Oculus VR medical lab training experience
Janssen Lab of the Future revolutionizes lab equipment training by leveraging virtual reality (VR) to provide scientists with an immersive and interactive learning environment. This experience allows users to engage with realistic machinery models and receive live, guided instructions, streamlining the training process while improving knowledge retention and operational efficiency.
As the Lead UX & UI Designer, I was responsible for shaping the overall experience, ensuring seamless interaction, and maintaining accessibility and usability best practices.
My contributions:
UX Design Lead
Timeline:
June 2021 – November 2021
Project background
A team at a Janssen facility in Switzerland partnered with J&J Design and J&J Technology to modernize their lab equipment training methods. Their existing training relied on outdated paper PDFs, which were cumbersome, lacked interactivity, and resulted in low success rates when scientists attempted to operate complex medical devices.
To address these challenges, the team set out to design a VR training experience that would immerse scientists in a realistic lab environment while leveraging VR technology to overlay step-by-step instructions directly onto the equipment. The goal was to create an intuitive, engaging, and highly interactive learning experience that would improve training efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure that scientists could confidently operate lab instruments after completing the program.
This was my first experience working in the AR/VR space. While I had played a few VR games, I didn’t have extensive hands-on design experience. To get up to speed, I immersed myself in VR design research, acquired an Oculus headset, and explored the latest trends, best practices, and interaction patterns shaping modern VR experiences.
Understanding the lab training process
There was a significant amount of complex training material to synthesize for the lab equipment. The existing process relied entirely on static PDF documents, requiring trainees to read through 20+ pages of instructional content before receiving hands-on guidance from a lab technician. However, this approach lacked consistency and scalability—the training experience varied depending on which lab technician was available, leading to inconsistent knowledge transfer, reduced retention, and a fragmented learning experience. This highlighted a clear opportunity to implement a standardized, immersive, and interactive training solution that would provide a structured, repeatable, and more engaging learning journey for scientists.
Designing the initial VR flows
To establish a clear foundation for the VR experience, I began by mapping out the user flows in Adobe XD and Photoshop. This step was crucial in translating the training objectives into a structured VR journey, ensuring seamless interactions before development began.
Using Photoshop, I created high-fidelity mockups of key screens, including equipment interactions, instructional overlays, and navigation elements. In Adobe XD, I built clickable prototypes to visualize the sequence of actions, allowing stakeholders to experience the flow before it was brought into VR. This early prototyping phase helped refine information hierarchy, interaction design, and usability considerations, providing the VR developer with a detailed blueprint to build an intuitive, immersive training environment.
Integrating 3D models for optimal UI design
To ensure the UI elements aligned seamlessly with the 3D lab equipment, I worked with Blender to manipulate and position objects, replicating how the equipment functioned in real life. This allowed me to capture accurate reference images for each stage of the VR training experience, ensuring that UI elements were placed intuitively within the environment.
By learning how to move, rotate, and adjust 3D models, I was able to explore different perspectives and interaction points, helping define optimal UI placement for step-by-step instructions. This hands-on approach ensured that instructional overlays, tooltips, and interactive elements were positioned naturally within the VR field of view, creating a more immersive and user-friendly training experience.
Aligning on tutorial content and UI
To ensure the tutorial content aligned with training goals, I worked closely with subject matter experts, lab technicians, and product owners. We reviewed each step of the instructional flow to ensure that the UI elements, from text to interactive prompts, were accurate, clear, and contextually appropriate. Through feedback loops and regular collaboration, we refined the content and UI to create an intuitive, cohesive, and effective training experience.
Testing and validation
To gather real-world feedback and ensure the VR experience was functioning as intended, I sent an Oculus VR headset to the facility in Switzerland, preloaded with the staging development build. This allowed the technicians to test the training experience directly on the device and evaluate how it looked and felt in a real-world setting.
By giving the team the opportunity to interact with the VR environment, I gathered valuable insights on usability, UI positioning, and interaction flow. Their feedback helped us identify any issues early, refine the experience, and ensure the final product would be effective for the scientists using it in the lab.
Key findings from testing
The testing revealed two crucial insights for improving the VR training experience. First, it became clear that we needed to incorporate a tutorial at the start to guide users through the basics of VR navigation and interaction. This would ensure that even those new to VR would feel comfortable and confident before diving into the training.
Second, feedback in the form of sound effects was essential for confirming when actions were done correctly or incorrectly. Adding auditory cues helped reinforce interactions, providing immediate feedback to users and enhancing the sense of immersion. This insight led to the inclusion of sound throughout the experience to create a more intuitive and engaging learning environment.
Tutorial illustrations and sound effect design
I designed custom illustrations for the tutorial to guide users through basic VR interactions, enhancing both clarity and engagement. Additionally, I took on sound effect design, creating auditory cues to provide immediate feedback on users' actions. These were perfect examples of how I go beyond traditional UX design, stepping in to ensure the best possible user experience through both visual and auditory elements.
Delivering the final experience
Bringing all the elements together, we delivered a fully immersive VR training experience that significantly improved the quality of lab equipment training. The interactive, step-by-step guidance, coupled with intuitive UI design and sound feedback, enhanced both user engagement and retention. As a result, scientists who completed the VR training gained greater confidence in operating the equipment, leading to more successful and efficient usage in the lab.
The business was impressed with our team’s ability to deliver on a new capability, leveraging cutting-edge technology to modernize training and overcome previous limitations. The project not only improved training effectiveness but also set a new standard for future training initiatives within Janssen.