Silver Public Awareness, Volunteerism, and Society Design · 2025
Maples Clinic Visit Educational Storybook
by Bruno Oro
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Public Awareness, Volunteerism, and Society Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Bruno Oro
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 22,297
- Verification code 0056EDEE44 · Verify this award
About Maples Clinic Visit Educational Storybook
Maples Clinic Visit is a children's storybook designed to help young readers navigate medical appointments with ease. The narrative follows Maple, a teddy bear, who visits the clinic to learn about orthotics and the medical process. The engaging illustrations and relatable storyline aim to reduce anxiety and foster understanding. By presenting clinical procedures in a comforting way, this book empowers children to face their medical experiences with confidence, transforming potentially daunting situations into positive learning opportunities.
The Maples Clinic Visit Educational Storybook by Bruno Oro exemplifies the growing field of therapeutic visual communication designed to support young children navigating potentially anxiety-inducing healthcare experiences. This work belongs to an established tradition of bibliotherapy and preparatory visual materials that employ narrative engagement and relatable characters to transform unfamiliar medical encounters into comprehensible, even welcoming experiences. The technical execution demonstrates sophisticated understanding of developmental psychology and visual literacy principles appropriate for early childhood audiences, employing clearly delineated forms, consistent character design featuring endearing anthropomorphized bears, and a chromatic strategy built upon reassuring warm tones punctuated by cheerful accents. The compositional choices within the illustrated spreads visible here suggest careful attention to visual hierarchy and narrative pacing, with characters positioned to guide the young reader through sequential understanding of clinical procedures. The striped scarves adorning the bear characters function as both visual continuity devices and markers of personality, lending individual identity to figures while maintaining stylistic cohesion. Perhaps most notably, the work succeeds in depicting medical equipment and clinical settings through a lens of friendliness rather than clinical sterility, transforming potentially intimidating objects into approachable elements within a caring narrative framework. The photograph documenting the storybook in active use provides compelling evidence of the design's effectiveness, capturing genuine engagement as small hands cradle the pages with evident interest. The surrounding context of art supplies and creative materials suggests an environment where learning, creativity, and emotional processing intersect naturally. Viewers might consider how such carefully crafted visual materials serve not merely informational purposes but contribute to emotional wellbeing, building coping resources and reducing anticipatory anxiety through the time-honored practice of storytelling.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Maples Clinic Visit helps children facing frequent medical appointments by providing relatable information. The story follows Maple, a teddy bear who needs orthotics to walk, explaining clinical procedures in a comforting way. Aimed at children with cerebral palsy, the book reduces anxiety by familiarizing them with medical visits. It emphasizes user-centered design to improve children's healthcare experiences, making each appointment feel friendlier and less daunting.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 10 by 8 inches hardbook
- Tags
- Maple, orthotics, children healthcare, user experience, medical appointments, disability awareness, storybook, pediatric rehabilitation, emotional support, engaging design
- Production Technology
- Maples Clinic Visit was developed using user-centered design methodologies, focusing on the emotional needs of children facing medical procedures. We conducted qualitative research, including interviews with parents and healthcare professionals, to inform the narrative and illustrations. The book features vibrant, engaging visuals created through digital illustration techniques, ensuring accessibility and appeal. Additionally, iterative prototyping allowed for testing the storyline with young audiences, enhancing relatability and understanding of clinical processes, particularly regarding orthotics.
- Design Challenge
- The creative challenge involved addressing the emotional barriers children face during medical appointments. Overcoming societal misconceptions about disabilities was crucial, as was ensuring that the design resonated with young audiences. Historically, children's resources have been limited, leading to anxiety in clinical settings. External factors like healthcare regulations influenced content accuracy, while advancements in technology allowed for engaging illustrations and interactive elements. Collaborating with medical professionals ensured the project was both informative and supportive, fostering a positive impact on children’s experiences.
- Project Duration
- Project developed in Spring 2024 at Iowa State University
- Operation Flow
- Maples Clinic Visit works by engaging children through a fun story about a teddy bear who goes to the clinic. The narrative transforms a potentially scary experience into an adventure, helping kids relate to Maples journey. Interaction occurs as children follow along with Maple, making them feel involved in the story. Key moments highlight important steps in medical visits, making it easier for kids to understand what to expect. This approach helps reduce anxiety, resulting in a more positive experience during real-life appointments and encouraging cooperation.
- Research
- This design research focuses on improving children's experiences in healthcare settings, specifically for those with disabilities. The objectives include reducing anxiety during medical visits and educating children about clinical procedures. We employed qualitative methods, using interviews and observations to gather data. Participants included children, parents, and healthcare professionals. The results revealed that relatable resources significantly eased children's fears. Insights showed that engaging designs can foster comfort and understanding, ultimately impacting how healthcare is delivered, enhancing both societal awareness and design practices.
- Inspiration
- This project was inspired by the need for relatable resources for children facing frequent medical appointments, particularly those with disabilities like cerebral palsy. I aimed to create an engaging experience to reduce anxiety and make clinical visits more approachable. My background in Industrial Design and research on user experience in healthcare guided the development. Collaborating with healthcare professionals ensured the content was informative and comforting for young readers.
- Patents
- Maples Clinic Visit © 2024 by Bruno Oro is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/