Client
Clinic for Children’s Diseases Zagreb
Delivery
Design
Year
Partners
Challenge
After several scientific studies, published in professional medical media, we discovered that a great stressor in children in hospital treatment is precisely the “journey into the unknown.” Children before surgery or diagnostic examinations feel great fear and are exposed to great stress. This feeling is intensified while driving through hospital corridors full of strangers and murmurs. The culmination is entering the room for one of the diagnostic examinations or the operating room where the little ones are greeted by large monitors, devices and strange, unfamiliar sounds.
We wondered if there was anything we could do to make that journey from room to room at least a little more enjoyable for the children.
Solution
Imagination can do anything, so we decided to use it to make this trip less stressful for the little ones. And no less, no more, than with the help of a ship. A boat means the sea, and the sea means rest and carefreeness – a feeling we want to achieve with our small brave travelers.
Our boat has a movable propeller on the bow and a rudder on the outside of the stern. It is made of wood and coated with PVC which makes it resistant and durable to hospital conditions. The dimensions correspond to a classic hospital bed, so it does not present new logistical challenges. All necessary appliances and instruments can be mounted on it. The sides can be lowered to make it easier for children to lie down in it. There are also round windows like real ship windows. All this makes this bed-boat an attractive and functional solution.
We hope that the boat will make future examinations and operations less uncomfortable and stressful for the little ones, as well as the staff of the Clinic.
We created this project for our little ones and their journey into the unknown. That’s why we chose the colours and motifs that are familiar to them – the blue colour as a clear connection with the sea and the details that make the ship recognisable.
The boat is designed to reduce the stress of transport for children. In order to isolate them as much as possible from the situation in the hallways, we have created illustrations on the sides that distract the little ones from the environment. Also, one of the challenges were the dimensions to which we were limited because we did not want to impair the mobility and usability of the bed itself.
The illustrations are clear, sympathetic and simplified for the best possible recognition of the characters and shapes themselves. Thus, through familiar shapes and sea animals, we wanted to further enhance the influence of the familiar in this, unknown to kids, adventure.
We want the boat to sail for whoever needs it.
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