Close Overlay
An all-in partner for
experience design, tech, build and install
Designed with the patient experience in mind, this brand-new $232MM, 146-bed pediatric hospital goes beyond a traditional healthcare aesthetic to create a warm, colorful environment suited for even the littlest patients. Dimensional Innovations joined the project as the comprehensive experience design and interactive technology expert, collaborating early on with hospital leadership as the seven-story facility broke ground.
Challenge: MU Health Care set out to build a new Children’s Hospital that would feel uplifting, comforting, and intuitive for patients and families navigating stressful moments. The challenge was to create a cohesive visual identity across multiple floors—each with its own theme—while ensuring the environment remained calming, child‑friendly, and easy to navigate. Dimensional Innovations was tasked with developing experiential graphics, donor recognition, and interactive elements that would bring the hospital’s vision to life and create a sense of place for every visitor.
Solution: Dimensional Innovations partnered with MU Health Care to design and implement a full experiential branding system throughout the Children’s Hospital, creating a warm and engaging environment for patients and families. Each floor features its own theme—such as nature, animals, or exploration—brought to life through large‑scale graphics, sculptural elements, and playful illustrations that help reduce anxiety and spark curiosity.
Dimensional Innovations also developed a comprehensive donor recognition program that honors contributions at multiple levels and integrates seamlessly into the hospital’s architecture. Interactive elements and tactile features encourage engagement, while clear wayfinding supports families as they move through the space. By blending creativity, fabrication, and child‑centered design, Dimensional Innovations delivered an environment that feels uplifting, intuitive, and uniquely tailored to young patients' needs.
Year
2024Location
Columbia, MissouriPartners
HKS
Dimensional Innovations brought each floor’s theme to life through large‑scale graphics, sculptural elements, and playful illustrations, creating a cohesive visual identity throughout the hospital. These environmental features reinforce the hospital’s narrative, support intuitive navigation, and provide moments of comfort and discovery for young patients and their families.
The largest “wow” moment within the space is the 18‑foot‑tall dimensional tree sculpture rooted in the hospital’s atrium, accompanied by floating clouds and hundreds of bluebirds soaring overhead. In addition to the sculptural elements, the team created and installed nature‑themed wall graphics, murals, elevator panels, and giant slide puzzles throughout the space. Together, these elements cultivate an engaging and healing environment for all patients.
TECH INTEGRATION FOR PATIENT EXPERIENCE
The Dimensional innovations scope went beyond physical design, incorporating various interactive tech elements throughout the space to serve as positive distractions for pediatric patients. NatureVerse is an interactive patient engagement technology that invites patients to scan the QR code located on the first-floor lobby, create their own animal avatar, and explore a wondrous world seemingly far away from treatment.
After selecting and customizing their animal avatar, players can collect fireflies and release them as colorful fireworks based on the color combinations they’ve gathered. Returning patients can pick up where they left off as they venture through a captivating world of fantastical landscapes alongside fellow players.
CreatureVerse
This gamified digital adventure is our latest version of DI’s CreatureVerse, which was customized for this pediatric hospital’s theme and branding.
The animals and environment within NatureVerse are a direct replication of the animal sculptures and graphics inside the hospital. This physical and digital integration allows for brand consistency and a customized connection.
A digital coloring book wall located in the first-floor lobby invites patients and visitors to unlock their inner artist. Using gesture-tracking technology, this touchless, interactive tool allows users to “color” by moving their hands across customized scenes. The coloring book wall also doubles as a word search and I-spy moment.
Talk to Our Experts
Whether you have a fully-baked idea or are just exploring the possible, our proven-effective approach makes it easy to help you determine where to start and how DI can help. We'd love to learn more!
Get in Touch
Nemours Children’s Health
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Children’s Health of Orange County
Children’s Mercy Kansas City Burn Clinic
Children’s Wisconsin
Carilion Children's Social Butterflies
University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital
Dentistry for Children
University of Nebraska Medical Center
