This story is continued by six fully interactive touch-screen installations winding through the center. Through personal experiences of real people—members, medical professionals, and researchers—visitors can learn about a wide range of important healthcare topics: Integrated care, an emphasis on prevention, innovation, and transformative information technologies that work synergistically to meet the challenges facing health care today. Each application features a different narrative and interactive structure, each designed around the application’s specific content. The interactions are designed to be intuitive and immediate, with users directly manipulating on-screen elements with touch and drag gestures, freely exploring the wealth of available data, and even having the option to email themselves directly from the touch screens.

The Every Body Walk! Wall invites visitors to discover how walking can make a difference in their own lives by spreading information along the length of the 80-foot-wide, ten-foot-high, multi-touch screen. The installation encourages them to make a commitment to include walking in their daily routine. Visitors learn about the benefits of walking, get tips on how to get and stay motivated, learn the importance of building walkable communities, and see how they can easily make walking a part of their lives. The interactions in this zone subtly reinforce the content itself; people literally walk along the wall as they explore each of the topics. The wall was designed to be used by several people or small groups simultaneously.

It took about nine months and thousands of man hours to complete, although admittedly, our gang could have worked a little more efficiently had we not asked them to walk in place the whole time – but never let it be said we’re only talkin’ the talk. Special thanks to both KP and RAA for inviting us into the party. We feel healthier already.