Imagine walking through a hospital in which every visual experience supports your journey. Signage easily directs you to your destination… art serves as both a positive distraction and an engaging experience…quiet spaces are void of visual noise…design elements are so well integrated in language, tone, material and color that you hardly notice where one discipline ends and another begins.

An integrated visual experience, when executed, remains nearly undetected. Not surprisingly, this seemingly effortless effect takes planning. In fact, to achieve an integrated visual experience in healthcare requires a union of multiple disciplines and the intentional dissolution of boundaries.

It is not always the quickest solution – but the results are rewarding. An integrated visual experience allows for the sharing of budgets, collaboration of teams and combined creative energy. At Distinctive Art Source, we’ve learned a few things about creating integrated visual experiences over the past 12 years. We know first-hand that when you blur the lines between art, way finding graphics and design elements, you create an extraordinary environment. When you start conversations early in the design / planning process and facilitate communications between disciplines you achieve the best results. And when you reduce visual conflict you improve the visitor experience. This DAS white paper outlines our top five suggestions for integrating the visual experience at your healthcare facility.