2024/25
Context Simulator Team at Innerspace GmbH
Roles UX/UI Designer, Design Documentation
Challenge Aseptic manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry requires personnel that is comprehensively trained. It had to be ensured that the Innerspace virtual reality (VR) training modules taught cleanroom operators the necessary knowledge, risk awareness, and behavior.
Result I set up a new design system for the UI and improved existing modules by developing storyboards, redesigning UI features, and ensuring content validity and documentation.
Tools Figma, Illustrator, After Effects, Confluence, Jira
Due to the confidential nature of this work and some of its ongoing development, I’m limited in what I can share publicly. However, I can provide a general overview of my work and process, as well as publicly available visuals of the product.
Background
Innerspace provides a digital training solution tailored for the pharmaceutical industry. A key component of this solution is the virtual reality (VR) training modules, which are specifically designed to practice appropriate behaviour in a realistic setting and highlight aspects that might not be apparent in the real world. For instance, the simulator can demonstrate contamination to the user that would normally remain invisible to the naked eye. As a user experience (UX) designer, I worked on the development and design of these immersive VR training experiences.
Storyboarding
In my daily work, I was primarily involved in the development of storyboards. These documents served as the blueprints that defined the audio, visual, and user interaction elements of a module. The primary objective was to create captivating and effective virtual reality experiences tailored to the training needs of cleanroom operators. This involved not only designing the overall flow of the training but also other aspects such as the content of the coach’s voice-over, UI elements, and user interactions. We discussed the implementation with developers and evaluated the content’s validity with SMEs (subject matter experts) during reviews of the storyboards. The storyboards provided a comprehensive guide for developers to construct modules and 3D designers to create assets and visual effects.
“His expertise in UX design, combined with his ability to translate complex training requirements into engaging and effective VR experiences, was highly valued.”
– Leonid Striga, Software Engineering Manager
UI Design System
Our team comprehensively documented the designed features, but the UI in the Simulator was more loosely defined. This resulted in design inconsistencies during implementation and several usability issues, particularly for new users. To address these, I proposed redesigning the UI and creating a clear design system with guidelines and rules.
Before beginning the ideation process, I wanted to gather all the UI issues already known within the company and potential improvement ideas. To achieve this, I conducted an internal survey with developers, subject matter experts, customers service, and sales representatives. I then created an affinity diagram to organise the issues and ideas into groups, providing a clear direction for the design process.
I designed the user interface from the ground up, incorporating the atomic design methodology. For design, I used Illustrator, After Effects to create an animated mock-up, and Figma to establish a design system with fully defined UI elements. Throughout the process, I maintained regular check-ins with the developers to discuss the system’s implementability.
Reflection
In our team, we primarily relied on feedback from the Customer Service Team and SMEs, which offered valuable insights into customer experiences and the technical accuracy of our training content. Looking back, I recognize that establishing a robust user feedback loop during our design process could have been beneficial. As a contributor, I could have worked on achieving a more structured mechanisms to gather user insights, suggesting regular touchpoints or surveys to capture real-time feedback.
Creating this loop might have helped us uncover usability challenges that weren’t highlighted through our existing channels. Furthermore, incorporating more frequent user testing would have given us the opportunity to see firsthand how our design choices impacted users, leading to a more data-driven UX design procedures. Although our training design approach was data-oriented, integrating this feedback loop could have enhanced our overall design process.
Conclusion
As a UX designer at Innerspace, I played a key role in creating immersive VR training modules for the pharmaceutical industry. I developed detailed storyboards, collaborated with subject-matter experts, and kept comprehensive design documentation. This ensured each module was effective and engaging. A new design system in Figma streamlined the UI, improving consistency across modules and fixing several usability issues. This integrated approach enhanced the user experience and contributed to the quality and efficacy of the digital training solutions.
