Flourish
Designing an immersive installation for healthcare staff
SUMMARY
Flourish is an immersive, interactive installation designed to target ICU nursing professionals who face significant challenges with stress, burnout, and cognitive fatigue. This intervention provides meaningful relief throughout their demanding shifts, offering moments of respite from the mental, emotional, and physical strain inherent to critical care environments.
TIMELINE
2023
PLATFORM
Physical Installation
CLIENT
Studio Elsewhere
Michigan Medicine
TOOLS
Touchdesigner
IoT Systems
DESIGN GOAL
Design a restorative experience that helps healthcare staff reduce stress and regain focus during demanding shifts.
MY ROLE AND TEAM
Creative Technologist & UX Designer
As the UX Designer and Developer, I led the creation of both Ocean Flow and Cosmic Waves. I worked closely with healthcare stakeholders, prototyped interactions, and translated feedback into modular, scalable designs that could be adapted to different hospital spaces.
KEY INSIGHTS
Understanding the needs of frontline staff
Through field interviews and observation at Michigan Medicine, we identified the following challenges faced by ICU nurses:
Physical fatigue
Constant movement throughout demanding shifts
Cognitive overload
Difficulty finding moments to mentally reset
Limited break time
A need for flexible and brief restoration options
Environmental transitions
Desire for dedicated, soothing spaces within the hospital
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Flourish
To address the diverse needs of healthcare workers, we designed a suite of motion-based experiences that could be accessed within a dedicated immersive room on the ICU floor. Each module was informed by staff feedback and grounded in cognitive and physiological research, offering targeted relief from stress, fatigue, and cognitive overload.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Ocean Flow
Inspired by Tai Chi, Ocean Flow incorporates slow, mindful movements and guided breathing. This module encourages presence, calmness, and mental clarity—helping reduce anxiety and improve attention in just a few minutes.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Color Chorus
This mood-elevating experience responds to movement with vibrant, swirling visuals. Its engaging aesthetic creates a playful, emotionally uplifting moment—promoting a positive shift in affective state during short breaks.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Cosmic Waves
A passive experience that features gentle, rhythmic motion and expansive visual patterns. It helps restore cognitive capacity by giving the mind a break from focused attention, promoting relaxation and mental reset.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Starlight
Designed to combat physical exhaustion, Starlight invites full-body movement through dynamic, fast-paced interactions. It targets stiffness and energizes the body, offering a physical reset especially beneficial for those on their feet all day.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
Touchscreen & Projected Menus
A simple touchscreen interface allows users to select their preferred experience with ease. A projected version of the menu mirrors the interface, ensuring visibility from anywhere in the room and reducing friction in high-paced environments. The system was intentionally designed to minimize cognitive load and allow healthcare staff to access relief quickly and intuitively.
OUTCOMES
Designing under pressure, delivering with purpose
Flourish was successfully deployed at Michigan Medicine, following extensive prototyping and continuous, user-centered iteration. By incorporating direct feedback from healthcare staff and clinical leadership, we created a solution that fit seamlessly into the hospital environment and responded directly to real-world stressors.
Cognitive Performance
Post-implementation assessments showed improved focus and mental clarity among participants.
Reported Stress Levels
Staff reported a significant reduction in stress after engaging with the modules.
Engagement and Satisfaction
The intuitive interface and immersive setting encouraged frequent use during breaks.
REFLECTION
Designing with care
Flourish showed me how impactful design can be when it meets people exactly where they are. Working with healthcare staff helped me focus on what mattered most to them. It was incredibly rewarding to create something that could make even a small part of their day feel more manageable.
As we look to the future, I see a lot of opportunity to improve and scale the system. I want to refine Flourish into a plug-and-play solution that other hospitals can adopt easily. That includes simplifying the setup process, optimizing the menu interface for broader use, and making it easier for staff to manage or update content without extra training.
This project deepened my belief that design can offer real support in high-pressure environments. I’m excited to keep iterating and expanding its impact.
