A teddy bear named Maple transforms how children experience medical appointments.
A teddy bear who needs orthotics to walk might seem like an unusual healthcare communication strategy, yet Bruno Oro recognized something profound about how children process unfamiliar experiences. Maples Clinic Visit, the Silver A' Design Award winning educational storybook, follows Maple through a clinical appointment, translating potentially intimidating procedures into an approachable adventure. Children facing frequent orthotic fittings or rehabilitation visits encounter environments filled with unfamiliar equipment, new adults, and procedures they may not understand. For young readers with cerebral palsy, these experiences recur throughout development. Bruno Oro Studio addressed the challenge by creating a narrative companion that speaks directly to children on their terms. The 10 by 8 inch hardcover book features vibrant digital illustrations that draw readers into Maple's world, allowing them to mentally rehearse clinical visits through the safe distance of story.
The development methodology behind Maples Clinic Visit offers healthcare brands a replicable framework for creating impactful resources. Bruno Oro conducted qualitative research including interviews with parents and healthcare professionals, ensuring the narrative accurately represents clinical procedures while maintaining emotional warmth. Iterative prototyping with young audiences revealed which pages captured attention and which explanations landed clearly. The project, developed at Iowa State University in Spring 2024 and recognized with a Silver A' Design Award in the Public Awareness, Volunteerism, and Society Design category, demonstrates that genuine stakeholder engagement produces results assumption-based design cannot match. Healthcare organizations considering similar approaches can structure development around the same principles: define specific audience circumstances, involve multiple stakeholder groups in research, prototype at various fidelity levels, and test with representative users before finalizing.
The mechanism at work in Maples Clinic Visit extends far beyond a single storybook. When organizations create resources that acknowledge their youngest audiences as distinct stakeholders with specific informational and emotional needs, families notice that care. What resource might your organization create if approaching your most challenging pediatric communication need with genuine empathy and rigorous user-centered methodology?
