Colour, Shape, Save: The Crash Cart’s Artful Transition to Calm and Function

In the bustling ecosystem of a modern hospital, the crash cart is a silent guardian, always at the ready to dash into the heart of medical emergencies. Within its confines lie a plethora of life-saving tools and medicines, ready to combat a medical emergency when crises knock on the door. Yet, amidst the adrenaline soaked ambiance of a medical emergency, the conventional disarray of the crash cart can morph precious seconds into life-altering delays. The typical crash cart, with its bland drawers and compartments, starkly contrasts with the urgent essence of its existence. But what if we could reimagine this silent lifesaver to be more intuitive, accessible, and adept in the face of exigencies?

The idea is simple - blend design with the practical needs of emergency care, using colours and shapes to help medical personnel navigate the crash cart easily.

Taking the aesthetic appeal of colours and shapes and turning them into practical tools to streamline how medical personnel interact with the crash cart. Using specific colours and shapes to cut through the chaos of emergencies, and leverage hierarchy to swiftly guide medical staff to the tools or medications they need, easing the cognitive load in those critical moments where clarity is a precious commodity.

A glimpse into a study from the British Journal of Anaesthesia reveals that well-crafted, colour-coded storage trays for anaesthesia drugs significantly dwindle the medication error rate. The dalliance between effective design and medical functionality isn’t a novel concept, yet we have merely skimmed the surface of what’s attainable.

A Personal Prelude to Organisation

My love for organisation is easily showcased at home, where even my toolbox is a testament to systematic arrangement. Each tool has its designated spot, mirroring the efficiency I aim to bring into the design of a hospital's crash cart. This isn’t just about neatness; it’s about swift access and ease of use in critical moments,

Leaving my passion for sorted screws aside, our discourse dives into the blueprint of a redesigned crash cart. A meticulous reconfiguration aimed at shaving off crucial seconds, enhancing clarity, and bolstering confidence among the medical staff during the high stress moments of medical emergencies.

In the ensuing sections, we dissect the current shortcomings, unveil the proposed redesign, and delve into the myriad benefits that such a design overhaul could usher into the high-stakes arena of emergency medical response.

A Spectrum of Clarity: Harnessing Colour to Streamline Crash Cart Navigation

Colours are more than just visual stimuli; they are powerful conveyors of information, capable of evoking instinctive reactions and guiding actions. The role of colour in medical settings isn't new; from colour-coded medication vials to colour-based alert systems, colour serves as a visual shorthand, speeding up recognition and decision-making. 

Notably, the Broselow trolley, a colour-coded system designed to expedite access to appropriate medical equipment and medications for children in emergencies, exemplifies the pragmatic application of colour in a medical milieu.

However, the potential of integrating such colour-coded efficiency in the design of general crash carts still remains a largely untapped reservoir. The discussion surrounding the utilisation of colour, extending beyond Broselow trolleys to broader crash cart design, opens avenues for streamlined navigation and quick access.

Envision an adult crash cart where each drawer or internal compartment is colour-coded based on its contents. The colour red, synonymous with urgency and attention, could be employed to signify drawers housing critical life-saving equipment and medicines. A blue hue, often associated with calmness and stability, could denote respiratory and airway management supplies. This colour-coded system serves as a visual cue, offering an intuitive roadmap to the medical personnel even before the drawer is pulled open.

The colour palette isn't just a veneer; it's a functional overlay that aims to minimise cognitive load. In the heated rush of an emergency, the cognitive bandwidth of medical personnel is stretched thin. A well-thought-out colour scheme on the crash cart acts as an external memory aid, reducing the mental effort required to locate necessary items, and freeing up cognitive resources for more critical aspects of patient care. Thought must be given to those with colour vision deficiency and clear labelling must be used in conjunction.

Moreover, the colour-coding system can be a common thread running through the fabric of the hospital's emergency response protocol. Consistent use of colour across different crash carts within a facility, or particularly across hospitals, instilling a sense of familiarity and confidence among medical personnel. In the face of uncertainty, the colour-coded crash cart becomes a familiar companion, its colours serving as beacons of clarity amidst the storm.

‘Colour and shapes serving as a visual shorthand, speeding up recognition and decision-making.’

"Geometric Guidance: Employing Shapes to Architect Intuition in Equipment Retrieval"

The realm of design extends beyond colours, venturing into the territory of shapes to further hone the intuitive navigation of the crash cart. Shapes, much like colours, are elementary visual cues that humans are conditioned to recognize swiftly. Their application in demarcating and organising equipment in a crash cart can significantly trim down the time and cognitive effort required to locate necessary items amidst the chaos of a medical emergency.

One of the intriguing avenues to explore is the utilisation of shapes to identify equipment categories. For instance, circular labels could denote respiratory equipment, squares could signify surgical tools, and triangles might indicate emergency medications. The distinctness of these geometric figures can cut through the clutter, providing a clear, visual shorthand for medical personnel to follow.

Delving deeper into the psychology of shapes, the Bouba/Kiki effect unfurls an interesting facet. This well-documented psychological phenomenon elucidates that individuals tend to associate rounded shapes (Bouba) with softer, milder notions, while angular shapes (Kiki) are associated with harsher, more severe concepts. Applying this insight to the layout of the crash cart, rounded shapes could be employed to label equipment related to standard or less severe medical procedures, while angular shapes could denote equipment crucial for more severe or life-threatening emergencies. This subtle psychological cue can harmonise with the inherent urgency of the situation, steering medical personnel intuitively towards the required equipment.

Having a designated outline for equipment placement within the drawers or compartments can be a game-changer. Visual outlines or silhouettes of the equipment provide a clear indication of where each item belongs, akin to a puzzle where each piece has its designated spot. Not only does this facilitate quicker identification and retrieval of items, but it also ensures that the equipment is returned to its rightful place, maintaining the organisation of the crash cart for subsequent emergencies.

The integration of shapes in the design blueprint of the crash cart is a testament to the potential of multi-dimensional design thinking. 

"Embarking on a Lifesaving Design Expedition"

The redesign of the crash cart is a clarion call to innovators, medical professionals, and anyone who enjoys good design. This is an invitation to harness the power of design in sculpting a more intuitive, efficient, and reliable emergency response apparatus that reduces the cognitive load.

On this blog over time, I will redesign the cart with what I have mentioned above and chronicle each phase of this process— the insights gleaned, the challenges encountered, and organisation celebrated. And I invite you all to help with your own unique ideas and inspirations.

Please reach out to me on twitter ( or X) if you have any ideas or suggestions at @djarlarnbah