three stories were recorded by 4 different voice actors, and played at random. This made the experience highly returnable for long turn patients. For exmple, even if they were hearing the same story, it would be presented by a different voice and tone.
Story boarding
After stories were approved and VO recording was in proccess, we moved into storyboarding the concepts to provide a map for the animation and development teams to follow.
The interactive experience was outlined here by storyboarding the linear story elments as a layer, and another layer being focused on user interaction and “easter eggs” they could find and trigger.
User testing
Organizing testing sessions, and response forms
Inclusivity makes a difference.
“WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS SPACE, ESPECIALLY AS A CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST IS THAT IT IS ADAPTABLE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES AND DISABILITIES."
– ERIN DRAMINSKI, CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST AT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STEAD FAMILY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Additional project elements
Historical exhibit attrium
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Interactive projection waiting activity
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Preliminary mock-up of projection distortion at Dimensional Innovations office.
digital donor & Employee recognition walls
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
