Design
Redesigning Arthrex's VIP Output
Redesigned Arthrex’s Virtual Implant Positioning (VIP) Plan PDF, a critical output of the VIP preoperative planning software for shoulder arthroplasty. This PDF is often printed or blown up on the TV in the operating room (OR) to guide sales reps on which instruments to stage and to give surgeons the exact targeter settings and anatomical references needed to transfer the digital plan in VIP via the physical targeter onto the patient’s anatomy.
My Role
Product Management Intern for Shoulder Arthroplasty
Duration
3 months
Tools
Figma, MS Word, Canva
Link
Overview
The VIP Plan PDF is central to OR efficiency: surgeons reference it in real time for targeter parameters and anatomical landmarks, and reps use it to prepare the exact instruments required. The original PDF suffered from very small font sizes, duplicated content, and poor information hierarchy - issues that risk OR delays and could negatively impact patient outcomes if critical details are overlooked.
Discovery & Benchmarking: Audited competitor planning PDFs (Stryker, 3D-printed implant firms) and performed a first-impression audit of our PDF to catalog usability issues.
Stakeholder Research: Interviewed 12 key stakeholders including surgeons (Dr. Brian Werner - lead consulting surgeon), surgical-planning engineers, product managers, and sales reps. Logged every suggestion and grouped feedback by theme (common suggestion vs. one-off requests vs. software enhancements rather than PDF enhancements).
Rapid Iterations:
Produced three mock-up versions:
V1 & V2: Built in Canva and Word to test layout concepts.
V3: Refined in Figma using screenshots from VIP software; introduced clear, color-coded callouts for critical parameters; and reorganized content into logically ordered sections.
Validation: After V2, returned to Dr. Werner for additional feedback and incorporated his final input into V3 before handoff.
Research
Competitor Audit: Compared layout, typography, and callout strategies in Stryker’s PDF and patient-specific implant vendors.
Usability Audit: Conducted a heuristic review of our PDF for first-time readability issues.
Stakeholder Interviews:
Lead consulting surgeon Dr. Brian Werner (primary VIP user)
Surgical planning engineers responsible for designing plans
Product managers & ex-sales rep Phil Lazara
OR sales reps and practicing surgeons
Feedback Synthesis: Maintained a master log, consolidated similar requests, and mapped recommendations to either the PDF or future VIP software enhancements.
Design
In Figma, I crafted a visual-first layout with:
Large, legible headings and consistent typography
Color-coded callouts for Targeter parameters and anatomical guides
Concise iconography and grouped sections for quick scanning
Three rounds of stakeholder reviews to ensure OR workflow alignment
Results
100% more visual content while reducing page count by 50%
Approved for inclusion in the next VIP software release - streamlining OR setup for surgeons and sales reps and improving patient outcomes
