Designing a VR education app for medical procedures with dual VR/2D viewing modes
I designed an educational app providing medical students with stereoscopic courses on cosmetic procedures viewable through cardboard VR mounts.
Education meets immersion
PlayerVR created educational content for medical students learning cosmetic procedures—injections, laser treatments, surgical techniques. Traditional learning used textbooks and occasional observation. PlayerVR's approach: high-resolution stereoscopic video captured from the practitioner's perspective, viewable through affordable cardboard VR mounts that turned smartphones into immersive learning devices.
Dual viewing modes for accessibility
Students could experience content in full VR with their phone mounted in cardboard glasses, gaining depth perception and spatial awareness of procedures. Alternatively, they could switch to 2D mode with swipe controls for studying on the go—commuting, studying in libraries, or reviewing specific moments without VR equipment. This flexibility meant the app worked for different contexts and student preferences without requiring expensive dedicated VR hardware.
Content navigation and course structure
Designed categorized browsing by procedure type, difficulty level, and practitioner. Each course showed detailed metadata: descriptions, required equipment, media types (video, photos, 3D models), file sizes, estimated study time, and chapter breakdowns. Students could preview content before committing to downloads.
Timeline navigation and chapter control
Video player included timeline scrubbing, chapter markers for key moments ("anesthesia application", "incision technique", "suture method"), and bookmarking for later review. Students could jump directly to specific technique demonstrations rather than watching entire procedures repeatedly. Playback speed controls let them slow down complex moments or speed through familiar sections.
Offline viewing solution
Medical students needed reliable access regardless of internet availability. Designed robust offline viewing with smart download management: automatic quality optimization based on available storage, WiFi-only download options, and clear indicators of which content was locally available versus requiring download. Students could queue multiple courses for overnight downloads and study anywhere.
Usability over immersion complexity
VR education apps risk becoming technology demonstrations rather than learning tools. Prioritized intuitive controls and clear visual hierarchy over flashy VR effects. The interface needed to disappear, letting students focus on learning procedures rather than fighting with controls. Instructors got straightforward content management: upload videos, define chapters, add metadata, organize into courses—no VR expertise required.
Performance and file management
High-resolution stereoscopic video creates large files. Worked with development team on compression strategies that preserved visual clarity while keeping downloads manageable. Designed clear storage management interfaces showing space usage, with one-tap content deletion when students finished courses.
Design validation
Created interactive prototypes demonstrating VR/2D switching, navigation patterns, and download management. Tested with medical students to validate terminology, information hierarchy, and interaction patterns. Ensured interface language matched medical education context rather than generic video player vocabulary.