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Recharge Rooms

This project provides a quick same-day data visualization for patients undergoing tests for chronic illnesses at Mount Sinai’s Abilities Research Center. The tests are long and arduous for patients, and clear results may take weeks to get back.

CLIENT

Studio Elsewhere

TIMELINE

2020 - Ongoing

ROLE

UX Designer & Developer
main-min
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CONTEXT

Healthcare worker burnout

In the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Studio Elsewhere rapidly developed Recharge Rooms as a direct response to the unprecedented stress experienced by New York's healthcare workers. These immersive, multi-sensory environments became critical sanctuaries where frontline medical staff could find moments of respite and restoration within the hospital setting before returning to their demanding duties.

CHALLENGE

Addressing critical frontline needs 

As COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals, healthcare workers faced unprecedented levels of stress, trauma, and burnout with no effective on-site relief systems in place. I joined during the second phase of Studio Elsewhere's Recharge Rooms initiative to streamline the experience and minimize technical issues.
  • User-Friendly Design - Create intuitive environments that required minimal training and maintenance for time-constrained medical staff
  • Covid-Safe Operation - Eliminate physical controllers and remote devices to reduce contamination surfaces and minimize potential viral transmission 
  • Group Accessibility - Develop spaces that could accommodate multiple healthcare workers simultaneously during brief breaks
  • Flexible Usage -  Design experiences that delivered benefits during both quick 5-minute breaks and longer restorative sessions 

SOLUTION

Creating biophilic spaces

Studio Elsewhere created self-sustaining Recharge Rooms that operated autonomously within strict hospital environments, integrating biophilic design principles with healthcare safety requirements. We developed voice-activated technology that eliminated infection risks from physical controllers while ensuring complete HIPAA compliance through on-device AI processing that required no external servers. Custom-designed furniture fabricated with hospital-safe materials mimicked natural wood elements while meeting rigorous cleanliness standards, and the entire system functioned reliably 24/7 without staff intervention.
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CONTRIBUTION

System design and user experience

I focused on optimizing the software architecture to significantly reduce maintenance demands and streamline the user experience. I designed an intelligent video caching system that minimized technical failures and bandwidth requirements, allowing rooms to function even during network interruptions.

My work enabled customized UI configurations for each unique hospital installation while maintaining consistent core functionality across all rooms. I continuously incorporated real-time user feedback from healthcare workers to refine the system, ensuring it remained intuitive and reliable through multiple iterations.
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Outcomes

Recharge Rooms rapidly demonstrated measurable success through peer-reviewed research showing significant stress reduction and cognitive improvements among healthcare staff. Within months, these spaces provided critical mental health support to thousands of frontline workers across multiple hospital systems while gaining recognition from major media outlets as an innovative solution to workplace burnout.
 

CONTACT

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