Nova
Overview
NOVA is a medtech platform of multiple products serving and aiding doctors specialised in colonoscopy. The use of AI and big data processing, the NOVA platform aims to revolutionise the colonoscopy industry, with products such as, detecting cancer cells and classifying them to the doctors and improve the medical reporting of patiences.
I joined this project as a Product Designer alsongside my team at BCGX to kickstart and build the first two products in this platform, NOVA AI and Nova Doc.
Challange
The platform aims to enhance cancer cell detection, classification, and medical reporting using AI.
Outdated systems lacked connectivity, causing inefficiencies and errors.
Reports took hours to complete, reducing doctors' time with patients.
Delays in reporting led to some patients waiting weeks for results.
The lack of timely communication posed serious health risks.
Inefficient note-taking and many missed polyps
Polyp detection requires extensive training, even for experienced doctors.
Long procedures increase eye strain, leading to missed dangerous polyps.
Observations were manually recorded on paper, risking loss of crucial data.
Inefficient note-taking methods led to errors and compromised patient care
Solution
Reporting Tool
Built a modern, fast, and standardized reporting system in six months.
Features predefined sections with standardized inputs for clean and consistent data.
AI-powered integration pulls data from the AI Companion & Note-Taking Tool.
Reduced reporting time from several hours to ~20 minutes.
Includes patient history & similar case insights, aiding in better medical decisions.
Colonoscopy AI Companion & Procedure Note Taker
Acts as a second pair of eyes, applying a four-eye principle for polyp detection.
AI Companion helps classify severity, reducing the risk of missing fatal polyps.
Tree Selection Interface allows nurses to efficiently record findings during procedures.
Seamless data integration: Notes feed directly into the reporting tool.
Works alongside AI but allows nurses to retain control over recorded data.
Approach
Followed a standard agile, sprint-based approach (2 week sprints) for both products
Built pre-MVP solutions in the first four weeks with a PM, another designer, and five doctors
Maintained an iterative design-development process with engineers
Worked two weeks ahead of development to maintain efficiency
Ran co-creation sessions, user interviews, and wireframing during the discovery phase (week 1 of sprint)
Collaborated closely with PMs, consultants, and users to refine features
Involved engineers early to ensure technical feasibility
Transitioned validated wireframes into production-ready designs during the design phase (week 2 of sprint)
Maintained regular communication with engineers to balance feasibility and usability
Led a complete pivot redesign after user interviews revealed the original solution didn't work in real procedure rooms
Co-created new solutions with three partner hospitals
Current designs are being research-tested at those hospitals
Decisons
Faced a challenge with a complex UX that added stress for nurses
The initial Procedure Note Taking tool was too complicated and slowed nurses down
On-location research revealed nurses used a standardized paper format for note-taking
This insight inspired a digital version that mirrored their existing workflow
Designed a “McDonald’s Menu Selector”, a tree menu for fast, intuitive data entry
Enabled nurses to input findings quickly, similar to their paper-based method
The new tool was widely praised by nurses and described as “life-saving”
Greatly improved documentation speed and accuracy
Integrated smoothly with existing reporting tools
Played a key role in NOVA’s success, proving the value of thoughtful UX in healthcare
Result & Impact
Streamlined reporting, improved polyp detection accuracy, and enhanced medical efficiency.
AI integration & standardized tools revolutionize colonoscopy procedures.
Enables timely & accurate diagnoses, leading to better patient care outcomes.
MVP successfully developed and currently tested on real patients in five European hospitals.
Client planning a soft launch in January 2025, pending FDA approvals.
