Coaching Communication

I was drawn to OpenIDEO's recent design challenge which asks the question "How might we all maintain well-being and thrive as we age?"

While a little late to the party, I managed to draft up a concept to submit with 46 hours left on the clock. There are some kinks to work out, but overall I was happy to be part of the project and am looking forward to seeing how it evolves.

I highly recommend getting involved in an OpenIDEO challenge to any of you reading. You'll find it rewarding, I promise.

In a nutshell, my concept proposes crowdsourcing the valuable advice of subject matter experts in a wide variety of health & wellness disciplines. Its called, Braintrust. Anyone from a cardiologist to a tai chi practitioner would be part of the network. Similar to the TaskRabbit model, these experts would be vetted through formal channels, and paid, to provide objective information to users which in turn could better equip them for future communication with their doctor, therapist, social worker, etc...

How many times have you left the doctor's office and kicked yourself for forgetting to mention something that worried you, or frustrated by the limited time you had to engage in a discussion? Its often about asking the "right questions"when attempting to get the most of an interaction with a health care professional. Having worked in health care, I now find myself coaching my parents before appointments with their physicians to make sure they exhaust all avenues.

Below is a quick mock-up of what the site could be.

Ergonomics For New Parents

This month you can read an article in the print edition of Fit Pregnancy (in which I was interviewed) which emphasizes ergonomics in the home and nursery following the birth of a new baby.

I'm not a parent, so I do admittedly feel a bit sheepish telling my friends (who are parents) how to do anything related to child care. However, it just so happens that when confronted with a huge new responsibility, the last thing a new parent is thinking about is themselves. This is where I'm able to offer some insight as someone who understands the necessity of ergonomics in any context.

Here is a preview of the article below. Enjoy!

Art in an Unlikely Environment

Untitled 2012
NYC

Would you buy this piece? I would.
Would you believe its actually a series of drawings produced by a bored hospital patient on paper napkins? You should, because this is exactly what I encountered this past weekend while working. Even though I was wearing my therapist hat that day, the quality of this effort was not lost on me.

It immediately caught my eye upon walking into the room. The artist was humble about the work, unwilling to admit that their wall treatment had added significant value to an otherwise 'artistically-bankrupt' room.

This seemingly simple statement was a way for the patient to exert some influence and possibly even minor control over their environment. This is understandable, in a place where your sleeping, bathing, socializing, eating and elimination are controlled and monitored at all times. When I asked the patient about the work, they confessed that they are an artist by trade and that they found doodling to be an enjoyable way to pass the time. The more I probed, I found out that the patient also found this practice comforting.

The infusion of individual influence on the immediate environment has a therapeutic value, and is an inherent psychological response. Whether adding artwork, arranging items in space, or changing the color of a wall, its evident that we all have preferences that resonate in our personal space, even if that space is only temporarily personal. In the case of my patient/artist, there was something calming and enjoyable about being surrounded by visually interesting stimuli. For others, it could be a certain type of music, or quality of light.

Promoting and encouraging this phenomenon in healthcare settings is entirely feasible and seems like a worthwhile venture, especially in a place like NYC where artists are possibly our best natural resource. In addition, allowing personal influence over space would likely impact quality indicators such as patient satisfaction scores. 

Pinking & Shrinking: Design For Women Gone Wrong

Many of you undoubtedly read about Honda's newest woman-focused car "She's". Honda replaced the apostrophe in the name "She's" with a heart, because they realized that secretly all women would prefer that their vehicles were designed by Lisa Frank.

Honda Fit 'She's'

After getting past the name, which was a bit of a struggle, I took the time to learn more about it before passing judgement too early. Then I read about the features that made She's a truly feminine vehicle according to Honda:
"available colors: pink and eyeliner brown"
"UV protective windshield to prevent wrinkles"
No mention of She's performance, fuel efficiency, engine power, or safety features (beyond the ones that maintain facial beauty).

Judgement passed.

Its been a tough couple of months for us women, between all of the 'legitimate rape' rhetoric of late, 'women in binders', and now a car geared towards women that touts superficiality over actual performance and reliability. Its become exceedingly difficult not to become frustrated as a woman who was raised to expect so much more from society and herself.

Honda is not releasing She's in the US, because they're familiar enough with the market to know it may not go over so well in a country where female subservience is less acceptable.
Maybe that's a small victory in disguise, but the fact that they've still manufactured a vehicle under the assumption that She's (with all of its cosmetic treatments and superfluous features) is what women would prefer is disturbing on many levels.

Not to say that automotive design shouldn't consider the needs and interests of female consumers, because there are differences between men and women...but also between women, and between men. Human factors including height, weight, reach, grip strength, reflexes, and reaction rates, apply to every human that operates a car. Also, why is UV protection only touted as a feature in the She's? Don't men like protection against skin cancer too? And are gender roles still really so separate that the color of a car defines whether a man or woman drives it?

When "pinking & shrinking" effects the quality or performance of a product, its not only often poorly done, its bad business. 

Honda isn't the only company guilty of pink washing products in an attempt to woo women. Maybe some women do feel more feminine and beautiful when holding a pink rifle, and that's fine. Just don't insult that woman by selling her a rifle designed to double as a handbag, that improves her ability to attract men,
when all she's really trying to do is shoot with accuracy.

The Power of 'Perceived Benefit': Kinesio Tape and Other Curiosities

Kinesio Tape was mentioned in NPR's health blog, Shots, and as a therapist it caught my attention. The article, entitled "Kinesio Tape Plasters Olympians, But Not All The Science Sticks", discusses the increased use of the product and questions the validity of its claims.

As a clinician, I would venture to say that most therapists see Kinesio tape not as curative, but as a treatment modality. It is one of many methods used to treat a patient depending on various factors, including the diagnosis and patient compliance. Some patients do experience benefits from the support taping provides, which allows them to return to peak performance more quickly, and some do not.

Whenever I see ads in trade publications for Kinesio Tape training clinics, I think about what a big business this product is, between profits from clinics, to the fees for their intensive training seminars, to the unpaid endorsement provided by professional and olympic athletes seen wrapped in Kinesio Tape during competition.

All of this is fascinating, especially when you get to the last few paragraphs of the article...

Even Good [international director of the Kinesio Holding Corporation]admits that the science hasn't caught up with the anecdotal evidence and the results that athletes have seen with Kinesio tape. But Powell [associate professor of sports medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine] says that in the athletic community, a lack of hard evidence may not even matter.

"Anything that [athletes] perceive as an edge, they'll try, whether it's scientific or not. And the athletes are convinced that [Kinesio tape] is really helpful," she says. "It wouldn't be the worst placebo in the world; it's not doing any harm."

Of course one could argue that the actual harm lies in the false sense of security provided by a modality that hasn't been clinically proven to benefit the user in the way in which it claims. 

Still we look to find a reason to believe.

We subscribe to certain diets, embrace the latest exercise crazes (shake weights?), take the newest 'miracle' supplements, and believe in the healing powers of countless non-evidenced based treatments.

Here is where my design thinking starts to kick in. Caution, worlds are colliding.

Do things sometimes work better because we want them to? Does wishful thinking play a role in a product's success? Clearly to some degree, the answer is yes. Clever marketing, branding, and even packaging all help in shaping our perceptions of products and services. However, the real driver in the case of products like Kinesio Tape is the power of innate human motivation, and perhaps psychosomatic influence resulting from the placebo effect.

So why is Kinesio Tape such a successful concept? What lends to such a strong perceived benefit? Here are my observations...

1. Some evidence of legitimate science

In the case of Kinesio Tape, the method of tape application is based on the anatomy of our joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments. It mimics lines of pull, agonistic and antagonistic movements, and range of motion. I don't doubt that there is some scientific foundation behind the development of Kinesio Tape, given the anatomical rationale behind the product's clinical application. 

2. Engages the senses

It resonates on a sensory level, giving us immediate feedback during our every movement. One can feel the pull of the tape on the skin, and the pressure it applies to the body. It seems that if nothing else, the tape increases body awareness as it draws attention to movement patterns and anatomy. The bright colors grab your attention, almost showcasing your battle wounds with pride and flair. 

3. Minimally invasive

It doesn't require a prescription, or a medical procedure. Being an over the counter product makes it much less intimidating.

4. Positive associations

We see it on professional athletes and olympians in radiant neon colors. Its a lot less bulky and restrictive than a brace, splint or sling, and not associated with severe injuries. 

5. Expertise required

Kinesio Tape is applied by a trained professional, giving the patient a much greater sense of security and thus significantly adding both real and perceived benefit.

Obviously, understanding the different aspects of motivation, perception, and actual benefit, can inform design strategy. Ideally, it would be nice to see 'actual benefit' be the priority.

Design in Clinical Environments

Here is a recent article from McKnight's Assisted Living discussing design considerations in clinical spaces. Too bad the author got my credentials wrong, but at least she didn't spell my last name 'Jasper'.
http://tinyurl.com/bul9fbg

Featured in Metropolis

The Mainframe, an object which adapts to serve three different functional purposes depending on user needs, was featured in Metropolis!