A Small sample of RECENT projects
Physical activity to combat osteoporosis
Most people don’t even know that they have osteoporosis, till they break a bone.
Breaking a wrist, hip or vertebrae or getting a diagnosis for fragile bones can be life-altering. As a consequence, most people decide to reduce their physical activity - the very thing that actually keeps their bones healthy!
An accessible coach-led program, delivered digitally, helps people to build more bone mass and regain their strength. Having a better balance reduces accidents. A group format combined with peer support and active lifestyle contribute to general wellbeing, including sounder sleep and better stress and pain management.
Client: Kaari Prehab
Aalto Main Street, a re-imagined university campus
Alvar Aalto designed his campus in heroic scale, with majestic buildings and wide roads - but now most people walk.
Aalto University auditorium by Alvar Aalto
An architecturally important landmark campus, designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto in late 1940s, required an upgrade to meet current activities, user behaviours and spatial needs.
To plan human-scale interactions, pavilions and new indoor-outdoor spaces, a collaborative semester-long Master course between Aalto University Architecture department, and Royal College of Art Service Design department delivered twelve high-class solutions which respected the cultural heritage but also took into consideration multiple demands, including pandemic restrictions.
Client: Aalto University
An upgraded teaching experience - and improved learning outcomes.
‘I’m left with two bad choices: if I ask students to work in groups everyone must shout. If it’s only me speaking they get bored. ‘ Teacher trainee
Old auditoriums and classrooms are intended for mass lectures. Their rigid set-up limits what teachers can do.
The process was carried out with in-house architects, teachers, students and researchers. We pioneered a transformation process where actual users are involved in the process. Estate management, administration etc. provided functional parameters.
Resulting user profiles filtered into the guidelines for spatial design, materials, acoustics, information technology, lighting etc.
The resulting showcase is a working classroom, which accommodates variable group sizes and different teaching and learning scenarios. It can also be used for e.g. testing furniture and digital solutions, and carrying out behavioural research.
The space encourages experimentation, seeds innovation and demonstrates the principles of user-centric design to visitors and internally to other campuses that are in the process of planning upgrades.
Client: University of Helsinki
Improving Hospital Systems
It used to take up to five hours to deliver the samples to the lab, now it takes two minutes.
Observing work routines in a hospital gave us insights and revealed the various reasons leading to the stated problem: Delayed sample results kept patients in a hospital longer than necessary.
An information campaign and a small investment shortened the sample journey from hours to minutes, and eased the bed shortage. The money spent will be recovered within weeks. Read more….
Client: NHS - Hospital
Cycling and Running App
'Competitive athletes tend to train too hard, or too much, risking unnecessary injury.' A sports medical specialist.
In-depth research covering athletes and their routines allowed a start-up to understand the aspects that hard-training sportsmen regard essential or beneficial, and how they wanted to engage with information. The outcome is a unique service offering which guides athletes towards safe level of training.
Understanding the value of specific information, and fine-tuning messaging to make sure it is motivational and increases adherence to appropriate training routines was essential to success.
Client: A start-up
Car of the Future
A car, which is there when you need it. It knows your preferences, and can run errands on your behalf.
In a joint project with Royal College of Art Vehicle Design we created a service scenario for the future, where interconnected, self-driving cars predict user needs and provide mobility on demand.
We focused especially on multi-user scenarios, whether they were about shared cars, rides, or ownership. By serving several users, the car spends more time being in active use, rather than as an idle asset sitting on a parking place.
To see how self-driving cars could be delivering services in the future, click here.
Client: Fiat
Real-Time Car Sharing
“Right now, we average 1.1 people per car. If we could get that to 1.6, the traffic problem would go away.” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
A service, which matches people wanting to go on a certain location with cars already heading to the right direction, provides a completely new model of transport, which will not only revolutionise the way we get from A to B, but also generate environmental, commercial and social benefits.
The concept work includes mapping out the motivational drivers behind user behaviours, developing and testing a number of service elements to craft a commercially viable USP, designing a service experience, and a platform to deliver it, locating partners, and tailoring the service to the needs of the B2B sector.
The final outcome? Less need for parking, leading to greener environment and financial savings.
Client: A Technology Start-Up
Service Model for a Medical Device
Future: empowered, informed users demanding self-management and prevention VERSUS dwindling public resources and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
Medical devices don’t exist just as technical solutions. In order to gain acceptance and market share they need to link seamlessly into existing structures and have a functioning service ecosystem.
Understanding the complex care provision landscape with its various users, beneficiaries, payers, regulators, opinion leaders and suppliers helped us explore the various service provision alternatives, and create early-stage mock-ups for testing.
By overlaying the cash flows on top of service blueprints we were able to illustrate required investments, and discover potential partnerships.
Client: A Medical Device Start-Up
Exercise for prevention and cure
“All my patients could benefit from exercise.” A GP working with 2,000 clients.
A statement from a GP was a starting point for an exercise program. It needed to have a low entry threshold to encourage participation, but remain interesting to those who came regularly.
Six months later, there are several regular weekly Qi Gong classes, attended by patients and their friends and family members.
Patients report feeling better, being stronger and more flexible, and having better balance, both emotionally and physically. The doctor sees lower blood pressure and improved pain control. Social contacts reduced social isolation and resulting depression.
Client: NHS – GP Practice
How to motivate weight loss
‘70% of people who sign up for a gym membership in a beginning of the year will have stopped by end of February’. Gym instructor
We researched and tested a large number of motivational factors and best practices, and created a service which combines analog with digital elements – peer support, personalised training program also covering exercise outside the gym, expert authority figure, publicly declared goals, self-generated rewards etc.
Smart phone recognizes the exercise (or the lack of it) and provides feed back and encouragement in a form of an avatar which looks like the client’s real-life fitness instructor; smart scales automatically updates the weight information in the logbook, which is available for a nominated best friend to view, and, if required, offer support and admonishments.
Click here to see a user journey.
Client: A Gym Chain
Process compliance
"People just need to follow the rules." A frustrated head of department.
All highly regulated organisations keep on generating rules and regulations, to complement the existing ones.
Keeping up-to-date with the changes and additions by familiarising oneself with new materials is extremely time-consuming, if not impossible from a practical point of view. Also, established practice and working methods might make it acceptable to cut corners, especially if task completion is monitored on department level.
Collective responsibility means that no single individual or team ‘owns’ a case.
Proposed solution had two leading principles:
1. Individualisation of users, which allows good compliance to be rewarded; and training, resources and other remedies directed to problem areas. It also makes communication easier, as people know whom to contact across the organisation.
2. A gamified work-flow system, which visually depicts the progress of case in a pipeline. It makes a complex system more transparent and comprehensible. Everyone’s contributions join seamlessly together – furthermore, the solution is gamified so that every user receives engaging feedback regarding the timeliness of their contribution.
Client: Ministry of Justice