{"id":885704,"date":"2026-05-14T13:57:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/?p=885704"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:57:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:57:52","slug":"designing-comfort-into-care-everywhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/research\/articles\/topics\/healthcare\/designing-comfort-into-care-everywhere\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Comfort Into Care, Everywhere"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve spent time in a hospital or clinic lately, either as a patient, a family member, or even a clinician, you know the experience isn\u2019t defined only by the medical care you receive. It\u2019s shaped by everything around it: the waiting, the uncertainty, the long stretches of time when you\u2019re not sure what\u2019s coming next.<\/p>\n

Steelcase research makes this clear. People aren\u2019t waiting only in waiting rooms. They\u2019re waiting in exam rooms, patient rooms, hallways, transition zones and family spaces. And in all those places, they want to feel safe, welcomed and valued.<\/p>\n

When waiting happens everywhere, a new design challenge exists: how do you make care feel comfortable and consistent across an entire healthcare journey, not just in one room?<\/p>\n

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Designing for care<\/h2>\n

When Steelcase set out to design a new approach to healthcare furniture, designers didn\u2019t begin with sketches or aesthetics. They began by conducting research to better understand people\u2019s pain points.<\/p>\n

We knew it was important to learn from the people who understand healthcare best. So we traveled the country, talking with patients, their families, and the architects and designers shaping these spaces<\/p>John AllenSteelcase Designer<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n

What they heard from the research was consistent and honest.<\/p>\n

Patients said the spaces around them felt cold or institutional. Families said they didn\u2019t feel comfortable settling in for long stays. Facilities managers said they needed patient room furniture<\/a> that could survive heavy use, constant cleaning and shrinking footprints. Clinicians said they needed spaces that supported connection, not just efficiency.<\/p>\n

Specific moments stuck with the design team.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome patients told us, \u2018Not only is the furniture uncomfortable, but I don’t feel like this is a place where I can heal,\u201d says John Allen, the Steelcase designer who led the project.<\/p>\n

That became a turning point. If the environment itself is working against comfort, reassurance and dignity, then the care experience is compromised, even before a clinician walks into the room.<\/p>\n

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Comfort as a clinical need \u2013 not a luxury<\/strong><\/p>\n

Healthcare environments are under enormous pressure. Aging populations, behavioral health needs, staffing shortages and tighter budgets all shape the daily reality of care. But even with those constraints: people heal better when they feel at ease.<\/p>\n

Steelcase Health research found patients want spaces that:<\/p>\n