Applying Storytelling for Design Thinking in Healthcare

Challenge

As a brand strategist, my work involves helping clients work through various brand challenges  every day. I recently encountered the challenge of creating a unique and differentiated new  hospital brand to come up in a locality which is already cluttered with several similar institutions,  with the same capacity, areas of expertise and similar talent pool of doctors and surgeons. As  stakeholders of a large hospital, my clients wanted to become relevant to a large pool of  prospective patients, customers, partners, future employees as well as leading doctors – and  they did not seem to agree on a “common” vision amongst themselves – each stakeholder  provided a different objective to the exercise. Further, there was little to no data to indicate what  different customer groups were expecting. The challenge was both of connecting with different  audiences as well as creating a distinct healthcare offering that would have a single-minded  vision and be meaningful. The initial brief was to design a logo for the new brand, but I felt there  was a larger need to understand what the company wishes to stand for. I believed the larger  challenge was to identify a relevant consumer need before we could conclude what the vision  should be. In lieu of sufficient data, I decided to apply design thinking tools. My tool of choice  especially was storytelling, because I believed every stakeholder had a different story in  healthcare, and an institution that could understand these threads and tell its own story would be  able to truly resolve the needs of people.

Selection

We wanted to identify a new vision in healthcare that would actually do good and answer real  questions for people. I selected the storytelling tool because I believed the answered lied not with  the company or the competition but with the people and the audience. And in order to identify that  1) we needed to truly “know” our various audiences as mentioned in the video lecture and we  needed to know what exactly all their pain points were and 2) we needed to create “moments” of  reflection for the stakeholders of the institution, so that there could be “empathy” not just towards  customers but towards different functions, between administration and doctors, doctors and  patients and patients and their families back to administration.  I believed this tool would set us on  a journey of discovery through the “What is” “What If” “What wows” and “What works”

Application

I applied the storytelling in the entire problem-solving process right from gathering insights to  formulating strategy to presentation. To start the journey of storytelling, I first heard the stories of  the people who would be stakeholders for this hospital. I performed ethnographic observations,  qualitative personal interviews and day-in-the-life-of probes with 30 people that comprised the  doctors who were founding the hospital, independent doctors with their own private clinic, doctors  on the board of hospital administrative boards, corporate members of corporate hospital brands,  patients who had been admitted in the competition hospitals, family members of these patients,  hospital, medical tourists in the neighbourhood and even the architect and construction crew of the  hospital building. I accompanied them to the accessible areas of their work life and observed their  meetings and inter-personal discussions around the new company. In interviews I heard their  stories about why they felt passionate about this venture.

I went back and analysed all the interviews and personal accounts and identified a “larger story”.  In order to tell this story, I chose “3 protagonists” who each have a narrative in the “story of private  healthcare”. They have 3 different perspectives on the same institution. I got the key stakeholders  into one room and told them this larger story from 3 protagonists – the doctor, the patient and the  administration. The goal was to inspire empathy, the way Dan Pink mentions, amongst  stakeholders first before moving on to inspiring empathy for customers. The tool was extremely  effective in everyone immediately seeing the “big picture” and becoming more agreeable to each  other’s challenges.

It made everybody see “What is” which included a common legacy and preference of treating  patients like a family, however they didn’t think that was practically feasible in a large hospital. I  then asked “What if” by writing the next chapter of healthcare by the possibility of all 3 protagonists  doing their bit to make a large hospital feel like a family. I broke it down into smaller questions of  each and every experience touchpoint in a hospital. For e.g. what if the reception felt like a family,  what if the waiting chairs felt like chairs in the family room, what if the billing was in the family. This  led to prolific brainstorming of ideas, solutions, design interventions and even innovations.  Over a  couple of workshops brainstorming these possibilities, I developed the “story we want to tell”, of  ‘what wows’ – of a hospital that feels personal and homely which would appeal to every protagonist  in the story. All in all, the tool was extremely effective in helping uncover an opportunity that no  statistical data would have pointed us to.  It actually helped us craft a whole new corporate vision  and mission statement for this venture, a vision to design a new healthcare offering completely  inspired by empathy and warmth for people.

Insight

One insight I gained from applying the tool is that sometimes experts have to take a step back from  their field of expertise and approach problems like laymen to understand human implications and  understand the “small details” that could become “big ideas” eventually. Storytelling helps this  immensely because it parks expertise aside and encourages people to just listen and interact on  a human level. I also realized that for the tool to work best, open minded listening is a pre-requisite  from the very beginning in the initial stages of getting to know the audience. It’s important to absorb  the larger context of their lives instead of asking pointed questions so as to really get a handle on  their ”story”. It puts the human beings front and centre, and that’s where the “Real” solution comes  out.

Approach

I think creating an open state of mind to enable hearing alternate perspectives is the most critical  aspect of storytelling and goes a long way in determining the tool’s effectiveness. While I got a  great response this time, next time I would like to try more immersive mediums of storytelling, use  audio visual instead of just pictures and cue cards or perform an entire skit so that the stories could  live with people long after workshops and guide their day-to-day practice as well.


Applying Storytelling for Design Thinking in Healthcare Challenge As a brand strategist , my work involves helping clients work through various brand challenges every day . I recently encountered the challenge of creating a unique and differentiated new hospital brand to come up in a locality which is already cluttered with several similar institutions , with the same capacity , areas of expertise and similar talent pool of doctors and surgeons . As stakeholders of a large hospital , my clients wanted to become relevant to a large pool of prospective patients , customers , partners , future employees as well as leading doctors – and they did not seem to agree on a “ common ” vision amongst themselves – each stakeholder provided a different objective to the exercise . Further , there was little to no data to indicate what different customer groups were expecting . The challenge was both of connecting with different audiences as well as creating a distinct healthcare offering that would have a single - minded vision and be meaningful . The initial brief was to design a logo for the new brand , but I felt there was a larger need to understand what the company wishes to stand for . I believed the larger challenge was to identify a relevant consumer need before we could conclude what the vision should be . In lieu of sufficient data , I decided to apply design thinking tools . My tool of choice especially was storytelling , because I believed every stakeholder had a different story in healthcare , and an institution that could understand these threads and tell its own story would be able to truly resolve the needs of people . Selection We wanted to identify a new vision in healthcare that would actually do good and answer real questions for people . I selected the storytelling tool because I believed the answered lied not with the company or the competition but with the people and the audience . And in order to identify that 1 ) we needed to truly “ know ” our various audiences as mentioned in the video lecture and we needed to know what exactly all their pain points were and 2 ) we needed to create “ moments ” of reflection for the stakeholders of the institution , so that there could be “ empathy ” not just towards customers but towards different functions , between administration and doctors , doctors and patients and patients and their families back to administration . I believed this tool would set us on a journey of discovery through the “ What is ” “ What If ” “ What wows ” and “ What works ” Application I applied the storytelling in the entire problem - solving process right from gathering insights to formulating strategy to presentation . To start the journey of storytelling , I first heard the stories of the people who would be stakeholders for this hospital . I performed ethnographic observations , qualitative personal interviews and day - in - the - life - of probes with 30 people that comprised the doctors who were founding the hospital , independent doctors with their own private clinic , doctors on the board of hospital administrative boards , corporate members of corporate hospital brands , patients who had been admitted in the competition hospitals , family members of these patients , hospital , medical tourists in the neighbourhood and even the architect and construction crew of the hospital building . I accompanied them to the accessible areas of their work life and observed their meetings and inter - personal discussions around the new company . In interviews I heard their stories about why they felt passionate about this venture . I went back and analysed all the interviews and personal accounts and identified a “ larger story ” . In order to tell this story , I chose “ 3 protagonists ” who each have a narrative in the “ story of private healthcare ” . They have 3 different perspectives on the same institution . I got the key stakeholders into one room and told them this larger story from 3 protagonists – the doctor , the patient and the administration . The goal was to inspire empathy , the way Dan Pink mentions , amongst stakeholders first before moving on to inspiring empathy for customers . The tool was extremely effective in everyone immediately seeing the “ big picture ” and becoming more agreeable to each other ’s challenges . It made everybody see “ What is ” which included a common legacy and preference of treating patients like a family , however they did n’t think that was practically feasible in a large hospital . I then asked “ What if ” by writing the next chapter of healthcare by the possibility of all 3 protagonists doing their bit to make a large hospital feel like a family . I broke it down into smaller questions of each and every experience touchpoint in a hospital . For e.g. what if the reception felt like a family , what if the waiting chairs felt like chairs in the family room , what if the billing was in the family . This led to prolific brainstorming of ideas , solutions , design interventions and even innovations . Over a couple of workshops brainstorming these possibilities , I developed the “ story we want to tell ” , of ‘ what wows ’ – of a hospital that feels personal and homely which would appeal to every protagonist in the story . All in all , the tool was extremely effective in helping uncover an opportunity that no statistical data would have pointed us to . It actually helped us craft a whole new corporate vision and mission statement for this venture , a vision to design a new healthcare offering completely inspired by empathy and warmth for people . Insight One insight I gained from applying the tool is that sometimes experts have to take a step back from their field of expertise and approach problems like laymen to understand human implications and understand the “ small details ” that could become “ big ideas ” eventually . Storytelling helps this immensely because it parks expertise aside and encourages people to just listen and interact on a human level . I also realized that for the tool to work best , open minded listening is a pre - requisite from the very beginning in the initial stages of getting to know the audience . It ’s important to absorb the larger context of their lives instead of asking pointed questions so as to really get a handle on their ” story ” . It puts the human beings front and centre , and that ’s where the “ Real ” solution comes out . Approach I think creating an open state of mind to enable hearing alternate perspectives is the most critical aspect of storytelling and goes a long way in determining the tool ’s effectiveness . While I got a great response this time , next time I would like to try more immersive mediums of storytelling , use audio visual instead of just pictures and cue cards or perform an entire skit so that the stories could live with people long after workshops and guide their day - to - day practice as well .