Anatomy Lab
Academic Context
UIUX Design, Immersive design
Master's Thesis
Solo Project
15 Weeks
Project Abstract
Anatomy Lab is an interactive VR experience for 1st year medical students for practicing and reviewing dissection. This will allow students to learn anatomy from anywhere at any time at their own pace. With the help of virtual collaboration, students will be able to discuss and share ideas with each other exactly how they would in the actual anatomy lab in the University.
Along with the VR experience, there will be accompanying Anatomy Lab (Desktop app experience), where students will be able to upload and share their 360 dissection video to get likes, shares and ratings from other students.
Design Outcome
Virtual Reality App, Desktop App
Design Tools
Figma, Adobe After Effects, Premier Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop
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Problem Statement
Anatomy is commonly perceived by first year medical students as the most cognitively challenging as anatomy arguably carries the largest volume of information that must be retained, the volume of the material is insurmountable and it requires memorization. This is compounded by limited exposure of prior clinical experience; new nomenclature and they have to learn all of this in a very short period of time – crammed within weeks during a busy semester. Traditionally, teaching is done via didactic lectures and dissecting a cadaver. However, in the anatomy lab, there are not enough cadavers for each group (1 cadaver is shared between 8 students) which leads to overcrowding, makes it difficult for thought processing, and not everyone gets a chance for hands – on experience.
Cadaver are expensive and preserving and maintaining them costs millions in dollars. It is important to have instructor along so that they can get feedback on the dissection and can ask question, if any, while doing it. However, there are 2 instructors per 30 students in the lab. Hence, if a group has a doubt, it is difficult to ask as they have to wait for the instructor to get free.
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Why this problem space?
Students require more practice and reviewing on dissection to better understand the anatomy. Cadavers help them to visualize and this is how they learn best and gets phenomenal experience.
Cadaver Lab
Millions of dollars
Cadaver itself
tens of millions
Formaldehyde
Exposure of students and staff to hazardous embalming chemicals like formaldehyde
COVID-19
Labs remains closed in pandemic and students needs supplementary materials to learn and review dissection
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Why it matters?
Anatomy class is the rite of passage for all aspiring doctors, and body donors becomes their first patients.
Cadaver is the best visualization tool to understand anatomy. It gives them a 3D view.
Active learning in the lab is the foundation of every treatment and diagnosis the future physicians will render.
Dissections helps students to visualize how deep things are and can help them understand the relationships between different structures.
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How might we?
How might we decrease limited access of cadaver ‘human anatomical specimens’ providing digital version so that the first – year medical students of Sidney Kimmel Center can practice and review dissection on individual’s pace and without pressure?
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Primary Research
12 medical students
20 mins each
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Interview topics
Which technology did you use the last time that you felt most uncomfortable with ?
Tell me about the last time you had phenomenal experience while learning anatomy?
Problems faced in the anatomy lab :
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Do you need more practice on dissection?
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Do you get hands - on experience?
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Do you need more time on reviewing the cadaver?
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When in doubt, whom do you ask?
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Key Takeaways
7/12 students said that they had the phenomenal experience while studying anatomy was in the anatomy lab
7/12 students said that they were most uncomfortable with google slides, didactic lectures and Virtual human anatomy dissector manual
Not everyone gets a chance for hands - on experience in the lab. Also, need more time to review and practice dissection
As 1 cadaver is shared with 8 students, there is overcrowding
When in doubt, have to wait for the instructor to finish with other group
Some students does not go to the lab every-time, as the smell is overwhelming
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Persona
"
I wish there was a better way to learn anatomy during coronavirus as the anatomy lab stays closed. Thank god the university provides V-H manual to refer, something
is better than nothing.
"
"
I wish my university had a resource to learn and practice dissection especially during COVID-19 when dissection lab remains closed.
"
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Competitive Analysis
Anatomage table is an advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection table
It is used in learning anatomy and physiology
It costs around $72,000
Many medical colleges and institutions uses it but not all can afford it
Dissection Master XR is a virtual reality and augmented reality app which allows medical students to interact with the already dissected human cadaver
All datasets are professionally dissected and then digitized in high resolution
It is also available for mobile devices
VRlab is an interactive human anatomy atlas. The users will be able to explore 8 anatomical systems in the futuristic lab
The application is a great anatomy learning tool. However, the users will not be able to dissect the human cadaver
It is still in the development process and the creators have promised a lot more features for making the product better
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Storyboard
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Initial product and feature validation
80%
80% said that they would be excited to use VR app
80%
80% said that onboarding will help
100%
100% said that pre-recorded video of dissection will help to dissect virtual cadaver
60%
60% said that step-by-step dissection instructions will be helpful
80%
80% said that they would like to collaborate with friends virtually
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MoSCoW Must Features
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Wireframes & Prototyping
1st version
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1st version - Feedback & insights
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This could be the loading screen before login screen
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Does not reflect like a desktop app. Include file, edit, etc.
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Hamburger menu does not have much of nav items. Hence, there is no need to keep it closed
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Include path to know where the user is in the uploading process to reduce cognitive load
2nd version
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2nd version - Feedback & insights
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Here, the logo is not needed
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Clear info regarding uploading from the browser to selecting file from ‘Saved Video’ section
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Add home page icon in the nav item
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Add share option
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Storyboard in VR
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Visual Design
Logo
The idea behind the logo is to show dissection metamorphically, like in this case, decided to show it by cutting or picking up type.
UI Kit
Illustrations
The whole look and feel of the app was coming out very formal and I wanted to give a touch of playfulness. Hence, I decided to making funky and cool doctors illustrations.
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High - fidelity prototype
3rd Version
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Feedback & Insights
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Storyboard - VR environment
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The users could not figure out the drag function
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Live VR and upload icons were not familiar
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No indication how to proceed to next screen
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This screen was like a dead end. No indication of how to go back
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Virtual Reality UI Cards
Controller 1 menu
Controller 2 menu
Other UI cards
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Desktop App
Click on the above link to view the high - fidelity prototype
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Virtual Reality App
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Medical Students Feedback
“It looks so cool. I was like that’s anatomy lab, I miss it. That would be really cool right now to like ‘be in the lab’.” - Margaret Pearce
“I actually prefer the virtual experience. I would be delighted to use it. It is super cool.” - David Miller
“You could have dissection at one place and step - by - step on the other. It is nice as everything is in one place.” - Jacob Nair
“It looked easy to navigate around the room and zoom in and out. It looks very user - friendly. ” - Jacob Nair
“Platform is very simplified and that’s a very appealing aspect.” - Casey Moffit
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What's next?