Immersive

Virtual Reality - Procedures

a hospital room with a blue curtain and a monitor

Project

A VR application on Oculus Quest 2 used as an adjunct to improve nursing student’s knowledge, confidence and competence in clinical procedures before their clinical assessment.

Objective

The objective of this development was to deliver 5 working clinical procedures which students can use to perform self-guided practice sessions.

The project initially began with a team of three software engineers. A few months into development, I joined as the sole designer to enhance the application's usability and overall user experience.

Background

The Problem

When I joined the project, my first step was to personally test the application without any prior knowledge. With my experience in both playing and developing VR applications on other platforms, I provided the developers with feedback on usability improvements, noting that:

Controls were confusing and took time to master.
There was no onboarding process to familiarize new users with objectives, the interface, or controls.
The application involved intricate and complex interactions for various items.

Affinity Mapping and User Journey Mapping

The next step in the design process was to conduct user testing. I organized a session where both students and teaching staff played through at least two of the procedures.

I encouraged the testers to voice their thoughts while I observed their playthroughs. When they had questions, I would wait before responding to see if they could solve the issues on their own, helping to assess whether our application was sufficiently self-guided.

During this process, I documented the feedback users provided aloud, as well as the steps and interactions that most users struggled with.

Gathering insights

After gaining a deeper understanding of our target users, I created a user journey map to anticipate where they might encounter the most difficulties and frustrations when first using the headset. This was intended to help the team identify what needed to be developed to enhance the user experience with our simulation and virtual reality overall.

In addition, I employed affinity mapping to pinpoint the areas where users faced the most challenges with our application.

I categorized the issues into the following groups:

Gameplay
Interaction
Controls
Visuals
Suggestions

Due to the complexity of interactions, I further broke down these issues by grouping them into specific items such as cotton swabs, syringes, and conversations.

The feedback validated some of my initial observations from my playthrough. Users often struggled with distinguishing between the 'grab' and 'pinch' functions, and many took time to figure out how to interact with certain items.

First and foremost, many users were unfamiliar with VR technology. Since the program was designed for self-sufficient learning, it was essential to ensure that all users were properly introduced to the headset.

To address this, I decided to create a video that would help users get acquainted with the equipment and guide them through the setup process. I also included a segment in the video to educate viewers on the controls, ensuring that the instructions within the application would be clearer and easier to follow.

Secondly, we determined that the simulation needed a lobby, similar to a landing page for a website. The primary function of the lobby would be to serve as a menu, allowing users to navigate the simulation.

Additionally, the lobby would feature a proper onboarding sequence with narration, designed to familiarize users with basic interactions and help them get comfortable with the VR environment.

Finally, the most critical task was to streamline individual interactions and items. A significant problem was the inconsistency in design across interactions, which greatly contributed to user difficulties. To address this, I also added tooltips that appear when users hover their hand over an object. These tooltips provide reminders on how to interact with each item.

I designed the onboarding sequence within a 3D hospital lobby environment. The initial focus was to familiarize users with the trigger and grab buttons and their functions.

Next, we introduced common interactions in the simulation, such as handwashing and using the soap bottle, as well as more unique interactions like checking for pain and handling syringes.

We also introduced two new modes: Learning Mode and Assessment Mode, allowing students to tailor their learning experience.

Learning Mode provides a guided process with a step-by-step checklist for procedures. Users can access hints and instructional videos to help them proceed. This mode is designed for users to practice and become comfortable with the controls and various interactions.
Assessment Mode removes hints and guides, allowing users to complete the procedures independently. Their performance is evaluated based on the number of mistakes made, and they receive a summary page reviewing their results."

Designing the Solutions

Results and Takeaways

Design has to be involved early in development - Early design involvement ensures that user needs and usability considerations are integrated into the project from the start, rather than being added as an afterthought. This proactive approach helps to identify potential issues early, aligns the development team with the design vision, and saves time and resources by addressing design challenges before they become more complex and costly to fix.
Simplicity is key when designing interactions in VR - In virtual reality, simplicity in interactions is essential to avoid overwhelming users and to ensure a smooth, intuitive experience. Complex or inconsistent interactions can lead to confusion and frustration, detracting from the overall effectiveness of the VR application.
Proper onboarding is essential when introducing new technology - Effective onboarding helps users become comfortable with the new technology, understand its functionality, and navigate the system with confidence. Proper onboarding not only reduces initial confusion but also helps users to engage more effectively with the technology, leading to a more successful and satisfying experience.