Ochsner Health System was working with partner ThreeSixtyEight to develop an interactive experience for consumers at a high traffic location that would help communicate the innovation occurring within the organization. This experience henceforth referred to at the Innovation Hub, features an interactive augmented reality experience, human body interaction experience, portal signups for MyOchsner, a product demo bar, wellness and fitness quizzes, and phone soap stations, among other experiences and services.
MDRG conducted qualitative research to inform the development of the Innovation Hub and ensure the design was highly engaging and interactive. An online community was used to gather both immediate reactions and thoughtful feedback through System 1 and System 2 approaches. Data collection methods included video capture, eye tracking, and online discussion. A total of 25 respondents completed the community.
Results of the eye-tracking exercises capturing respondents’ initial reactions showed that visuals of the human body drew attention more than any other element.
From the other angle, respondents spent the most time reading the text on the screen. However, the research indicated that the copy on the screen decreased the likelihood of engagement as people did not want to interact with the phone cleaners once shown the bacteria levels.
The Product Demo Bar was an appealing hands-on exploration of new “cool” health-related technology, but respondents wanted to ensure that interaction would have a level of privacy as it related to using the devices.
Some additional suggestions respondents had included the incorporation of live product demos, BMI calculations, information, and guidance related to health insurance, mental health, diet, and nutrition. These insights were incorporated in various ways and the feedback regarding interesting topics used in optimizing the email outreach program that is executed for those who sign-up at the Innovation Hub.
Overall, the Innovation Hub is characterized by an inherent tension between offering entertainment in a public commercial setting and offering useful and personalized information on health and wellness that consumers are habituated to seeking in private, professional spaces.
Navigating this required a balance between offering entertainment that is diverting and interesting, and offering information that is meaningful, useful, and personalized.
To date, the Innovation Hub has exceeded expectations with an engagement time of 300 seconds compared to an average of 10, 8500 unique interactions monthly and 800 monthly product demos (source threesixtyeight.com/work/Ochsner-innovationhub/). Recently, The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) awarded the Innovation Hub with a Gold Award in the “Best Overall Kiosk Design” category during the 2020 Visual Victories Awards. The annual competition recognizes the outstanding work done by exceptional visual merchandisers, retailers, and specialty leasing agents.