Duration
2024
Industry
SaaS • AI • Healthcare • Medical Devices • B2B
Role
Senior Product designer
AI-Powered 3D Spinal Surgery Planning Platform
Achieving optimal outcomes in spinal surgery requires a patient-specific approach, combining tailored implant selection and minimally invasive techniques. Key considerations include predicting biomechanical changes in intact segments, understanding disease progression, and analyzing individual anatomy. These factors enable precise, effective interventions while minimizing risks and preserving spinal function.
Duration
2024
Industry
SaaS • AI • Healthcare • Medical Devices • B2B
Role
Senior Product designer
AI-Powered 3D Spinal Surgery Planning Platform
Achieving optimal outcomes in spinal surgery requires a patient-specific approach, combining tailored implant selection and minimally invasive techniques. Key considerations include predicting biomechanical changes in intact segments, understanding disease progression, and analyzing individual anatomy. These factors enable precise, effective interventions while minimizing risks and preserving spinal function.
Duration
2024
Industry
SaaS • AI • Healthcare • Medical Devices • B2B
Role
Senior Product designer
AI-Powered 3D Spinal Surgery Planning Platform
Achieving optimal outcomes in spinal surgery requires a patient-specific approach, combining tailored implant selection and minimally invasive techniques. Key considerations include predicting biomechanical changes in intact segments, understanding disease progression, and analyzing individual anatomy. These factors enable precise, effective interventions while minimizing risks and preserving spinal function.
Situation
Situation
Spinal surgery is high-risk and highly complex. Traditional planning relies on manual 2D X-ray/MRI analysis, leading to variability, longer surgeries, and higher complication risks.
Spinal surgery is high-risk and highly complex. Traditional planning relies on manual 2D X-ray/MRI analysis, leading to variability, longer surgeries, and higher complication risks.
Made for HES
Key challenges
76%
76%
Clinic visits are related
to spinal issues
72%
72%
People experience temporary disability due to spine problems
300.000
300.000
More 300k spinal surgeries are performed annually in the U.S.
50 per 100.000
50 per 100.000
50 per 100K spinal surgeries for degenerative spine pathology are performed annually in Russia.
The goal was to build an intuitive SaaS platform that converts X-rays into accurate 3D spinal maps with AI assistance, enabling personalized implant selection and minimally invasive planning.
The goal was to build an intuitive SaaS platform that converts X-rays into accurate 3D spinal maps with AI assistance, enabling personalized implant selection and minimally invasive planning.
“It doesn't take much intelligence
to tighten the screws...”
one famous neurosurgeon quote, MD, PhD.
“It doesn't take much intelligence to tighten the screws...”
one famous neurosurgeon, MD, PhD.
😡 🤬 😱 😨
😡 🤬 😱 😨
Task
Task
As Senior Product Designer, I led the end-to-end design of the core product experience — from user research to final interface and prototypes.
As Senior Product Designer, I led the end-to-end design of the core product experience — from user research to final interface and prototypes.
Key goals:
Drastically reduce mapping time while maintaining clinical accuracy.
Design an intuitive 3D interface usable by busy surgeons.
Bridge complex AI outputs with practical surgical decision-making.
Support regulatory-grade usability (medical device considerations).
Key goals:
Drastically reduce mapping time while maintaining clinical accuracy.
Design an intuitive 3D interface usable by busy surgeons.
Bridge complex AI outputs with practical surgical decision-making.
Support regulatory-grade usability (medical device considerations).
Action
Action
I applied a user-centered design process with heavy involvement from neurosurgeons:
I applied a user-centered design process with heavy involvement from neurosurgeons:
Discovery
Conducted interviews and workflow observations with neurosurgeons and radiologists.
Identified key pain points: slow manual planning, difficulty interpreting 2D into 3D, and information overload.
Strategy & Architecture
Designed core user flow: X-ray upload → AI mapping → 3D review → Implant & trajectory planning → Report.
Focused on simplicity and speed (critical in surgical context).
Design & Iteration
Created wireframes → high-fidelity designs → interactive Figma prototypes.
Designed 3D viewport with intuitive controls for rotation, overlays, measurements, and implant simulation.
Ran multiple usability sessions with surgeons and iterated rapidly on feedback.
Collaboration
Worked closely with AI/ML engineers to define UI requirements for the mapping algorithm.
Created design system components and detailed handoff documentation.
Challenges & Trade-offs
Balancing AI automation with surgeon control and accountability.
Simplifying complex 3D interactions for time-pressured medical users.
Handling variable X-ray quality without sacrificing speed.
Discovery
Conducted interviews and workflow observations with neurosurgeons and radiologists.
Identified key pain points: slow manual planning, difficulty interpreting 2D into 3D, and information overload.
Strategy & Architecture
Designed core user flow: X-ray upload → AI mapping → 3D review → Implant & trajectory planning → Report.
Focused on simplicity and speed (critical in surgical context).
Design & Iteration
Created wireframes → high-fidelity designs → interactive Figma prototypes.
Designed 3D viewport with intuitive controls for rotation, overlays, measurements, and implant simulation.
Ran multiple usability sessions with surgeons and iterated rapidly on feedback.
Collaboration
Worked closely with AI/ML engineers to define UI requirements for the mapping algorithm.
Created design system components and detailed handoff documentation.
Challenges & Trade-offs
Balancing AI automation with surgeon control and accountability.
Simplifying complex 3D interactions for time-pressured medical users.
Handling variable X-ray quality without sacrificing speed.
Result
Result
The product delivered strong clinical and business outcomes:
The product delivered strong clinical and business outcomes:
47 sec
Time to map X-ray
47 sec
Time to map X-ray
47 sec
Time to map X-ray
91%
Relevant mapping
91%
Relevant mapping
91%
Relevant mapping
96%
vertebral trajectories to optimize screw placement.
96%
vertebral trajectories to optimize screw placement.
96%
vertebral trajectories to optimize screw placement.
Surgeons reported significantly higher confidence in preoperative planning and better ability to choose personalized implants and minimally invasive approaches. The platform successfully demonstrated how design can bridge advanced AI with real-world medical practice.
Surgeons reported significantly higher confidence in preoperative planning and better ability to choose personalized implants and minimally invasive approaches. The platform successfully demonstrated how design can bridge advanced AI with real-world medical practice.
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
In regulated, high-stakes domains like healthcare, earning domain expert trust through deep listening and fast iteration is as important as visual design quality.
Speed and simplicity are often more valuable than comprehensive features when designing for experts under pressure.
In regulated, high-stakes domains like healthcare, earning domain expert trust through deep listening and fast iteration is as important as visual design quality.
Speed and simplicity are often more valuable than comprehensive features when designing for experts under pressure.
Patient list
Patient list
Measure tool
Measure tool
