Royal Derby Hospital
Following a consultation period and thoughtful feedback from the patients and staff of Royal Derby hospital, Firecatcher designed a scheme of hand painted enhancements based around the theme of the natural world taking shapes, patterns and colours inspired by flora, soft edged pebbles, flowing water, and wooden textures.
At the heart of the proposed design was the desire for patients to feel welcome, calm and comforted in a space that is currently quite clinical and a means of travelling from one area of the hospital to another. There were strong feelings consistently from the majority of patients and staff that the enhancement should introduce a natural and organic feel to the space, which became the focal point behind the concept.
An organic approach
Taking inspiration from the natural world, a range of abstract iconography was created to support an organic sensibility, along with a sense of calm.
Another consistent theme to emerge from the consultation was the desire for rounded shapes, which became one of the fundamental elements of the design concept. Creating the circles with a slightly curved and imperfect edge naturally softens them, resulting in an organic, welcoming scheme.