University of Waterloo Capstone
University of Waterloo Capstone
Meet Synchronic, the next step
to better prosthetic healthcare
Meet Synchronic, the next step to better prosthetic healthcare
GBDA412 ✦ 2023
Prosthetic users face high costs and multiple appointment visits for their artificial limbs. To combat that, we built Synchronic - a tablet and desktop solution made as my final year capstone project at the University of Waterloo. limbs
For our capstone class, we partnered with Rogers 5G Create Lab. They asked our team to find industries benefiting from their 5G Integrated Digital Twin solution. We created an interactive prototype and business plan to pitch a product that could leverage their technology in the medical field.
Prosthetic users face high costs and multiple appointment visits for their artificial limbs. To combat that, we built Synchronic - a tablet and desktop solution made as my final year capstone project at the University of Waterloo. limbs
For our capstone class, we partnered with Rogers 5G Create Lab. They asked our team to find industries benefiting from their 5G Integrated Digital Twin solution. We created an interactive prototype and business plan to pitch a product that could leverage their technology in the medical field.
My Role
My Role
✦ UX Researcher
✦ UX/UI Designer
✦ UX Researcher
✦ UX/UI Designer
My Team
My Team
✦ 2 UX Researchers
✦ 2 UX/UI Designers
✦ Business Strategist
✦ 2 UX Researchers
✦ 2 UX/UI Designers
✦ Business Strategist
Timeline & Results
Timeline & Results
✦ January - May 2023
✦ Final grade of 93%
✦ January - May 2023
✦ Final grade of 93%
✦ Prototype Highlights
You’re a practitioner, ready to take on the day…
You’re a practitioner, ready to take on the day…
Here’s your schedule and information about your next patient - a lower-limb prosthetic patient.
Here’s your schedule and information about your next patient - a lower-limb prosthetic patient.
Analyze the prosthetic’s digital twin.
Analyze the prosthetic’s digital twin.
Full access to data that helps you isolate your patient’s pain points.
Full access to data that helps you isolate your patient’s pain points.
Receive an analysis report provided by the 5G digital twin and A.I.
Receive an analysis report provided by the 5G digital twin and A.I.
Find any flaws in the prosthesis such as quality and alignment of parts or pressure distribution.
Find any flaws in the prosthesis such as quality and alignment of parts or pressure distribution.
Collaborate with your patient treatment plan and update their file
Collaborate with your patient treatment plan and update their file
Your files automatically update to the patient’s file.
Your files automatically update to the patient’s file.
✦ Results
Your appointments are now more efficient without compromising that patient-practitioner relationship.
Your appointments are now more efficient without compromising that patient-practitioner relationship.
✦ Context
Crash course on 5G Digital Twins.
Crash course on 5G Digital Twins.
Digital Twins
Digital Twins
A digital twin is a virtual clone of a physical system. Currently used to maintain and predict smart manufacturing facilities, there are searches for its use in other industries.
A digital twin is a virtual clone of a physical system. Currently used to maintain and predict smart manufacturing facilities, there are searches for its use in other industries.
5G Digital Twins
5G Digital Twins
A 5G integrated digital twin is the project Rogers wants to explore, reducing latency between the physical system and it’s virtual counterpart.
A 5G integrated digital twin is the project Rogers wants to explore, reducing latency between the physical system and it’s virtual counterpart.
✦ Research Groups
Using medical proxies for research.
Using medical proxies for research.
Prosthetic patients are a protected research group, meaning we couldn’t conduct research without official provincial ethical clearance. Therefore, we did 8+ interviews with family doctors, health students, and a UW exoskeleton (robotic prostheses) research group.
Prosthetic patients are a protected research group, meaning we couldn’t conduct research without official provincial ethical clearance. Therefore, we did 8+ interviews with family doctors, health students, and a UW exoskeleton (robotic prostheses) research group.
✦ Primary Research Takeaways
Clinicians need easy access to essential details.
Insight #1:
Common Concerns
Insight #1:
Common Concerns
The research group revealed the common problems faced by prosthetic users:
✦ Misaligned prosthetic parts
✦ Deteriorating parts
✦ Unfit mold of the leg
✦ Uneven gait
The research group revealed the common problems faced by prosthetic users:
✦ Misaligned prosthetic parts
✦ Deteriorating parts
✦ Unfit mold of the leg
✦ Uneven gait
Insight #2:
Essential Medical info.
Insight #2:
Essential Medical info.
8 health students and 1 doctor mentioned the following as essential for a doctor’s appointment:
✦ Patient’s medical history
✦ Patient’s allergies
✦ Patient’s medications
8 health students and 1 doctor mentioned the following as essential for a doctor’s appointment:
✦ Patient’s medical history
✦ Patient’s allergies
✦ Patient’s medications
Insight #3:
Diffucult Dashboards
Insight #3:
Diffucult Dashboards
100% of the doctors interviewed mentioned the most common platforms in health are complicated desktop dashboards.
100% of the doctors interviewed mentioned the most common platforms in health are complicated desktop dashboards.
✦ Problem
35-40 million people experience high material costs, discomfort, and sometimes disposal.
35-40 million people experience high material costs, discomfort, and sometimes disposal.
From the secondary research we found that the major pain points experienced by prosthesis users were:
From the secondary research we found that the major pain points experienced by prosthesis users were:
✦ Problem Identification
How might we Integrate 5G-enabled digital twin technology within prosthetics to...
How might we Integrate 5G-enabled digital twin technology within prosthetics to...
Improve performance data reporting
Enable predictive analysis, and
Boost care efficiency for practitioners?
Improve performance data reporting
Enable predictive analysis, and
Boost care efficiency for practitioners?
We focused our solution on practitioners that help prosthesis users because ultimately, high-quality healthcare leads to better patient health outcomes and experiences.
We focused our solution on practitioners that help prosthesis users because ultimately, high-quality healthcare leads to better patient health outcomes and experiences.
✦ Goals
✦ Goals
The project goals and features.
✦ User Research Findings
Busy navigation and high-fidelity.
Busy navigation and high-fidelity.
At the midterm evaluation, we pitched Synchronic’s business plan and designs. After, we conducted in-class usability tests. These are the two I worked on.
At the midterm evaluation, we pitched Synchronic’s business plan and designs. After, we conducted in-class usability tests. These are the two I worked on.
Feedback #1: Tough wayfinding
Feedback #1: Tough wayfinding
80% of our classmates said it’s hard to navigate. There’s too much information and too many subpages under Patients.
80% of our classmates said it’s hard to navigate. There’s too much information and too many subpages under Patients.
Feedback #2: Little critiques
Feedback #2: Little critiques
A classmate mentioned that the mockup was too high-fidelity for non-professionals to critique, which drew our attention to why we didn’t receive much valuable feedback.
A classmate mentioned that the mockup was too high-fidelity for non-professionals to critique, which drew our attention to why we didn’t receive much valuable feedback.
✦ Navigation
✦ Navigation
Site maps for clearer wayfinding.
Site maps for clearer wayfinding.
Our MVP features only appear at one section of the appointment, therefore it’s not needed to be accessed all the time. Only during the appointments.
Our MVP features only appear at one section of the appointment, therefore it’s not needed to be accessed all the time. Only during the appointments.
Old Site Map
Old Site Map
Things to improve on:
✦ Nested tab titles - Patient > Patient
✦ Users took too long to locate the correct information
✦ Essential information was divided into several tabs
✦ MVP features are available at all times, even though their only use case is during sessions
Things to improve on:
✦ Nested tab titles - Patient > Patient
✦ Users took too long to locate the correct information
✦ Essential information was divided into several tabs
✦ MVP features are available at all times, even though their only use case is during sessions
New Site Map
Notable changes:
Notable changes:
✦ Essential patient information is consolidated in Appointments > Patient Recap
✦ Overview has its own page making it quicker to access
✦ MVP features are accessed through a scheduled appointment found on the calendar
✦ Essential patient information is consolidated in Appointments > Patient Recap
✦ Overview has its own page making it quicker to access
✦ MVP features are accessed through a scheduled appointment found on the calendar
✦ Final Test and Iterations
User input for product accuracy.
User input for product accuracy.
After doing five more interviews with healthcare students and professionals, we properly rearranged all the essential data into the new sitemap. Then, we converted the lo-fi wireframes into our final designs that I prototyped for submission.
After doing five more interviews with healthcare students and professionals, we properly rearranged all the essential data into the new sitemap. Then, we converted the lo-fi wireframes into our final designs that I prototyped for submission.
Lo-fi version of 2nd Dashboard design
Lo-fi version of 2nd Dashboard design
Hi-fi version of 2nd Dashboard design
Hi-fi version of 2nd Dashboard design
Compared to the midterm versions, we removed the monitoring widgets.
The information is more concise and accurate for any-time use.
Compared to the midterm versions, we removed the monitoring widgets.
The information is more concise and accurate for any-time use.
✦ Additional Usability Testing
New software for testing.
New software for testing.
At the end we did do a few more usability tests such as surveys, heatmaps and clickmaps but we ran out of time to continue iterating. Most findings were navigation related or smaller changes like wording.
At the end we did do a few more usability tests such as surveys, heatmaps and clickmaps but we ran out of time to continue iterating. Most findings were navigation related or smaller changes like wording.
With all that done I used Figma to hook everything up into an interactive prototype and BAM! We’re done Synchronic.
With all that done I used Figma to hook everything up into an interactive prototype and BAM! We’re done Synchronic.
✦ Key Takeways
Things I’ll carry on to the next one.
Things I’ll carry on to the next one.
Navigating through ambiguity
Navigating through ambiguity
Using UXD methods to scope and solve a problem.
I was not familiar with prosthetics. However, my curiosity and extensive primary research helped me diverge and define a problem space where soon after I got to design Synchronic.
Using UXD methods to scope and solve a problem.
I was not familiar with prosthetics. However, my curiosity and extensive primary research helped me diverge and define a problem space where soon after I got to design Synchronic.
Proxy research
Proxy research
Interviews with research groups was very fruitful and convenient. Researchers have already explored many pain points in the problem space.
It was a great way to compile initial primary research and opened more options for me as a UX researcher.
Interviews with research groups was very fruitful and convenient. Researchers have already explored many pain points in the problem space.
It was a great way to compile initial primary research and opened more options for me as a UX researcher.
Compromising
Compromising
My team had various ways to approach this problem space.
Using teambuilding tools, clear communication and an open mindset, I learned ways to explore almost all viable options and then finding ways to combine or compromise on multiple great ideas.
My team had various ways to approach this problem space.
Using teambuilding tools, clear communication and an open mindset, I learned ways to explore almost all viable options and then finding ways to combine or compromise on multiple great ideas.
✦ Overall Experience
✦ Overall Experience
Hey Team 1J,
Hey Team 1J,
Thanks to my amazing team members and supportive professors, I’m pretty proud of Synchronic. Combining this experience with Sonova, I’ve grown a love for the health sector. I found that no design process is linear, and I loved seeing all our tools come in handy when we’re stuck. I exercised my research skills and dove into problem-solving through iterations.
Synchronic was one of my most well-rounded projects in design and business, and we were considered one of the best projects in our class! We landed an opportunity to pitch our project to Stratford School stakeholders and received positive reactions to our digital solution.
Thanks to my amazing team members and supportive professors, I’m pretty proud of Synchronic. Combining this experience with Sonova, I’ve grown a love for the health sector. I found that no design process is linear, and I loved seeing all our tools come in handy when we’re stuck. I exercised my research skills and dove into problem-solving through iterations.
Synchronic was one of my most well-rounded projects in design and business, and we were considered one of the best projects in our class! We landed an opportunity to pitch our project to Stratford School stakeholders and received positive reactions to our digital solution.
✦ Future Considerations
✦ Future Considerations
The next thing would be to implement more testing iterations. We did testing at the end and didn’t have enough time to incorporate them.
Other than that… that’s a wrap!
The next thing would be to implement more testing iterations. We did testing at the end and didn’t have enough time to incorporate them.
Other than that… that’s a wrap!
