Among the plethora of instruments present in healthcare environments, the hospital bed is undoubtedly one of the most important for patients and caregivers. However, their design usually follows a top-down approach without considering end-users opinions and desires. Exploiting Human-centered design (HCD) permits these users to have a substantial role in the final product outcome. This study aims to empower caregivers to express their opinion about the hospital bed using a qualitative approach. For a holistic vision, we conducted six focus groups and six semi-structured interviews with nurses, nursing students, social-health operators and physiotherapists belonging to many healthcare situations. We then used thematic analysis to extract the themes that participants faced during the procedures, providing a comprehensive guide to designing the future electrical medical bed. These work results could also help overcome many issues that caregivers face during their everyday working life. Moreover, we identified the User Experience features that could represent the essential elements to consider.

The COVID-19 spread abruptly changed the fruition of indoor environments, where necessary adaptive measures have since been implemented. Buildings open to the public were suddenly equipped with physical devices aiming to encourage users’ appropriate behaviors, such as hand sanitizing, social distancing, and temperature monitoring. Through a twofold architectural-psychological perspective, the paper presents a research aiming to understand how users perceive these devices in the Italian context and to identify the design features that could improve their effectiveness in enhancing individuals’ awareness. With an interdisciplinary approach, four methods were adopted: observational field surveys, background and normative framework analysis, survey research through an online questionnaire, and case studies survey research. The results confirm the overall effectiveness of the implemented anti-COVID strategies, their suitability in encouraging individuals’ appropriate behaviors, and the importance of regulating the users’ flow indoors. The research allowed defining the devices (hand-sanitizing devices and temperature-measurement instruments) and wayfinding systems more suited to be included in the prevention strategy and identified their more appropriate design features in relation to the users’ feedback. Operational suggestions are presented as well. The adopted experimental approach can be useful in supporting decision making in managing of the built environment in both the current and future contexts.

Floods are an increasingly frequent phenomenon with catastrophic consequences for citizens and cities. Virtual reality (VR) has become a valuable training tool, simulating inaccessible or hazardous situations like emergencies and risk environments. This study evaluates a designed virtual training simulating a riverbank flood scenario. Beyond imparting factual knowledge, this environment aims to facilitate experiential learning by enabling users to repeatedly practice correct behaviors safely. We investigate the impact that different tutorials have on the ability of users to comprehend and retain the knowledge conveyed during the VR experience. To achieve this, three training experiences with different levels of contextualization and interaction tutorials were compared in a between-participant design. Data collection involved both self-reported measures (e.g., questionnaire) and objective measures (e.g., behavioral data). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the virtual environment in acquiring knowledge of flood contents, particularly when the tutorial offers high levels of interaction, thereby reducing cognitive load. Furthermore, we observed that a lower level of contextualization in the tutorial phase enhances user efficiency in acquainting themselves with the virtual environment. This study emphasizes the potential of virtual training in augmenting preparedness, providing a valuable framework for the development of experiential learning tools in flood emergencies.