PROJECT 01
Scientific Research App
Overview
Finding the right data was anything but straightforward.
Scientists at a large pharmaceutical organization relied on this platform to search years of experimental data and lab notebooks. Inconsistent search behavior, buried help resources, and an unclear access request process left users working around the tool rather than with it. I joined as the lead designer responsible for both ongoing maintenance and a broader redesign effort.
IMPACT & METRICS
Issues identified across usability, accessibility, navigation, and design system compliance
Of identified issues addressed in the redesign
of 7 participants were aware filtering options existed before usability testing
Search modes designed, giving users keyword and conversational paths to find data
DESIGN PROCESS
How I approached the work
Exploring the Problem Space
- Joined the team as lead UX designer on an established, actively used platform
- Explored the platform firsthand and mapped the full user journey
- Identified friction points across search behavior, navigation, and help resources
- Documented my findings and built the case for a broader redesign before formal research began
Defining the Problem
- Identified a critical search inconsistency: the same query produced different results depending on whether it was selected from predictive search suggestions or typed in manually and submitted
- Found that help resources, FAQ, change log, and report a problem were buried and invisible to users
- Flagged that scientists with restricted data access had no clear path to request what they needed
- Brought findings to the team and recommended a formal usability study to validate them
Ideation
- Moderated usability study with seven scientists confirmed every issue surfaced in the audit
- Used development sprint time to get ahead on design work
- Advocated for a fuller redesign aligned to the company design system rather than patching the existing interface
- Facilitated a metrics workshop to align on what user data stakeholders needed to see post launch
Final Design
- Consolidated help resources including FAQ, change log, and report a problem into the navigation
- Normalized the search experience so any search method produced consistent results
- Designed a clear step-by-step access request flow for scientists encountering restricted data
- Repositioned filters to appear naturally within the user journey rather than as an afterthought
- Designed the UX for a new conversational search layer in collaboration with the development team
Additional workflows, prototypes, and implementation details are available upon request due to confidentiality requirements.
Reflection
- Watching the usability study validate my audit reinforced the value of exploratory work before formal research begins
- Working within sprint constraints sharpened my ability to advocate for users while staying realistic about team capacity
- Facilitating the metrics workshop early ensured the team had a plan for measuring success before the platform went live
- The redesign laid the groundwork for a more scalable, trustworthy search experience as the platform moves forward
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