We need creativity in healthcare

PPPs (or public-private partnerships) are nothing new in Australia. They’ve been around for 30 years and ID-LAB has been on plenty of them.?

In fact, we worked for the winning team on E.V.E.R.Y. hospital PPP we participated in. There could be many reasons for this, but we like to think this is the main one: health departments and hospitals around Australia know the work we’ve done and want more of it.?

Our work on previous high-profile projects (such as the VCCC, Liverpool Hospital, Bendigo Hospital, Royal Adelaide Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital) has set us a rung above the rest when it comes to developing intuitive wayfinding in healthcare environments. We’re currently working on two hospitals in Victoria (the new Footscray Hospital and the Frankston Hospital redevelopment) and there are many more to come.?

We like working on PPPs. Different from some of the other delivery models, the PPP design team is pushed by ProjectCo to ‘Make-It-Work’. And although that really should be the objective of every project, the PPP ProjectCo know that if the wayfinding does not work, they will have to solve the problems themselves. There is no hiding in a PPP project. Every mistake in the wayfinding system will come to light during the operation of the hospital, and, on the other hand, our thorough strategy and integrated design make wayfinding simple. Beautifully simple.??

As we see it, future PPPs will need to focus more on people, not just on the buildings they work and receive treatment in. That’s where we and other creatives come in.

Frankston Hospital Redevelopment project

Delivered as a PPP with LendLease Exemplar consortium for Peninsula Health, ID-LAB is tasked with ensuring the Frankston Hospital Redevelopment blends seamlessly into the existing structure, and the wayfinding is adaptable to account for future updates, facility changes and a range of visitor and patient needs.?

New Footscray Hospital

The new Footscray Hospital is the largest ever healthcare infrastructure investment in Victoria’s history. ID-LAB has been engaged to ensure integration of wayfinding cues into the fabric of the building itself, both in the architecture and the interior design. From the user research phase through to concept and design development, design disciplines have been expertly applied to ensure all elements support the user journey and foster inclusivity.?

PPPs and greater public health

To meet wider expectations of a world-class healthcare system, the public sector needs the innovation, skill and expertise of the private sector and the creatives within it. Engaging the private sector on these projects also means more opportunity for creative problem-solving, innovation and future-proofing of solutions – all things we’re proud to stand for at ID-LAB.