- Ben Lesko
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 18
FLOW — NHS Patient Journey
in collaboration with NHS & Abertay University
FLOW was developed as part of an NHS-funded research project exploring how interactive simulations could help healthcare professionals better understand patient journeys and identify bottlenecks within hospital workflows.
As Lead Designer, I worked with a multidisciplinary team of artists and designers to transform research objectives into an interactive Unreal Engine prototype used to support presentations and discussions with healthcare professionals.
Role
Lead Designer
Engine / Tools
Unreal Engine Blueprint
Focus Areas
Gameplay systems & interaction design
Patient journey visualisation
UX-focused information delivery
Gameplay Systems & Interaction Design
I designed the prototype's core interaction flow, allowing users to navigate patient journeys, explore healthcare scenarios, and understand how different decisions affected progression through the system.
The emphasis was on creating interactions that remained intuitive while communicating complex information clearly.
Patient Journey Visualisation
The prototype translated healthcare pathways into an interactive environment where users could experience each stage of the patient journey rather than viewing it as a static diagram.
This helped communicate process flow, decision points, and areas where delays or inefficiencies could occur.
UX-Focused Information Delivery
Information was presented contextually through interactive spaces, allowing participants to absorb data naturally as they progressed through the prototype.
The focus was on reducing cognitive load while making complex healthcare concepts easier to understand and discuss.
Production Context
The project was commissioned through an NHS research initiative and developed at Abertay University by a multidisciplinary team. As Lead Designer, I coordinated the gameplay direction while implementing the prototype in Unreal Engine, working closely with artists and another game designer throughout development.
The prototype was later demonstrated during conferences and workshops to facilitate discussions around patient experience and healthcare improvement.
What I Learned
translating complex real-world processes into intuitive interactive experiences
designing gameplay systems to communicate information rather than entertainment
collaborating within a multidisciplinary research team
balancing user experience with stakeholder requirements
leading prototype development from concept to implementation
