Virgilio

We conducted a site investigation at Policlinico of Milan, using shadowing and interviews to understand the experiences of elderly patients within the hospital. Many interviewees described the hospital as a maze-like environment and reported difficulties using digital devices, such as totems. Through these interviews and observations, we were able to design a persona and map out the typical journey of an elderly patient during their hospital experience.

We explored various concepts and presented them during a peer-to-peer review with our classmates to gather feedback. Ultimately, we designed a solution with three touchpoints. Vcompass is a portable device that provides directions and serves as a key to access the other two touchpoints. Vmap is an interactive map that shows patients their current stage in the visit and the correct route to follow. Vpoint is a digital totem installed on each floor of the hospital, offering information on destinations and walking directions. The interaction between the portable device and the other touchpoints is simple and requires no digital literacy.

We went through three user testing phases, starting with low-fidelity prototypes and then moving to mid-fidelity prototypes. These tests provided feedback that helped us refine our design and develop minimum viable products (MVPs). We tested these MVPs at Politecnico of Milan to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Virgilio ecosystem experience.

After the MVP testing, we made some changes to our products. We enhanced Vcompass to provide more information and modified the interaction between Vcompass and the other touchpoints. Additionally, we made some updates to the user interface of both Vpoint and Vmap.