Redesigning SCIEX OS to support regulated lab workflows with speed, precision, and trust
SCIEX builds analytical instruments and software used in scientific labs, including mass spectrometry and related workflows. The software environment is high stakes by default: results must be accurate, workflows must be repeatable, and every action must be traceable in strictly regulated conditions.
At SCIEX, I worked as a Senior UX/UI Designer on SCIEX OS, helping unify a fragmented ecosystem of legacy applications (similar to my work on the Gig Marketplace platform) into a more coherent platform experience. The goal was not to simplify the science. It was to reduce cognitive load, prevent avoidable mistakes, and make complex work feel predictable, especially when users are moving quickly and compliance is non-negotiable.
The reality of the workflow
A typical lab workflow spans four interconnected stages:
- Experiment setup in the software
- Running the experiment through the instrument
- Analysis of results and processes
- Reporting and documentation
I designed and improved workflows across these layers, with a major focus on experiment setup, where small UX errors can compound into costly downstream problems. The work required careful attention to clarity, repeatability, and the relationship between multiple systems communicating with each other.
My role
I contributed end-to-end across UX, UI, and system design, including:
- building and evolving a scalable design system across the SCIEX OS ecosystem
- redesigning workflows across setup, run, analysis, and reporting
- bridging design and development with detailed interaction specs and iterative alignment
- conducting research with scientists and lab teams through interviews, shadowing, and usability testing
- prototyping complex flows to validate understanding and reduce ambiguity before implementation
Compliance as a built-in constraint
This was a strictly regulated environment. Compliance was not something added at the end of the flow. It was part of the flow.
The platform needed to support:
- audit trails (traceable, reviewable records of actions and changes)
- permissions and role-based access
- approvals and validation steps
- protocols and coordination across systems
Audit trail functionality was a dedicated part of the software and had its own UX requirements. The experience had to make compliance legible and reliable without slowing scientists down or turning everyday tasks into bureaucratic friction.
Approvals were not abstract. They were driven by real decision-making with stakeholders, especially scientists who also served as product owners inside the organization. That hybrid role shaped the process: the primary users were deeply involved in defining what “correct” looked like, and the work moved through concrete rounds of review and approval to ensure accuracy and regulatory integrity.
Design strategy
Unification without flattening expertise
SCIEX OS was supported by many legacy tools with different patterns and interaction assumptions. I worked to unify navigation, layout, and component behavior so moving between tools felt consistent, while preserving the depth expert users require.
Repeatability and error prevention
In experiment setup especially, the design focus was on making repeatable workflows easier and reducing opportunities for avoidable error. Clear structure, consistent interaction patterns, and predictable system feedback mattered as much as the visual layer.
System-level thinking across interconnected tools
Because multiple systems and protocols were involved, UX decisions had to reflect what was happening beyond a single screen. The work emphasized clarity in states, transitions, and user intent across the workflow rather than isolated UI improvements.
Outcomes
The work contributed to:
- a unified experience across a large suite of legacy applications
- a scalable internal design system that improved consistency and development efficiency
- clearer, more dependable workflows across setup, run, analysis, and reporting
- strong alignment with scientists and QA stakeholders through iterative validation and approval cycles
Why this project matters
In regulated lab environments, usability is not just about comfort or preference. It is a risk and reliability issue. The work on SCIEX OS focused on making complex workflows faster, clearer, and more dependable, while honoring the strict requirements of traceability, permissions, and validation that define the domain.