Follow the blue dot, follow the on-screen directions, and get to your destination — anywhere

Google's been, we can get to.

But navigating indoors, especially in a confusing place like a hospital, is a whole other story.

It's your first time here. You're anxious about your medical exam or about visiting

your uncle after his surgery. You don't want to take a wrong turn and end up somewhere

scary. It's busy, it's intimidating, and it feels like a maze. And Google's really

no help at all.

Hi, I'm Leslie Wolke, founder of MapWell Studio in Austin, Texas. For the last 15 years

I've consulted with hospitals on wayfinding: the art and science of helping people find

their way in confusing environments.

For SXSW's new Healthcare track, I've put together a panel on this subject called

“Lost and Late: helping patients find their way.” We'll talk about the future of wayfinding

and wayfinding technology, along with the latest user research about how people navigate

and what tools we can provide to make their journey easier.

The four of us have different perspectives on wayfinding. Designer Laura Varacchi will

walk us though her experience working with traditional and innovative digital signage

at NYU Langone Medical Center. Amber Felts runs the Wayfinding and Graphics group at

MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, a clinical and research facility that's over 19 million

square feet of space that patients and visitors must navigate. And Robert Tabb of Phunware

specializes in indoor positioning and navigation using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

I hope you'll join us for a lively conversation and walk away from the session with ways you

can improve wayfinding and patient experience in your own world. Thank you.