overview
Forest Friends is a magical woodland experience designed to bring delight and “positive distraction” to pediatric cancer patients.
As a senior designer, I collaborated with the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute to create a playful experience for patients that helps the doctors and nurses concentrate on the serious work of curing cancer.
Forest Friends is based on research which shows that when patients experience “positive distraction” during their course of treatment, for example, by being able to view natural environments from their bedside, they can distract themselves from the discomfort of their care. This distraction enables parents to be less stressed, which enables staff to perform their jobs more effectively, ultimately resulting in improved patient outcomes.
Client
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Scope of work
Create an interactive experience for pediatric radiation oncology patients to provide a positive distraction
Outcome
Forest Friends, a set of digital companions who accompany young patients through all of the spaces they spend time in, and a series of forest scenes that change over time and provide a calm backdrop for older patients.
the problem
A need for positive distraction for young patients and their families dealing with cancer
Ohio State University was building a brand new pediatric radiation oncology department at the Wexner Medical Center, and wanted help in creating an experience to help distract young patients undergoing radiation therapy.
The interactive experience needed to appeal to a wide range of patients, since pediatrics encompasses anyone ages 0 to 18
Radiation therapy, and the accompanying exhaustion and necessary procedures are scary, so the experience needed to be calming, companionable, and help young patients especially feel supported.
Patients come back for 15 days of treatment, so the experience needs to change over time, so that it doesn't become stale.
Because cancer patients are especially vulnerable to germs, the experience needed be easy to clean and maintain.
the result
A delightful, animated series of "windows" into a magical forest
After research and a site visit to the adult radiation oncology suite, I worked with a small project team to create the concept of a series of windows into a magical forest that slowly changes over the course of 30 days, and is full of small delightful animations and interactions. Once the concept was finalized, I illustrated, animated some elements, and worked as an art director with an animation group to bring the concept to life.
