Nanome is a virtual reality platform designed for scientists to visualize and interact with molecular structures using the Oculus or other compatible VR headsets. It allows users to visualize, modify, and analyze molecular structures and chemical compounds in an immersive 3D environment, enhancing collaboration and understanding in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology
Headquarters
La Jolla, Ca.
Founded
2015
Industry
Biotech, Pharma
Revenue
$2mm (2021)
Company size
40
Problem Statement
Nanome did not have the capability of recording scientists' work or presentations. After reviewing customer feedback and conducting user interviews I discovered that it was important for our users to record their work and share their findings with fellow scientists.
Result
The feature was successful in allowing users to record, playback, and interact with 3D presentations in a virtual space, paving the way for a new form of communication in the scientific community.
Role
Lead Product Designer
UX Research Methods
User interviews, competitive analysis, surveys, usability testing
Collaborators
CTO, Tech Lead, UI Dev, UI Designer, Application Scientists, Founders and Me
Tools
Figma, ShapesXR, Unity3D
Research and Ideation
I conducted user interviews with several scientists asking them questions in what they would like to see in a recording tool in Nanome. I asked questions like:
How would you share your work or findings with other members of your team?
How do you explain your molecular designs to fellow team members when using 2D design tools?
How would you train yourself and others, new discoveries in molecular design?
I mapped out potential flows that would make it easy for our users to use the feature. Performed competitive analysis and conducted “how might we” exercises on how we can tailor this feature to the needs of our users.
Working in close partnership with the founders and development team, we collectively ideated potential solutions for this feature. Our collaboration resulted in deep discussions and a whole set of questions, which would influence a lot of my design decisions.
Some of the questions that came during those discussions were:
How can we create an experience that resembles familiar platforms like YouTube and Netflix, but with unique elements for our 3D environment?
How would a spatial recording behave in AR (augmented reality)? How would we optimize playback in a user's real life space like an office or living room?
How can we communicate any potential limitations of the feature to users?
Design
I led multiple iterations of the design, taking into account feedback from the founders, internal and user testing, and the unique constraints of our tech stack.
Following the iterative process, I consolidated my final solution for the Spatial Recordings feature into a comprehensive storyboard
Familiar affordances played a crucial role in the spatial recording feature’s design. For example:
Navigation and controls were designed with affordances similar to YouTube and Netflix, enabling users to navigate through playback controls.
A unique affordance in Spatial Recordings is the ability to interact with the 3D elements in the recording during playback, panning and zooming in the VR workspace. We look to set that standard.
Usability Testing
1
Meet with Stakeholders
I led multiple iterations of the design
2
Recruit Users
Find the most qualified user for testing
3
Run Tests
Have users complete tasks observe and collect data
4
Create report / Findings
Share the report with the team and iterate
I conducted usability testing and collected vital user feedback for the Spatial Recording feature.
Some of the findings I gathered from the tests were:
Testers wanted clearer navigational cues, controls always in their line of sight.
Strategic entry points for a more natural flow for our scientists to do their work.
The need to communicate the platform constraint of backwards compatibility to our users.
“ I struggled a bit with the navigation controls initially. Having them always visible or providing some on-screen guidance could make it more user-friendly. ”
Wilian Cortopassi
Computational Chemist | Novartis
Design Handoff/Implementation
I prepared comprehensive design guides and assets for the development team to ensure that my designs were implemented correctly.
Conlcusion
The Spatial Recordings project demonstrated the practical effects of collaborative innovation throughout its development process. We navigated through technical constraints, made a breakthrough in novel technology, and transformed abstract ideas into a functional, user-friendly feature.
“ With our new visual branding and language in place, the new Shopify brand clearly captures the essence of our current and target customer base, our employees, and our values. ”
Tobias Lütke
CEO, Co-founder | Shopify
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© Rafael Dela Cruz 2023