Inner Space

Empathetic and Data Driven Simulation of the Human Cell in VR

Inner Space revolutionizes molecular visualization through a groundbreaking visual language, developed by a multidisciplinary team. This project takes the intricate process of insulin release by the Pancreatic Beta Cell and transforms it into an accessible, immersive mixed-reality experience. Users can explore cellular constituents in relation to one another in real-time, enhancing understanding through interactive storytelling and world-building. Inner Space offers an educational journey into cellular biology, blending scientific accuracy with engaging narrative design.

MY ROLE

UX Researcher + Designer

TIMELINE

June. 2023 - Present

SKILLS

Unity, Figma, Illustrator

RESEARCH GOAL

Understanding the Problem

I initially joined the team as a usability researcher. At that time, the Inner Space team had just completed the development of two major interactive features: the Action Menu and the Nexus Tour. The goal of usability research was to identify the players' pain points when using these features and how much they learned about the biological process from the experience.

USER TESTING

Engaging Users in Research

I expanded our usability research beyond the standard procedure of observation, interviews, and surveys by introducing paper prototypes for the Action Menu Layout Activity and a Biological Knowledge Quiz. This hands-on approach provided insights, as observing and interviewing players interact with these prototypes revealed concrete ways to improve our design for a better learning experience. This direct feedback was key to fine-tuning our features.

Action Menu Layout Activity

Biological Knowledge Quiz

FEEDBACK

Analyzing User Pain Points

During our user research, we discovered key issues impacting user satisfaction:

Users struggled with navigation due to confusing control layouts.
Users were overwhelmed by the dense and complex content, making the learning experience tiresome.
Users were not engaging with the environment due to the lack of interesting interactive features.

These insights highlighted the urgent need for a more intuitive interface, streamlined information system, and engaging features to transform the user journey into an enjoyable and enriching adventure.

QUICK SOLUTION

Refining User Flow and Interface Design

With a tight deadline before a vital showcase, we prioritized our efforts by assessing the impact and feasibility of potential improvements. Ultimately, we chose to focus on refining the button layout, a decision driven by its potential for user experience enhancement coupled with cost-effectiveness. Following user research insights, we made these changes to the UI:

Rotated the panel by 30° to place the most used button at the top, optimizing navigation.
Reorganized button locations to match user flow more intuitively.
Simplified the data feature access: instead of a three-step process—clicking the data button, selecting a protein, then viewing information—we cut it down to a direct two-step interaction, where clicking a protein immediately displays its information.

These refinements made the user experience smoother and more efficient.

Action Menu - Before

Action Menu - After

SYSTEM REDESIGN

Repositioning for Broader Engagement

As I initiated the system redesign, I suggested the team reconsider the positioning of our product. Our extensive usability testing unveiled that our focus on niche biological details had unintentionally narrowed our audience reach, straying from our original goal of an engaging and empowering interactive platform.

This insight led us to redefine our design objectives, shifting focus to a broader view of biological concepts like the process of insulin secretion rather than minutiae of each protein. This approach was reinforced by insights from interviews with biology professors and students, who mentioned that the main issue in traditional education is passive memorization of the process step by step.

Inspired by this, I delved into puzzle games, exploring how their mechanics could be woven into our educational framework to make learning active and engaging, inviting users to uncover biological processes through interactive problem-solving.

THE CONCEPT

A Self-exploratory Puzzle Game (Work in Progress)

The game is an experience where users can learn how proteins interact with each other by "Scanning", "Collecting", "Analyzing", and "Assembling". By leveraging the proteins' movements for both visual engagement and as puzzle clues, the game sparks curiosity and challenges users to decode and replicate the sequence of actions. Similar to assembling Lego pieces, users actively piece together the process.

REFINEMENTS

Creating Information Hierarchy

After the showcase, I was asked to refine the existing Info Node System to present all the information in a more digestible way.

Issues in existing design:

Numerical identifiers don't clarify content type, causing confusion.
Excessive, linear text boxes block views when fully expanded and overwhelm users.
Dense terminology and explanations in one place make it difficult for laypersons to understand.

My solution:

Introduced icons to denote categories, making it easier to identify content types.
Implemented guiding questions on each information panel to direct player focus.
Split the answer section into tabs of difficulty, catering to different knowledge levels.
Added a dictionary function.

Info Node Design - Before

Info Node Design - After

NEW FEATURE

Building Dynamic Navigation System

In order to enhance user engagement, I innovated a dynamic navigation that function similarly to a compass. Drawing inspiration from the compass features in MMORPGs, known for fostering an exploratory spirit, these icons dynamically adjust on the UI perimeter in response to the player's movements, encouraging a deeper engagement with the environment.

USER TESTING

Beyond an Effective Tool

As we concluded the refinement, we recognized the importance of ensuring our new designs aligned with the users' needs. To achieve this, we conducted another round of user testing and gathered feedback from Inner Space's target audience.

Our research indicated that our new design effectively teaches biological knowledge, as it led to a 65% improvement in user learning outcomes. However, we also discovered that users value playfulness over educational content. This insight has shifted our focus towards integrating gamification into the learning experience, aiming to blend education with entertainment for a more balanced and engaging user experience.

RTX.

Empathetic and Data Driven Simulation of the Human Cell in VR

Inner Space

Understanding the Problem

Engaging Users in Research

Analyzing User Pain Points

Refining User Flow and Interface Design