Ramsay Health goes big and bold at 'pause points' to help patients and visitors navigate their way through Peninsula Private and Warrigal Private hospitals.
Hospitals are complex environments at the best of times, and often the people who most need to find their way around them are sick and/or disorientated.
SIGNWAVE Hawthorn was brought onboard to offer and implement wayfinding strategies for Ramsay Health. They were originally introduced to the development of a new wing for Warrigal Private by a project management company and subsequently approached to work on another sizable project for Peninsula Private involving two 30-bed wards and an emergency department.
"We advised both Peninsula Private and Warrigal Private Hospitals to go for large, bold signs that people couldn't miss and that would complement more traditional wayfinding signage," said Tina Anderson, owner of SIGNWAVE Hawthorn.
Warrigal Hospital also installed a big mural celebrating the famous Heidelberg Artists at a key "pause point", as a point of directional reference.
"We have developed a good working relationship with Ramsay Health as well as the two hospitals," said Anderson. "We always keep in mind the audience when it comes to wayfinding and signage for public spaces; it is important that the designs be big, bold, and obvious in order to be functional."
With both initial projects complete SIGNWAVE Hawthon continues to work with Peninsula Private to implement wayfinding systems to help people navigate from the old building to the new. The key strategy is to create large murals as reference point landmarks. The hospital is also installing murals to improve the décor from previously dull and sterile corridors and wards to enhance the atmosphere for those that stay, work and visit.