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UI redesign & feature development for hospital-used medical software,
plus UX process consulting for a medtech startup.
iMed Technologies is developing Neuro-Vascular Assist, an AI-powered imaging analysis tool for endovascular neurosurgery aimed at improving surgical safety.
Lacking a dedicated UX/UI designer, the team requested a product redesign and UX guidance, with the scope later expanding to include new feature design.
Improved usability and clarity of complex imaging workflows, enabling more intuitive interaction for clinical users. Designed and delivered UI enhancements including an updated color system, custom iconography, improved visual hierarchy, and feature-level redesigns. The software is currently implemented in hospitals across Japan.
To align on project goals, I conducted a kickoff with the client and visited iMed Technologies’ Tokyo office to observe the product in use.
Key insights:
Doctors operate from a distance (1–1.5m), requiring highly visible, glanceable UI
The system supports single and dual-screen modes, requiring consistent layouts
Interaction is mouse-based, with limited attention during procedures
Alerts rely heavily on sound as well as visual cues
The product must support both Japanese and English users
These insights directly informed key design decisions around visibility, layout flexibility, and multi-modal feedback in a clinical environment.
Kickoff meeting participants: CEO and two engineers from iMed Technologies, along with myself and Shinohara-san (advisor) from the nae team.
Example of a hospital monitor setup, divided into six screens.
Due to limited project bandwidth, direct user interviews were not feasible. Instead, I collaborated with Shinohara-san (project advisor) to develop a provisional persona based on client insights and domain understanding.
I also analyzed medical imaging software and iMed’s existing designs to identify relevant UI patterns. With no direct competitors in this space, I drew from adjacent tools and indirect competitors to inform scalable and intuitive design solutions.
I iteratively developed wireframes from sketches to high-fidelity designs, focusing on reducing clutter and improving usability. This included consolidating controls, testing layout balance, and enhancing visibility through larger icons and bold typography. Final designs were refined in collaboration with the client, adapting to technical constraints such as fixed layout limits (For example, the left side bar could only be maximum 256px width). and dual-screen requirements.
After several iterations, the final layout and color palette were established. A black-blue gradient was selected to enhance contrast and convey a high-tech aesthetic. The undo function was replaced with a clear button, reflecting user behavior as users rarely needed to reverse individual actions and instead preferred clearing the canvas, which typically contained only a few annotations.
As the project evolved, the scope expanded to include additional screens and features, such as user preferences, login flows, and an “Onyx Mode” variant of the interface. Due to time constraints, I moved directly into high-fidelity designs, leveraging established patterns and components to maintain consistency. Given the project’s length, the following sections highlight a selection of key contributions.
Additional screens I designed, including user preferences, animated initialization screen, etc. I also proposed a dark mode variant that was well received, but deferred due to time and resource constraints.
Throughout the project, I was regularly asked to refine existing device icons and design new ones. I explored variations in opacity and interaction states. For example, reducing icon opacity during active mouse movement to minimize visual distraction during procedures. The final designs improved visibility through thicker outlines and adjusted opacity, and were adopted by the client.
I also redesigned the filter icon, originally a crosshair, to ensure underlying medical imagery remained visible. I proposed several variations, and the client selected a version with increased central spacing to reduce visual obstruction while maintaining positional clarity.
Device Icons Design Exploration
Redesigned the filter icon.
IDEATE—
UI Kit
To support consistency and streamline handoff to engineering, I created a simple UI kit and design system for reference.
To communicate interactions, I created Figma prototypes; however, due to the complexity of the software, functional prototypes were developed by the engineering team based on my designs and tested with surgeons in hospital settings.
User testing revealed several key insights:
Mode switching was unintuitive and required unnecessary steps
Current mode was not clearly indicated on screen
The “Clear” button saw low usage, as users preferred deleting individual ROIs
Volume controls, hidden in preferences, were used more frequently than expected
Top control buttons were rarely used, as many functions were automated
Screen mode toggles (F, F/L, L) were used frequently
Based on this new information I made the following revisions below.
Mode Switching
Introduced a dedicated mode-switching button on the right side in dual-screen mode, aligning with common interaction patterns. I incorporated distinct icons for each mode to improve recognition and create a branding opportunity.Button Layout & Clarity
Reorganized controls in the bottom-left panel for clarity and balance. Replaced the ambiguous “stop measurement” icon with a standard stop symbol, and aligned buttons horizontally to reduce visual scanning. Grouped controls by function (settings vs. annotation tools). To address concerns about accidental deletion due to the trash icon’s proximity to frequently used buttons, I proposed a confirmation step, pending further usability testing.Layout Balance
Refined the placement of the timestamp and Arch Detection elements (A, F, C) to improve visual balance and hierarchy.Top Controls Optimization
Reduced the size and lowered the position of top controls, as testing showed low usage. This freed up space for the mode-switching feature and brought controls closer to the primary viewing area.High-Frequency Actions
Increased the size of screen mode toggle buttons (single/dual view) to prioritize the most frequently used actions.
Before and after comparison, with numbered annotations corresponding to the explanations above.
I collaborated with iMed to refine layout details such as balance, margins, and typography, while also identifying opportunities to improve feature clarity.
One key discussion involved merging the “Notification” (ROI) function with the drawing/markup tool. I raised concerns around usability: the feature lacked color customization and was accessed via a pen icon, an interaction pattern typically associated only with drawing, making the functionality unclear. I proposed introducing a dedicated notification icon with its own panel to improve discoverability and clarity.
I also questioned the need for a delete (trash) icon in this popup window, as deletion was already supported through existing controls. This redundancy risked unnecessary complexity. These recommendations were well received, and the team incorporated them into the next round of testing.
Before: The Notification and Marking functions were combined within the same toolbar, accessed via the pen (markup) icon.
After: I separated the Notification tools into a dedicated function with its own icon, opening a distinct popup panel. This improved clarity and reduced confusion between marking and notification interactions.
I refined the settings panel after reviewing client changes, including a new size adjustment control. I also challenged the removal of the “Save Changes” button, identifying inconsistency with expected UX patterns. Since changes would require a restart to take effect, I proposed replacing it with a “Restart App” button and a supporting message to clarify system behaviour.
Before: The settings panel lacked clear structure, with size adjustment and save functionality placed in a way that could cause user confusion.
After: I reorganized the settings panel by grouping size controls into a dedicated section and replacing ambiguous save behavior with a clear restart flow and supporting message.
Volume controls were initially embedded within the preferences menu. I proposed a more intuitive interaction where clicking the volume icon reveals a quick-adjust slider, with an optional link to full audio settings. This approach aligns with user expectations for immediate volume control while preserving access to advanced options. The solution was confirmed as technically feasible.
Before: Clicking the volume button opened the preferences window, where volume controls are accessed.
After: Clicking the volume button opens a quick-adjust slider, with an option to access the full audio settings via a “More audio options” link.
Final Product—
Current Product
The development team is still implementing the latest design changes. Please request for the documentation including screenshots of the current product as of November 2023, including some outdated elements (e.g., the login screen logo).
This project broadened my understanding of UX in a highly specialized medical context. I gained experience working with unfamiliar medical terminology and designing for hospital environments. I also explored sound design as part of the user experience, considering how audio cues can support interaction and emotional response.
A major challenge was working within strict technical constraints defined by the engineering team, including fixed layout dimensions and implementation limitations. At the same time, I had to balance these constraints with evolving feature requirements, large UI elements for visibility, and limited screen space.
Additionally, the software is used in fast-paced, real-world environments where users may only glance at the screen intermittently. This required careful consideration of readability, hierarchy, and minimizing cognitive load during use.
What I would improve:
Ideally, I would have observed surgeons using the software directly in the operating room to better understand real-world context. However, due to strict clinical regulations, limited access, and consent requirements, in-room observation was not feasible, even for most of the client’s team.
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