BACK TO WORK
SURGICAL SCIENCE
Seattle, WA
Designed VR Software for Creating Interactive Surgical Training Modules
Role: UX Designer
My Contributions: Directed survey research study (launched to 800+ surgeons), conducted surgeon interviews, led ideation phase.
Team: Four designers (Cameron Fahsholtz, Lyle Hamm, Annie Liu, Camryn Rodgers)
Duration: December 2021 to June 2022
PROBLEM
Surgeons currently have limited training resources and no proficiency testing before operating on real patients. Hospitals lack cost-effective surgical simulators ($100K+ per unit), forcing most surgical education to rely on textbooks, lectures, and videos. This "see one, do one, teach one" model results in mistakes being made in the operating room on real patients. Educators also need efficient methods to teach and assess students.
GOAL
How can we design software that allows surgeons to create interactive surgical training modules to teach and test their students and peers?
OUTCOME
We designed Instrumental, a web-based platform that guides surgeons step-by-step through creating interactive training modules from their surgical videos. The intuitive, linear workflow enables time-constrained surgeons to build assessments, add voiceovers, and collaborate with colleagues—without requiring technical expertise.
IMPACT
- Instrumental was taken to production.
- Won "Best in Show" out of 22 projects at 2022 HCDE Capstone Showcase.
- Reduces barriers to surgical education by eliminating need for expensive simulators.
RESEARCH APPROACH
I organized and led the research phase, designing and launching a survey to 800+ surgeons and managing interviews with surgeon-educators, then analyzing all data to inform design insights.
FRAME THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Collaborated with Surgical Science PMs to define research questions on surgeons’ workflows and needs when creating Maestro modules, including:
- How surgeons structure and author content
- Time willingness for module editing
- Decision-making around interactive assessments
- Preferences for learning and onboarding into Maestro
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- How do surgeons organize their content when designing a Maestro module?
- How long are surgeons willing to spend on editing a Maestro module?
- How closely are surgeons involved in the creation of a Maestro module?
- How did surgeons decide on the assessment format for the interactive portions of their Maestro module?
- What module editing tools are important to include within surgical AR training software?
- How will surgeons learn to use the Maestro software?
We compiled a list of research questions to help answer our overarching design question. We derived our interview and survey questions dirrectly from our research questions.
9
MAP THE SURGEON MINDSET
To map the surgeon mindset, we synthesized a literature review with interviews from four globally recognized surgeon-educators and 24 survey responses. Using affinity mapping, storytelling, and behavioral science frameworks, we examined surgeons’ teaching behaviors and content-creation workflows in surgical simulation and AR/VR contexts.
TRANSLATE INSIGHTS TO PRODUCT DECISIONS
Collaborated with the Product Manager to define design requirements for VR software that enables creation of interactive surgical training modules.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
The main findings from the interview and survey studies informed the following design requirements. These design requirements guided the next phase of the project, which is ideation.
- The creation of a module must be time efficient.
- The modules must be easy to pass off from a surgeon to a colleague with limited surgical experience for completion.
- Modules must provide responses to user error to learn how to amend mistakes rather than work solely through a surgery without flaws.
- Procedural steps and skill learning components must be foundational in the module learning experience.
- The product must train motor skills.
- Modules must provide users with a score after completion to assess proficiency.
15
KEY INSIGHTS
TIME CONSTRAINTS & TECHNICAL BARRIERS
96% won’t spend over 3 hours on module creation; 41% lack video editing experience. Surgeons face tight schedules and limited tech skills.
COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL
91% would involve residents, attendings, and fellows to share module tasks.
LEARNING PROGRESSION & ASSESSMENT
Focus on teaching step-by-step procedures with instant feedback, progressing from basic skills to full procedures and managing complications.
DESIGN PROCESS
Led ideation and iteration, responsible for the video-to-storyboard user flow across low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
IDEATION
I led the ideation phase, creating comprehensive user flows that mapped the module creation experience.
HI-FI PROTOTYPE
Executed the visual design phase, aligning the high-fidelity prototype with Surgical Science’s Graphic Guidelines and incorporating two rounds of sponsor feedback.
LO-FI PROTOTYPE
We created a 60+ frame low-fidelity Figma prototype, establishing core interactions and reusable UI patterns.
ITERATION
We sketched prototype frames to align user flows with the interface, allowing us to refine interactions before moving into Figma.
SOLUTION
GUIDED LINEAR MODULE CREATION
Guides surgeons step-by-step to create interactive modules:
- Break procedures into steps
- Assign video clips with tutorials
- Add multiple-choice and anatomy quizzes
- Record voiceovers with auto-generated captions
UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
Linear Workflow: Instrumental guides users step-by-step, minimizing confusion and saving time.
Interactive Modules: Users engage actively with embedded questions and anatomy exercises.
Collaboration-First: Cloud-based design enables seamless teamwork with clear handoffs.
STORYBOARD
Break down the procedural steps.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
VIDEO
Assign video clips to individual tasks.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
ASSESSMENTS
Add interactive assessments.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
AUDIO & CC
Record audio and add closed captions.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
REFLECTION
Designing for robotic surgery was complex due to surgeons’ limited time, high demands, and low tech skills. I learned to design within tight constraints, prioritize linear workflows, balance simplicity with functionality, and run large-scale research with a highly specialized user group.
BACK TO WORK
BACK TO WORK
SURGICAL SCIENCE
Seattle, WA
Designed VR Software for Creating Interactive Surgical Training Modules
Role: UX Designer
My Contributions: Directed survey research study (launched to 800+ surgeons), conducted surgeon interviews, led ideation phase.
Team: Four designers (Cameron Fahsholtz, Lyle Hamm, Annie Liu, Camryn Rodgers)
Duration: December 2021 to June 2022
PROBLEM
Surgeons currently have limited training resources and no proficiency testing before operating on real patients. Hospitals lack cost-effective surgical simulators ($100K+ per unit), forcing most surgical education to rely on textbooks, lectures, and videos. This "see one, do one, teach one" model results in mistakes being made in the operating room on real patients. Educators also need efficient methods to teach and assess students.
GOAL
How can we design software that allows surgeons to create interactive surgical training modules to teach and test their students and peers?
OUTCOME
We designed Instrumental, a web-based platform that guides surgeons step-by-step through creating interactive training modules from their surgical videos. The intuitive, linear workflow enables time-constrained surgeons to build assessments, add voiceovers, and collaborate with colleagues—without requiring technical expertise.
IMPACT
- Instrumental was taken to production.
- Won "Best in Show" out of 22 projects at 2022 HCDE Capstone Showcase.
- Reduces barriers to surgical education by eliminating need for expensive simulators.
RESEARCH APPROACH
I organized and led the research phase, designing and launching a survey to 800+ surgeons and managing interviews with surgeon-educators, then analyzing all data to inform design insights.
FRAME THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Collaborated with Surgical Science PMs to define research questions on surgeons’ workflows and needs when creating Maestro modules, including:
- How surgeons structure and author content
- Time willingness for module editing
- Decision-making around interactive assessments
- Preferences for learning and onboarding into Maestro
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- How do surgeons organize their content when designing a Maestro module?
- How long are surgeons willing to spend on editing a Maestro module?
- How closely are surgeons involved in the creation of a Maestro module?
- How did surgeons decide on the assessment format for the interactive portions of their Maestro module?
- What module editing tools are important to include within surgical AR training software?
- How will surgeons learn to use the Maestro software?
We compiled a list of research questions to help answer our overarching design question. We derived our interview and survey questions dirrectly from our research questions.
9
MAP THE SURGEON MINDSET
To map the surgeon mindset, we synthesized a literature review with interviews from four globally recognized surgeon-educators and 24 survey responses. Using affinity mapping, storytelling, and behavioral science frameworks, we examined surgeons’ teaching behaviors and content-creation workflows in surgical simulation and AR/VR contexts.
TRANSLATE INSIGHTS TO PRODUCT DECISIONS
Collaborated with the Product Manager to define design requirements for VR software that enables creation of interactive surgical training modules.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
The main findings from the interview and survey studies informed the following design requirements. These design requirements guided the next phase of the project, which is ideation.
- The creation of a module must be time efficient.
- The modules must be easy to pass off from a surgeon to a colleague with limited surgical experience for completion.
- Modules must provide responses to user error to learn how to amend mistakes rather than work solely through a surgery without flaws.
- Procedural steps and skill learning components must be foundational in the module learning experience.
- The product must train motor skills.
- Modules must provide users with a score after completion to assess proficiency.
15
KEY INSIGHTS
TIME CONSTRAINTS & TECHNICAL BARRIERS
96% won’t spend over 3 hours on module creation; 41% lack video editing experience. Surgeons face tight schedules and limited tech skills.
COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL
91% would involve residents, attendings, and fellows to share module tasks.
LEARNING PROGRESSION & ASSESSMENT
Focus on teaching step-by-step procedures with instant feedback, progressing from basic skills to full procedures and managing complications.
DESIGN PROCESS
Led ideation and iteration, responsible for the video-to-storyboard user flow across low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
IDEATION
I led the ideation phase, creating comprehensive user flows that mapped the module creation experience.
HI-FI PROTOTYPE
Executed the visual design phase, aligning the high-fidelity prototype with Surgical Science’s Graphic Guidelines and incorporating two rounds of sponsor feedback.
LO-FI PROTOTYPE
We created a 60+ frame low-fidelity Figma prototype, establishing core interactions and reusable UI patterns.
ITERATION
We sketched prototype frames to align user flows with the interface, allowing us to refine interactions before moving into Figma.
SOLUTION
GUIDED LINEAR MODULE CREATION
Guides surgeons step-by-step to create interactive modules:
- Break procedures into steps
- Assign video clips with tutorials
- Add multiple-choice and anatomy quizzes
- Record voiceovers with auto-generated captions
UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
Linear Workflow: Instrumental guides users step-by-step, minimizing confusion and saving time.
Interactive Modules: Users engage actively with embedded questions and anatomy exercises.
Collaboration-First: Cloud-based design enables seamless teamwork with clear handoffs.
STORYBOARD
Break down the procedural steps.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
VIDEO
Assign video clips to individual tasks.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
ASSESSMENTS
Add interactive assessments.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
AUDIO & CC
Record audio and add closed captions.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
REFLECTION
Designing for robotic surgery was complex due to surgeons’ limited time, high demands, and low tech skills. I learned to design within tight constraints, prioritize linear workflows, balance simplicity with functionality, and run large-scale research with a highly specialized user group.
BACK TO WORK
BACK TO WORK
SURGICAL SCIENCE
Seattle, WA
Designed VR Software for Creating Interactive Surgical Training Modules
Role: UX Designer
My Contributions: Directed survey research study (launched to 800+ surgeons), conducted surgeon interviews, led ideation phase.
Team: Four designers (Cameron Fahsholtz, Lyle Hamm, Annie Liu, Camryn Rodgers)
Duration: December 2021 to June 2022
PROBLEM
Surgeons currently have limited training resources and no proficiency testing before operating on real patients. Hospitals lack cost-effective surgical simulators ($100K+ per unit), forcing most surgical education to rely on textbooks, lectures, and videos. This "see one, do one, teach one" model results in mistakes being made in the operating room on real patients. Educators also need efficient methods to teach and assess students.
GOAL
How can we design software that allows surgeons to create interactive surgical training modules to teach and test their students and peers?
OUTCOME
We designed Instrumental, a web-based platform that guides surgeons step-by-step through creating interactive training modules from their surgical videos. The intuitive, linear workflow enables time-constrained surgeons to build assessments, add voiceovers, and collaborate with colleagues—without requiring technical expertise.
IMPACT
- Instrumental was taken to production.
- Won "Best in Show" out of 22 projects at 2022 HCDE Capstone Showcase.
- Reduces barriers to surgical education by eliminating need for expensive simulators.
RESEARCH APPROACH
I organized and led the research phase, designing and launching a survey to 800+ surgeons and managing interviews with surgeon-educators, then analyzing all data to inform design insights.
FRAME THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Collaborated with Surgical Science PMs to define research questions on surgeons’ workflows and needs when creating Maestro modules, including:
- How surgeons structure and author content
- Time willingness for module editing
- Decision-making around interactive assessments
- Preferences for learning and onboarding into Maestro
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- How do surgeons organize their content when designing a Maestro module?
- How long are surgeons willing to spend on editing a Maestro module?
- How closely are surgeons involved in the creation of a Maestro module?
- How did surgeons decide on the assessment format for the interactive portions of their Maestro module?
- What module editing tools are important to include within surgical AR training software?
- How will surgeons learn to use the Maestro software?
We compiled a list of research questions to help answer our overarching design question. We derived our interview and survey questions dirrectly from our research questions.
9
MAP THE SURGEON MINDSET
To map the surgeon mindset, we synthesized a literature review with interviews from four globally recognized surgeon-educators and 24 survey responses. Using affinity mapping, storytelling, and behavioral science frameworks, we examined surgeons’ teaching behaviors and content-creation workflows in surgical simulation and AR/VR contexts.
TRANSLATE INSIGHTS TO PRODUCT DECISIONS
Collaborated with the Product Manager to define design requirements for VR software that enables creation of interactive surgical training modules.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
The main findings from the interview and survey studies informed the following design requirements. These design requirements guided the next phase of the project, which is ideation.
- The creation of a module must be time efficient.
- The modules must be easy to pass off from a surgeon to a colleague with limited surgical experience for completion.
- Modules must provide responses to user error to learn how to amend mistakes rather than work solely through a surgery without flaws.
- Procedural steps and skill learning components must be foundational in the module learning experience.
- The product must train motor skills.
- Modules must provide users with a score after completion to assess proficiency.
15
KEY INSIGHTS
TIME CONSTRAINTS & TECHNICAL BARRIERS
96% won’t spend over 3 hours on module creation; 41% lack video editing experience. Surgeons face tight schedules and limited tech skills.
COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL
91% would involve residents, attendings, and fellows to share module tasks.
LEARNING PROGRESSION & ASSESSMENT
Focus on teaching step-by-step procedures with instant feedback, progressing from basic skills to full procedures and managing complications.
DESIGN PROCESS
Led ideation and iteration, responsible for the video-to-storyboard user flow across low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
IDEATION
I led the ideation phase, creating comprehensive user flows that mapped the module creation experience.
HI-FI PROTOTYPE
Executed the visual design phase, aligning the high-fidelity prototype with Surgical Science’s Graphic Guidelines and incorporating two rounds of sponsor feedback.
LO-FI PROTOTYPE
We created a 60+ frame low-fidelity Figma prototype, establishing core interactions and reusable UI patterns.
ITERATION
We sketched prototype frames to align user flows with the interface, allowing us to refine interactions before moving into Figma.
SOLUTION
GUIDED LINEAR MODULE CREATION
Guides surgeons step-by-step to create interactive modules:
- Break procedures into steps
- Assign video clips with tutorials
- Add multiple-choice and anatomy quizzes
- Record voiceovers with auto-generated captions
UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
Linear Workflow: Instrumental guides users step-by-step, minimizing confusion and saving time.
Interactive Modules: Users engage actively with embedded questions and anatomy exercises.
Collaboration-First: Cloud-based design enables seamless teamwork with clear handoffs.
STORYBOARD
Break down the procedural steps.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
VIDEO
Assign video clips to individual tasks.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
ASSESSMENTS
Add interactive assessments.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
AUDIO & CC
Record audio and add closed captions.
Insert Your Design Here
Macbook Pro
REFLECTION
Designing for robotic surgery was complex due to surgeons’ limited time, high demands, and low tech skills. I learned to design within tight constraints, prioritize linear workflows, balance simplicity with functionality, and run large-scale research with a highly specialized user group.
BACK TO WORK