Sight & Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn

At the press of a button, a window lights up with spoken audio, offering words of reassurance –“I used to be scared of eye drops but they’re not too bad!” All 27 windows feature recordings of real patients we interviewed (over Zoom calls) during the 2020 lockdown period.

The interactive doll’s house makes the building a size children can explore. Children can investigate the space independently. As they listen to real clinicians and former patients, children grow their confidence, and they get a sense of what happens in different parts of the hospital.  The funny voices and bright colours make the hospital seem less scary than it did on the way in.  

The characters re-appear on the journey from the waiting room to their treatment, pointing the way and reminding children that they are welcome and important. The characters embrace gender neutrality, and a range of ages/abilities, along with cochlea implants, glasses, various skin tones, and varying heights.

We worked with the GOSH communications team to extend this friendly welcome to create over 1000 pop-up welcome cards to announce the building’s opening. These were sent out to every current patient, along with branded appointment letters, introducing the gang and doll’s house concept before their visit. The Centre’s patient demographic will frequently return over their entire childhood, so creating a warm, inviting first impression is important, and we hope it will help prevent children developing hospital phobias.

We also produced notice boards and privacy screens – all of which are branded with the same gang, helping to bring a sense of familiarity and play across the journey.