Cardboard hospital: Prototyping patient-centric environments and services

Abstract

Cardboard hospital is a co-design method and prototyping environment for creating patientcentric hospital spaces and services. The method development was situated within a building project of a hospital wing in which the aim was to find new ways for including patients in the design process. The method was developed through combining participatory design methodology with the professional capabilities of a set designer. Cardboard hospital provides an environment that supports participatory design processes and guides participants towards participation as an artistic practice. The paper is situated in the theoretical framework of pragmatic aesthetics and builds on the notion of an aesthetic experience. The results encourage towards a wider utilization of set design capabilities and aesthetics in co-design environments.