Diagnosim
How might we scale diagnostic training through immersive, resource-efficient design?
Spatial Interactive Learning Platform for Medical Students
Challenge
Recreate real-world diagnostic workflows in a spatial environment that’s intuitive, clinically accurate, and accessible for medical education purposes.
Role
This is a solo project, so I led the entire UX research and design process independently.
Oct 2023 to Jan 20234.
During the pandemic, a friend of mine - also a med student - complained how lockdowns made it even harder for them to gain real clinical experiences. At the same time, Apple released Vision Pro, inspiring me to explore mixed reality as a solution.
Therefore, I designed a spatial simulation platform that lets learners practice diagnostic imaging without the constraint of physical resources, while proposing design principles for future MR medical tools.
Context
Prototype tested with 5 medical students; 100% reported improved spatial understanding of diagnostic imaging, 80% preferred the platform over traditional lecture-based review.
System usability score (SUS) averaged 76.3, indicating strong ease of use for first-time users.
Impact
User Research
3 User Interviews
8+ Literature Reviews
Main elements of an ideal medical student selection process (Cleland, J., et al. “Identifying Best Practice in the Selection of Medical Students”, 2012)
Lack of Medical Education Resources
Lack of Spatial Memory and Contextual Learning
4+ Contextual Inquiries
Medical school selection processes often face challenges of inefficiency and inequality (red-marked sections). Literature identifies Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) as one of the most valid and effective methods for fair assessment, as they evaluate candidates’ judgement in role-relevant scenarios (Cleland, 85).
To address this, I identified a gap: students have limited opportunities to practice SJT-like scenarios in a realistic, hands-on way. This insight shaped the design direction for Diagnosim, using real medical imaging cases to simulate diagnostic scenes.
By integrating hand gestures and voice commands, it enables accessible, practice-based training—particularly valuable for students with fewer educational resources. This way, Diagnosim can focus on improving the blue-framed sections by promoting and supporting SJTs.
Industry Observations
Need for Practical and Realistic Exercise Scenarios
Obstacles and Inequality for Students with Disabilities
Ideation & Prototyping
User Flow
Information Architecture
SWOT Analysis: MR as Medical Education Tool
MR UI Deliverables
Practice (Home Page)
Practice (Mode)
Practice (Library)
Preload (Scene Selection)
Exercise - Positioning
Exercise - Positioning Critique
Exercise - Image Diagnosis
Exercise - Diagnosis Critique
Exercise - Full Overview
Profile Page
Ranking Page
Community Page
Iterative User Research & Next Steps
Open Card Sorting
I sought to understand what medical students value and care about in the designed prototype by conducting 1-on-1 open card sorting with medical students and non-medical students after a moderated usability testing.
The result emphasized the importance of designing with medical profession and rigor, and replicating real-world clinical environment.
Non-medical Student Sorting
35 cards of Diagnosim’s features
Medical Student Sorting