AI-POWERED LEarning App
FaceReality
ROLE
Product Designer
EXPERTISE
UX/UI Design
YEAR
2023-2024
Making Anatomy Visible, Intuitive, and Local
Challenges
Impact
Reached over 500 installs on the App Store through organic growth and student referrals during its first two months live.
Increase in the number of downloads after a redesign based on usability tests
Early testers rated the app highly, with a Net Promoter Score above 80 reflecting strong user satisfaction.
The app achieved a System Usability Scale score of 87.5, indicating excellent usability based on student feedback.
Identifying problems
The main challenge this project seeks to address is the difficulty health science students face in visualizing and internalizing facial musculature beyond textbook memorization. Traditional anatomy education relies on static diagrams, technical language, and limited contextual application, making it hard for students to connect muscles with real human faces — their own or their patients’.
While textbooks provide theoretical knowledge, they often fail to support real-time recognition of muscles during facial expressions. This disconnect limits both retention and practical application in clinical settings.
Students in fields like speech therapy, aesthetics, and dentistry are predominantly visual and experiential learners. Without tools that offer expression-based interaction, many struggle to make sense of how facial muscles behave in real scenarios, leaving them with a fragmented and abstract understanding of anatomy.
These images illustrate innovative uses of body painting and 3D analysis as educational strategies to teach facial muscle anatomy. On the left, Alcântara et al. (2021) use painted hemifaces to help students visualize muscle structure during real facial expressions. On the right, Pradel et al. (2024) combine body painting with 3D stereophotogrammetry, enabling the dynamic analysis of skin displacement and facial asymmetries — reinforcing the value of visual and interactive methods in health education.
Alcântara, M. T. D., et al. (2021). Utilizando o body painting no processo de ensino e aprendizagem dos músculos da expressão facial. Brazilian Journal of Development, 7(3), 25625–25634. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv7n3-321
Pradel, R., Savoldelli, C., Rios, O., Kestemont, P., & Lerhe, B. (2024). Facial Painting and 3D Stereophotogrammetric Analysis of Facial Dynamics: A Reliable Anatomical Educational Method. Journal of Clinical Medicine, https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13082304
Process Overview
Research & Planning
Conducted desk research to identify key educational gaps in traditional anatomy learning. Developed detailed user personas (students from dentistry and speech therapy) and analyzed competitors to define clear objectives. Structured workshops and user stories were used to align the design and development teams effectively.
Design & Prototyping
Facilitated a structured five-day Design Sprint involving cross-functional collaboration. Built and tested low- and high-fidelity prototypes to quickly validate interactive facial muscle visualization. Rapid iteration and user feedback sessions guided critical design refinements.
Implementation
Collaborated closely with developers to implement the MVP, integrating validated design components. Applied systematic usability testing, including SUS, to measure interface clarity and ease of use. Gathered qualitative insights from user observations to ensure product alignment with real-world student needs.
Testing & Optimization
Continuously analyzed feedback and usability metrics to refine and optimize interactive elements and navigation. Final improvements focused on reducing cognitive load, enhancing user interaction, and ensuring clear visualization of anatomical information. Delivered the final product with measurable usability gains and strong user validation.
User Persona
Creating detailed personas, such as Maria Isabel, provided our team with deep insights into our users' real challenges, motivations, and learning contexts. João's struggles with traditional arithmetic and his need for engaging, personalized learning informed our marketing strategy—guiding us to produce relatable, playful social media content on platforms like TikTok. Additionally, by translating his key pain points into actionable user stories, we were able to precisely target interface solutions, ensuring our app addressed genuine student needs through clear, interactive, and supportive design features.
Redesigning the Navigation Flow
After conducting a usability test (Think-Aloud) with 5 participants, a usability issue in the app's navigation was identified. A redesign was proposed to address the problem, which was then validated through an A/B test with another 6 participants.
Usability Testing
This led to an improvement in the usability of the interface, allowing users to better correlate the selected facial expressions with their respective muscles. The redesign also considered the technical limitations of the development team.
Competitor analysis
I conducted a competitor analysis to understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing math education platforms, focusing on how they engage students, personalize learning experiences, and align with educational goals. This helped identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation within the MathNex product.
Visible Body – Human Anatomy Atlas
A comprehensive 3D anatomy reference used in universities and health programs.
✅ Pros:
• Highly detailed anatomical models with layered visualization.
• Covers all systems, including facial muscles.
❌ Cons:
• Overwhelming for beginners due to clinical complexity.
• Not focused on facial expressions or active muscle behavior.
Complete Anatomy (3D4Medical)
A widely used professional-grade anatomy platform with clinical focus.
✅ Pros:
• Offers cross-sectional views, detailed muscle layers, and quizzes.
• Used in top medical schools globally.
❌ Cons:
• No emphasis on facial muscle expression or real-time interaction.
• Learning experience is passive and textbook-like.
Anatomy Learning (3D Atlas)
An interactive mobile 3D atlas for exploring muscle systems layer by layer.
✅ Pros:
• Offers rotating views and simple muscle breakdowns.
• Good entry point for mobile learners.
❌ Cons:
• Lacks expression-specific focus and contextual emotion learning.
• UI feels dated and disconnected from student-friendly design.
Muscle Premium (by Visible Body)
Focused exclusively on musculoskeletal anatomy with motion animations.
✅ Pros:
• Includes muscle animations and insertion/origin data.
• Emphasizes movement and biomechanics.
❌ Cons:
• Primarily focused on limbs and trunk muscles — minimal attention to facial muscles.
• Lacks expressiveness or real-time interaction with the user’s face.
MathNex
By analyzing competitors, we saw that most lacked key features like adaptive learning (TRI), financial literacy content, AI-driven mentoring, and AR. MathNex combines all of these in one platform—offering a unique, personalized, and gamified experience that no other app at our price point provides.
Real-time facial expression overlay
Focus on facial expression muscles
Designed for beginner health students
Expression-based learning
Cost
Freemium
R$78,90
Freemium
Freemium
Solution
Face Reality transforms the way students learn facial anatomy by allowing them to explore muscle structures directly on their own faces. By using real-time visualization tied to facial expressions, the app creates a stronger connection between theory and lived experience. Instead of static diagrams or complex terminology, students are guided through emotionally meaningful expressions—making it easier to recognize, memorize, and understand facial musculature. Designed for beginner students in speech therapy, aesthetics, and dentistry, the solution bridges academic learning with clinical observation.
Real-Time Facial Visualization
Unlike traditional apps that rely on static models, Face Reality uses the device’s front-facing camera to project facial muscles directly onto the user’s face—helping them understand structure through motion and emotion.
Expression-Centered Learning
Students view curated content based on specific facial expressions, making it easier to associate muscle groups with real-life scenarios and clinical observations.
Usability-Driven Interface
The app provides simple, guided interactions with weekly progress features and feedback loops. It was tested using SUS methodology, achieving an excellent usability score of 87.5.
Designed for Health Students
The app was built with speech therapy, dentistry, and aesthetics students in mind—providing clear visualizations, simplified labels, and interactive exploration of muscle function during genuine expressions.
Muscle Cards
Clear, accessible cards break down each facial muscle by name, function, and context. Designed to support quick understanding and long-term retention through emotion-based grouping.
3D Mode
Using real-time augmented reality, students can view a full muscle map projected onto their own face—making anatomy tangible, interactive, and easier to remember.
The Reality. In your face.
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