Stork Wings
2014
The affective power of products and the spaces they produce can be harnessed for healthcare, too. The Neonatal ICU is "the antithesis of how you envision your baby's nursery." While it delivers life-saving care to premature infants, bright lights and beeping monitors compound a frightening experience for parents. Partnering with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, my team set out to transform the NICU into a healthy space for both child and parent. |
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“A baby flat-lined right next to us. I didn’t want to experience that, and I can just imagine how those parents felt. Everybody that’s in the NICU is watching that--it’s not something easy to go through.” |
In an open bay NICU, as many isolettes as possible are crowded into one room so infants are never out of a nurse’s sight. Space becomes scarce as families are pressed against each other--but regular dividers or curtains would only restrict nurses’ access to the already overcrowded isolette and headwall.
“I can understand the appeal of having a private space but... I want as many eyes on my baby as possible.”
Parents spend countless hours in the NICU over a stay that can last from several weeks to several months.
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This time is spent in an space that feels emotionally charged, unwelcoming, and alien.
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Parents quickly feel overwhelmed and traumatized by the constant lack of privacy.
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How might we create an intimate space for parents and child within an open bay--without sacrificing accessibility or visibility for nurses?
We next developed and prototyped a paper fan-inspired pop-up. By stepping on a trigger, the fan would spread or collapse, quickly creating privacy while still giving nurses access in an emergency. But this promised to be a tripping hazard, didn't offer enough privacy, and was not up to code with health regulations that required equipment to be away from the floor. 
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Our first iteration was a sort of blanket fort attached to the isolette’s porthole, allowing the parent to huddle inside a space where all that mattered was them and their child. But this gave too much privacy, felt claustrophobic, and didn't leave room for a spouse. It was also just plain awkward and bulky, and would need quite some space to be stored.
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We kept the look and feel of our earlier prototype, but knew our final solution would have to be off the floor and out of the way, be available at every bedside, and create enough space for more than one person.
Stork Wings is a set of lightweight bars that fold out from the headwall, from which you can hang customizable, anti-bacterial disposable screens. In case of emergencies, a bit of downward pressure on the bars releases the hinge, giving nurses instant access to the isolette.
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Stork Wings creates space for families in a world previously just for their babies. With that space, Stork Wings brings privacy, intimacy, and perhaps even some peace of mind.
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