Stance’s mission of Improving Lives by Design begins in the design concept phase and continues through patient discharge from the facilities our products support. In an increasingly crowded marketplace for high-use furniture, Stance’s approach stays true to our origins in healthcare-specific product design – where we’ve been laser focused for 20 years.
A key aspect that distinguishes healthcare furniture from commercial or residential designs is in the word itself: care. At Stance, we care for our end-users by anticipating their needs through every part of their healthcare experience. In other words, we empathize with them, right from the start.
Today, we’re offering a glimpse into that design process, which is centered on research, reflection, and redefining what’s expected from healthcare furniture. These insights are inspired by Stance designer, Cesar Fernandes, creator of several award-winning collections for Stance that include three Healthcare Design Nightingale GOLD Awards.
Channeling Empathy through Research: Step One
Healthcare furniture encompasses various categories – primarily, seating, tables, case goods, and accessories. Products in these categories have been iterated by multitudes of manufacturers over the years, and end-users have come to expect a certain experience from them. How many of those experiences were positively impacted by the design aspects of, say, a lounge seat in a waiting area?
If we take the time to research the emotions and statistics related to spending time in these areas, we’ll find that anxiety, impatience, and dread often engage the end-user in these spaces. What if a lounge seat was actually comfortable, and encouraged relaxation where – and when – it’s least expected?
Our Clover collection was created in response to negative associations related to waiting rooms, and aims to replace anxiety and dread with comfort and calm. Its softly-curved shape mimics a hug for weary end-users, and its customizable textures and tones combine to offer a soothing sensory experience.
Reflecting on the User’s Experience: Step Two
With research in hand, we make the time to reflect – on feedback from our customers, and on our own personal experiences in healthcare facilities. The Stance team is comprised of team members from all walks of life, each of us requiring healthcare in various ways for ourselves and our loved ones.
For example, those of us who are mothers reflect on our time spent in triage, delivery, and postpartum rooms. Was the overbed table difficult to use while still hooked up to IV fluids? And for the supportive partners and loved ones who joined us for our stay, did they complain about the overnight bed? In many cases, the answer to both questions is unfortunately often “yes”.
These personal reflections contribute to Stance’s ability to innovate products that serve other mothers and loved ones better – like our Olsen Overbed Table and award-winning Rochester sleep sofa; both products of this empathetic reflection.
Redefining What’s Expected: Step Three
When we’ve done the research and spent time reflecting, it’s time to apply those insights towards innovation. Empathy should be infused into every technical specification that builds a product; even the mechanisms to recline a seat, table, or bed should work smoothly instead of clunkily for the patient and provider’s ease.
From an aesthetic standpoint, we want to delight patients, providers, and loved ones with a beautiful product that feels and performs comfortably. From biophilic patterns and textures that conjure natural environments in an otherwise clinical-feeling space, to modern styling and comfortable cushions that resemble residential designs, Stance redefines what’s expected from furniture in a healthcare space.
Take the best-selling, acclaimed Flo Lounge collection. Cesar and team evolved Flo’s form from a careful understanding of the patient’s interaction with the chair: “For Behavioral Health environments in particular, a wider seat with generously rounded arms enable patients to nest into a position that feels safe and calm,” says Fernandes. “Plus, its flowing form also reduces potential ligature points, and ballasting options help deter misuse to protect both patients and care providers.”
With empathy guiding the way, Stance is committed to Improving Lives by Design through thoughtful, high-performing designs that comfort and endure. Browse the industry’s largest offering of healthcare and Behavioral Health furniture collections today at stancehealthcare.com, and stay tuned to our Stance in Focus blog for more insights.
