This project focused on unifying the complex SCIEX OS ecosystem into an intuitive, user-friendly platform, using a robust design system and improved workflows to empower scientists and accelerate their research.
The Challenge
SCIEX OS, a suite of over 20 applications for molecular research, suffered from inconsistent user experience, hindering scientists’ efficiency and increasing the potential for errors.
Navigation
Complex, nested menus and inconsistent navigation elements forced users to jump between applications.
Visual Inconsistency
A lack of unified visual language (typography, colour, components) created a disjointed and overwhelming experience. This also increased the view of the software as outdated in many areas.
Terminology
Inconsistent labelling of functions and data items increased user confusion and error potential.
My Role
As Lead UI Designer, I was in charge of the redesign, focusing on several areas:
Design Strategy
Creating a user-centered design vision aligned with company’s business goals (increased user satisfaction, reduced support calls, improved data integrity).
Design System
Developing and implementing a scalable design system with accessibility best practices in mind.
User Research
Leading user research, usability testing, and feedback analysis to inform design decisions.
UI Design
Designing interfaces, key interactions and prototyping using a user-centered approach
Collaboration
Facilitating design workshops, user interviews, and ensuring alignment with product managers, developers, and stakeholders.
Approach & Methods
User Research & Contextual Inquiry
Researching user interaction habits for a complex scientific application meant that I was on a path of constant learning to understand the science behind every software feature. I started by conducting in-depth interviews and surveys with scientists, lab technicians, and IT specialists. This helped me understand their pain points and was very valuable later in formulating requirements. I also performed usability testing on core features of existing software to identify key issues.
During research phase, I observed 8 scientists in their labs, noting that a single workflow often required switching between several applications, as well as a lot of manual work in data analysis. This increased the room for errors, as well as added a significant amount of time to the already exhaustive audit and testing processes.
User Journeys & Flow Diagrams
Based on the research, I developed personas representing typical users, such as a lab technician, research scientist and lab manager. I mapped out their user journeys to visualize the steps they take to complete common tasks, identifying opportunities for improvement.
Documenting user, task and data flows was a key step in my design process. I used the diagrams as an alignment and communication tool, and they proved to be very useful in explaining the features to team members and stakeholders who don’t necessarily have the domain or technical expertise.
Since all the features were additions to the existing software, I would work with UX and software architects to define entry points – potential areas of the platform where a new interaction could be added, assessing the impact on the existing features, as well as different types of instruments that the new feature would be used on.
Wireframes & Prototypes
Scalable Design System
I led the team to create a robust design system:
- Accessible Style Guide: Defined a WCAG compliant colour palette, a legible typography scale, a spacing system and an icon library.
- Reusable Component Library: Developed accessible, reusable components (buttons, inputs, tables) with clear guidelines.
- Comprehensive Documentation: Shared guidelines, documentation and governance processes ensured system adoption and future maintenance.
- Streamlined Navigation: User research and testing indicated the original top menu was complex. We therefore replaced it with a vertical, task-oriented sidebar, improving readability and simplifying access to core actions. Initial testing revealed a 7-8 step workflow was reduced to 3-4 steps by consolidating actions and eliminating unnecessary hand-offs.
- Iterative Design: We employed task success rates, SUS scores, and observation notes to gather user feedback. This feedback led to key changes in terminology and the reduction of steps in the workflows. The prototype was then updated and retested. This process was repeated 3 times.
- Collaboration: I facilitated regular design workshops, presenting design options, explaining rationales, and incorporating feedback from product, dev, and stakeholders. This ensured technical feasibility and streamlined design hand off.
Outcomes: Quantifiable Improvements
The redesign significantly improved SCIEX OS:
- Task Completion: Task completion time was reduced by 50%.
- User Errors: User errors decreased by 30%.
- Satisfaction: Post-implementation user surveys reported 90% positive feedback.
- Scalability: The design system became the foundation for future product development. [Placeholder Image 6: An infographic visualizing the key metrics: 50% faster, 30% fewer errors, and 90% positive feedback. Caption: “Key metrics showcase the significant impact of the redesign on efficiency, data accuracy and user satisfaction.”]
Reflection & Lessons Learned
Key learnings: rigorous user research, design system implementation, and cross-functional collaboration are critical to achieving successful outcomes. This experience refined my ability to lead complex projects and deliver business results using user-centered design.
Tools Used:
(Figma, Adobe Illustrator)
Next Steps (Optional):
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