RadFacts

A Radiology Reference App Streamlining the Learning Process for Dental Students

Timeline: August - December 2023
Role: Sole UX Designer
Project Type: Client-based
Tool: Figma

RadFacts is an iOS radiology reference application specifically designed for dental students and dental residents. It aims to centralize resources and provide relevant information on the go for common dental situations.

The Problem

Dental students struggle to efficiently pick the right radiation model for patients.

A study from the National Institute states that “radiation awareness among dentists, radiographers and students is inadequate, without significant differences in the main groups (dentists, radiographers, dentistry students and radiography students).”

Dental students struggle to efficiently pick the right radiation modal for patients because of the intricacies among each modality and the constantly changing guidelines on the web that often causes information overload.

Project Objective

As a team, our objective for this project was to:

Research, strategize, and develop a mobile iOS app that centralizes resources and educates early dental students on radiology modalities.

White Paper Research

It was important for me to begin the process of designing the application through empathizing and truly understanding the context of radiation within dentistry.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), “dental radiography is essential for diagnosing and treating many oral diseases.”

Upon Graduation, dental students need to:

Master various oral and maxillofacial imaging modalities
Follow ADA/FDA patient selection guidelines for dental radiography.
Know the radiation exposure and safety of different dental radiography types.
Access and consult with experts on modern and traditional imaging techniques.

This research helped me understand the expectation that dental students had in regards to radiation modalities and helped me begin to frame potential solutions to the problem of knowledge mastery among dental students.

User Interviews

User interviews brought to light the specific pain points that dental students experienced when it comes to knowledge mastery of radiation.

Pain Point 01: ADA radiology guidelines are constantly changing and hard to follow.

Pain Point 02: Dental students struggle to choose the best imaging modality for each patient on the spot.

Pain Point 03: Dental students have difficulty explaining radiation exposure and safety to patients and parents.

After doing white paper research, I had a good understanding of the needs that dental students had but I still lacked an empathetic understanding of the personal struggles that users currently faced in radiology so I conducted a user interview.

Use Cases

After understanding the specific issues that users were having the radiation modalities and how it fits into the bigger picture of dentistry, I began conceptualizing potential solutions to the problem through use cases.

Based on the pain points experienced by dental students, I began to conceptualize potential solutions through use cases.

Use Case 01:
Dental students can use the app to refer to the ADA radiology guidelines and determine the appropriate frequency and type of radiographs for their patients.

Use Case 02:
Dental students can use the app to educate their patients about the radiation exposure and safety of different radiographic procedures

Use Case 03:
Dental students can use the app to to refresh their knowledge on the different imaging modalities and their advantages and disadvantages.

Competitive Analysis

There is a significant gap in the market for radiology reference-specific apps

Radiopaedia Website

Toolbox App

Radiology Toolbox App

Most existing applications related to radiology focus on teaching, diagnostics, or in-depth imaging, but not on providing quick and easy reference guides. There are a few radiology reference websites, such as Radiopaedia, Radiology Assistant, and Radiology Masterclass, but they are not optimized for mobile devices or user-friendly interfaces.

Client Requirements

Our clients requirement for the minimal viable product:

Onboarding disclaimer:
A disclaimer in onboarding emphasizing the educational purposes for the application

Homepage view:
A homepage that consists of all the image modalities (about 10 modalities)

Individual modality view:
An individual modality view that provides more context for a specific modality

Compare modality view:
A compare view modality that allows users to compare two different modalities

Considering that as a designer, I don't have total autonomy on all the features of the application, I spoke frequently with the client throughout each phase of the design process to ensure that I understood her perspective and that the design of the application was truly solving user problems.

Information Architecture

Based on the features on the MVP, I created a simple user flow for the application.

Low-fidelity Prototypes

Then, I ideated different visualizations for each feature of the app.

Homepage Ideas:

Individual Modal Ideas:

Compare Modal Ideas:

High-fidelity Prototypes

I explored a multitude of design concepts and after collaborative discussions with team members and our client, I arrived at the following design choices.

Onboarding

Simple and quick flow
One-time onboarding process

For the onboarding flow, I stuck to a relatively simple onboarding flow where users are made aware of the purpose of the application as well as the disclaimers necessary for the application.

Homepage

Scanable
Text + Image combination
Radiation doses in subheadline

As I designed the application, I prioritized scanability for dental students who would use it as a quick reference. For the homepage, I opted for a text + image layout within a list view. This approach not only enhances the visual appeal of the application but also improves the ease of scanning the page.

Additionally, including radiation doses as a subheadline addresses the pain point of communicating radiation exposure to patients. Placing this information on the homepage ensures that dental students can access relevant details promptly.

Individual Modal

Scanable
Condensing information for readability

In designing the individual modality view, I also placed a strong emphasis on scannability. The condensed presentation of information allows users to quickly assess key details. Additionally, I incorporated an option to ‘see more’, enabling users to access additional information when needed.

The specific content on this page is informed by thorough research and conversations with users and clienr, ensuring that it aligns with the information dental students typically seek when evaluating different radiation modalities.

Compare Modal

Allows users to compare two different modalities
Feature not often found in mobile design so it was important to prioritize a intuitive layout

The compare view feature allows users to compare two different modalities as a way to further ensure understanding and mastery the radiation modals. From a design perspective, comparative layouts are not typically seen on mobile devices because of the small surface area so for the design of this feature, I prioritized design layouts that would be familiar to users such as swiping and segment pickers.

And research suggests that comparison is a fundamental mechanism for conceptual learning and relating elements by recognizing their similarities and differences.

Next Steps

User Testing:

A/B testing
Usability testing

Iterations:

Iterating and enhancing current design
Reviewing feature prioritization considering insights from testing

After sharing the designs with our client, the MVP entered the development phase. Following the initial MVP development, I intend to conduct A/B testing to assess how various design layouts impact overall usability. Additionally, we will perform other usability tests to gauge RadFacts’ effectiveness among dental students. Insights from these tests will inform valuable iterations, enabling us to address industry-specific challenges more effectively.

Metrics of Success

Qualitative metrics of success:

Knowledge gain:
Assesing the improvement of knowledge pertaining to radiation modalites.

Usability:
How easily users can navigate the app and access the information they need.

User Satisfaction:
Gauge how satisfied users are with the app.

Challenges + Takeaways

Challenges:

Small team (only designer)
Tight deadline resulted in the streamlining of each design phase
Lack of large pool of target users for interviews

Takeaways:

Initiated client and user communication
Voiced project concerns and feedback
Learned new design skills
Balancing user-centered solution with client expectations