There is a greater need for the professional designer to implement all phases of a design process that challenges both the design team and the client to define and meet the needs of all users. It is imperative that groups, who have been previously unidentified or simply determined not to be significant, be recognized. The interior design professional must become the advocate for the forgotten user who does not control the project budget. In today's market, a widening gap often places the designer between a client who finances the development or manages the marketing of interior spaces and the people who use them. In the case above, innovative and responsive design of a pediatric wing depends on understanding and responding to the special needs of the child as well as architectural and interior design guidelines and health care provider needs.
Research suggests that children often remember places and sensations more than adults.
They may be significantly affected by details in the built environment of which adults are unaware. In the hospital setting, where children are feeling anxious, the impact of the environment can be even greater. Design should be a continuous collaborative effort. No longer can a designer rely on intuition, talent and flair to get the job done. The temptation to guess at answers to complex design problems must be resisted.