Mercedes-benz Sprinter is the world’s leading medical vehicle, providing medical access to the most remote locations due to its durability and functionalities. With that, the brand discovered miscommunication is one of the major causes of medical errors everywhere, especially in Thailand, where patients in rural areas are speaking different languages, including tribal languages

(The latest data has shown in Thailand alone there are 73 languages used, and 7,000 languages worldwide with so many of them only spoken but lacks written language*)

So the brand and Thai Health Foundation partnered to create a universal language that overcomes language barriers between doctors and patients, the symbol system that can help doctors diagnose every known illness, without using verbal language.

This will help reduce miscommunication between health professionals who work in rural areas, both volunteers and those work in public health centers, and their patients, who speak different languages.

*(www.ethnologue.com/enterprise-faq/how-many-languages-world-are-unwritten-0)

The final product is not limited to just a pamphlet, , we designed a set of symbols that help patients describe their pain characteristics to the doctors accurately, the symbols can be understood universally because we use instinctive design, which is the design from fundamental objects, shapes, and forms; the symbols are based on experience that can be perceived and give the same understanding for all.

For example, the shape of a thorn, no matter what this pointy shape is called in any languages around the world, everyone have the same understanding that this shape is sharp and know the feeling of pain it causes. Or the shape of fire, everyone automatically understands the feeling fire gives- -the burning sensation.

The way it works is doctors presenting these symbols to the patients, and patients can simply point the location on their body where the pain occurs, and point at the type of pain they are experiencing, when pain type is specified it helps leads medical personnel to the right diagnosis in different illnesses.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the world’s leading medical vehicle and has been working closely with medical organizations around the world, so by helping doctors and patients overcome language barriers, this idea helps strengthen the medical image of the brand,as a brand that goes beyond just an automobile,a brand that truly cares about lives of people..and be the true medical solution.

Moreover, unclear pain communication which leads to misdiagnosis has been a long-standing problem that no one had ever solved,so not only health professionals benefit from this work,overcoming this problem benefit the patients, and save otherwise wasted medical resources on misdiagnosis.

By doing this, a great social impact is created.No matter how far they live,no matter how small their community is, and no matter what their culture is or what language used,medical treatment should be inclusive,everyone should have equal access to healthcare and to be accurately diagnosed.