The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland has an important and noble mission: they are dedicated to treating all kids regardless of their insurance coverage or socioeconomic background. This ideal wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of their donors. To honor them, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital came to us with a request to design an interactive video wall to be prominently featured in the main entryway of the hospital.
While the wall first and foremost would be placed to recognize and celebrate the people and organizations that generously give to the hospital, it is also there educate and entertain visitors, especially children. The notion of a hospital is an uninviting one to kids, who fear the typically cold, harsh environment filled with pokes and prods, loud noises and waiting. How could we use the wall to engage kids and give them a reason to look forward to visiting?
The challenge was to incorporate a lot of different content into a unified, interactive design and communicate effectively to many different audiences.
The concept we landed on was one of playful community. We used technology that allowed the wall to mirror the environment around it, allowing it to be a natural extension of the room and people walking past. As people walk past, the wall reflects their movement with beautiful, colorful particle trails that are friendly and playful and invite them to come and interact with the wall.
After the installation was implemented, the resulting reaction was wonderful. We watched as kids, doctors, staff, and parents young and old walked over and explored the wall’s information and educational resources, taking their minds off both the future and past, getting lost in the moment.
See it for yourself at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland.
