Designing the patient pathway

The strategy behind the space

UnitingCare Queensland (UCQ) is a core figure in Australia’s healthcare landscape, serving as one of the nation’s largest providers of nonprofit health, aged care, disability, and community services. UCQ’s hospitals, including The Wesley Hospital, rely heavily on the generosity of individual donors, corporations, and trusts to deliver essential patient services.

Despite its standing, The Wesley Hospital was facing significant challenges: dwindling fundraising efforts and low public awareness of its not-for-profit status. To tackle these issues, UCQ initiated a multi-faceted strategy aimed at enriching the patient experience and boosting charitable giving.

We stepped in to bring this strategy to life, focusing on the 150m walkway as a key strategic pillar. Our walkway design instils a sense of gratitude and community, transforming the space into a beacon of comfort and strength. Guided by research on calming spatial design and storytelling, the walkway serves not just as a physical conduit but as an emotional journey for all who pass through it.

Bringing voice to the walls

In this project, our aim was to encapsulate the genuine voices of The Wesley community. We strategically selected and positioned brief yet poignant narratives from patients, staff, and families along the walkway. These stories serve as emotional touchpoints, reassuring patients and grounding visitors in a shared experience of care, healing, and gratitude.

Peaceful illustration

Printed on custom frames, the walkway’s visuals are a tribute to both diversity and the local Brisbane environment. Bespoke illustrations showcase the hospital’s hospital’s vibrant community — patients, staff, and families — all punctuated with purple swirls of jacaranda blossoms. Inspired by the iconic jacaranda tree at the hospital’s entrance, the jacaranda motifs stand as symbols of comfort and tranquillity.

Accompanying the community portraits are delicate illustrations of native flora and fauna, adding depth and nuance to the space. Together, these illustrations tell a story of resilience and community spirit.

Designing for digital displays

We extended the walkway’s visual language to the hospital’s new digital displays. Positioned at key locations, these displays serve as platforms for donor recognition and hospital communications. We crafted a suite of templates that visually tie back to the walkway, permeating the concepts of the walkway project to other parts of the hospital.

Sparking new connections

In addition to designing for the digital displays, we were responsible for managing their sourcing and installation. Drawing on our established relationship with both our client and the digital screen specialist, Datmedia, we enlisted their services on behalf of UnitingCare.

Our building partner and the Wesley maintenance team worked together with Datmedia to ensure the successful installation and operation of the displays. We take pride in fostering connections between our clients and we’re pleased that this collaboration has led to ongoing digital projects between UnitingCare and Datmedia.