Design Research

A Human-Centered Approach to Enhancing Performance

Our Design Research team partners closely with clients and design teams to enhance the performance and experience of healthcare environments. We combine a human-centered approach with advanced analytics, journey mapping, and operational assessments to test new concepts and align design with real-world needs. Whether optimizing staff workflows or improving wayfinding for visitors, our research ensures that every space supports efficiency, flexibility, and service quality—laying the foundation for long-term success.

Meet the Team

Our Expertise
We tailor our research to answer specific questions and provide actionable insights that inform the decision-making process.
  • Regardless of a building program type, simulation modeling can predict periods of peak flow and optimize equipment, resources, and space. Using data from publicly available information and models, we use facility-focused simulation modeling to determine expected time-based volume needs to optimize the user experience.

  • Process improvement is often a key part of new facility planning or renovations. Aligning objectives for an elevated human experience requires early focus on guiding principles, measures of success, and an inclusive process that includes stakeholder participation to better understand priorities and articulate future goals.

  • Condition assessments can identify fragmentation in departmental adjacencies and identify the quality of space in terms of reuse or renovation requirements in the context of master planning.

  • DOTT® is a multifunctional web app developed by EwingCole that we use to map workflows, capture patterns of use, and assess the condition of facilities to gain insights on functional and environmental performance such as bottlenecks or user pathways. DOTT® activity mapping functionality can uncover patterns of space utilization to demonstrate functional success or to identify underutilized spaces for future expansion.

Published Work

Our research team explored how rigorous risk assessments at  the early stages of design reduce or prevent violence against staff, patients, and visitors.

Your Next Project Starts Here

Connect with our team and discover how EwingCole’s integrated design services can support your project goals.