In 2021, one of our interns collaborated with the Charger Nurse Manager at Waitematā DHB’sNorth Shore Hospital to create the illustration graphics and layout for an information booklet called ‘Supporting you through a difficult time: Interrupting a pregnancy for medical reasons’. This was well-received, with the Charge Nurse being invited to present the work at a national conference in May 2022. They are currently in the final stages of getting this booklet printed and being used. They have been so delighted with the outcome, they are interested in collaborating again with one or two design students on a similar booklet, but for women who are choosing to end their unwanted pregnancy for social reasons. This version is not as sensitive as the original topic (that was for women who chose to end their wanted pregnancy due to the diagnosis of a severe foetal abnormality), but there this decision still requires women and their whānau to be well supported and cared for during the process. This project is ideal for a design student (or two) who has strong skills and enjoys publication layout and illustration.
Medication information is often overwhelming and loaded with medical jargon. We had a student in 2020, explore a design for a more visual and patient friendly medication information leaflet – see that project here. In 2021, a group of three students developed this further, designing a template and beginning a more extensive revamped icon bank to represent various conditions, symptoms and side effects of common medications. We are seeking a few more design students who can pick up on the icon bank work and continue developing the full set, particularly taking onboard further feedback from consumers and integrating this into the design. Ideally the student(s) should be confident in illustration/icon design, and up for the challenge of illustrating complex medical conditions in ways that are visually understandable and accessible to those with low health literacy or for whom English is a second language. This project will be in collaboration with our external partner at the Institute for Innovation and Improvement (i3), Waitematā DHB. Learn more about i3 at i3.waitematadhb.govt.nz