It's a universal truth that hospitals can be depressing places. They certainly don't have to be, at least in their design.

That's exactly what we talk about in this episode of Thought Starters.

Dr. Nick Rhodes is a psychiatrist by trade, but runs a charity called The Nightingale Project that helps improve health services through art and music. He recently commissioned Camille Walala to paint a mural at the Park Royal Mental Health Centre. If you're dealing with depressed people, he asks, why treat them in depressing places?

Similarly, Clara Gaggero Westaway looks at the emotional side of the devices used in health care. She talks about one recent project where her practice, Special Projects, rethought the experience of monitoring blood pressure. The resulting device was designed to be less stressful to use, and in turn, more accurate in its results.