The following video provided a wealth of experience and ideas by outlining Google’s design and workplace philosophy. I found this video especially valuable as the company has come from the base of a startup with varying spaces dependant on location and footprint within that region. There were many gems such as not thinking about the fancy things, but rather flexibility within the space you have, for example, playing hockey in the car park and not having a dedicated gym.

Additionally, I found a lot of synergy with the education environment and my own project of the simulation space for paramedics. In education, we need to start with the outcomes we require before designing learning outcomes, resources, activities, assessments and ultimately for us a simulation space for paramedics. Google has taken a similar approach starting with the business outcomes required.

Other synergies with education included the need to measure user-experiences, the piloting of design and a focus on authenticity, along with designing for context and functionality.

The need to measure user-experience in education is through the use of various learning analytic instruments. The data gained is used to iterate learning activities rather than simply relying on the ‘gut feel’ of the educator designing the experience.

Through the video, I can see flaws within the design process of our own paramedic simulation space.

Between the above video and the following one on how Canterbury Health District Board designed their varying spaces using cardboard mockups in a warehouse, I could see much better ways of undertaking the design of a paramedic simulation space (or any other space for that matter).