The Importance of Clear Visuals in Healthcare

How Today’s Consumers See the World

Over the past decade, the healthcare consumer’s relationship with technology has changed dramatically, impacting how patients communicate and engage with their own health and wellbeing, as well as the healthcare institutions that serve them. 

Patients and caregivers are often anxious, confused, or disoriented when navigating care. The process of finding and engaging in care can be daunting, leaving consumers feeling overwhelmed. With patients’ health at the center of the equation, clear and concise communication is imperative. Reducing friction and providing clarity are vital when designing information sources for patients in a healthcare system.

Why This is Important

Patients want communication that is accessible and tailored to their needs, while also being sympathetic and human. To be correctly, empathetically, and clearly informed as a patient empowers them to make better decisions and, in turn, improve their health. So, the question is:

How can you better educate and empower your patients through design?

How to Cater to the “New Patient”

First, you have to understand that many of your patients or stakeholders have a predisposition for short-form information and utilize it as a tool when making design decisions. This can mean focusing on design fundamentals, such as color, form, and composition, and creating a framework that works for the patient.

Color

Accessibility must be a priority in healthcare, and high contrast design is a must. For patients of an older generation, high contrast colors can assist those with eyesight trouble, but also, for patients in a younger demographic, high contrast colors are a staple of digital short-form media. 

Form

Simplicity is key. The use of simple geometric forms allows the design to directly communicate the intended message and empowers patients with clear, precise, and focused information. Whether the application is digital, print, or environmental, the main elements within the design should follow geometric forms; typical measurable shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles. Furthermore, these forms should not be complex, but shapes that people recognize and feel familiar with.

Composition

Straightforward composition creates much-needed clarity for patients. Composition heavily relies on the medium of the design, but there are a few principles that can be effective to follow with the patient in mind. 

Emphasis

Design elements should always have a singular emphasis or, if more than one emphasis is needed, then a strong hierarchy. This ensures that the piece is easily understood, especially if viewed in a short period of time.

Repetition

Repetition was once viewed as a very negative aspect of user design, but repetition in short-form media is utilized as a tool for reaffirming certain messages, and can be leveraged in other forms of media as well.

Movement

When a designer understands how to move a viewer’s eye around a piece, they are able to keep the viewer’s attention and communicate the message more effectively. Movement is now an expected element in any digital media and should be utilized to ensure proper engagement.

Patient Centered Design

As technology has become more complex and good information harder to identify, healthcare has become increasingly intimidating. By taking a patient-centered design approach, you can take patient education and information materials beyond availability, into accessibility, using interesting, easy-on-the-eyes visuals and design elements. In healthcare, the patient’s health is at the center of almost every decision that a system makes, and that should be no different when it comes to designing patient communication. By taking into account the changing landscape of patient interaction and their perception of the world, a health system can better communicate with its patients, ensuring the best healthcare possible for them.

Nickolas Nieves, Senior Designer & Web Developer

As the Senior Designer at LIFT Healthcare, Nickolas bridges creativity, technology, and human understanding to bring healthcare insights to life. He unites analytical precision with visual storytelling, transforming complex ideas into tools, interfaces, and experiences that engage, educate, and inspire.