Drug Discovery Solution

Overview

The client in this project was a biotech company that specialised in drug discovery. We were tasked with creating a visually exciting vision concept for a product that utilised our clients data and empowered scientists to identify gene targets for pharmaceutical drug development.

I was the senior product designer on this project, working as part of a team consisting of myself, a junior designer and a project manager.

My role as the Senior Designer was to deliver all the project work. This included conducting the workshops and presenting design work back to the client.

Title

Senior UX Product Designer

Client

Leading drug discovery company

Duration

4 weeks

Challenge

We were challenged to discover, research and rapidly understand the data and the users so that we could design a vision concept for a drug discovery platform that would empower scientists to identify gene targets for pharmaceutical drug development.

The Process

Given the tight timeline of just four weeks for this project, we had to work swiftly and efficiently to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data. Our primary focus was on organising the data effectively and collaborating closely with our client to ideate and develop an engaging product that fully addressed the needs of our users.

Understand

  • Data Discovery Workshop
  • SME Interviews
  • Light Competitor Analysis

Define

  • UI Personality Workshop

Ideate

  • Blockframing
  • High-fidelity Wireframing

Deliver

  • Visual Design
  • Vision Concept

Understand

Understanding The Data

In order to design a valuable and user-friendly solution, it was crucial for us to gain a deep understanding of the extensive data provided by our client. However, as non-scientists, we encountered challenges in comprehending the complexity of the raw data samples initially shared with us. To address this, we organised a workshop with the client to collaboratively establish a hierarchy for the data. This step was essential as it would serve as a foundation for organising the data within the application's architecture when we commenced the design phase.

SME Interviews And Competitor Analysis

Given the project's time constraints, we swiftly carried out these activities through frequent calls and quick online research over the four-week duration. Our team remained focused on efficiency and quality, ensuring that we met deadlines while maintaining thoroughness and accuracy in our approach.

Define

Blockframing

We moved swiftly into the blockframing stage where we started visualising our initial ideas and concepts to present back to the client.

V1

The initial version (V1) of the product was well-received by the client. However, it soon became evident that they had a strong preference for visual representation and desired a fresh and innovative approach to visualize biological data.

V2

In V2, we made significant enhancements to the data visualisations, aiming for a more distinct visual identity. We drew inspiration from the captivating concept of stars in the universe. By treating our clients' data as a vast universe of genes, we developed the ability to organise and present them as clusters or solar systems. This approach allowed for a unique and engaging representation of the data, bringing out its inherent structure and complexity.

Visual Design

UI Personality Workshops

We conducted a workshop with the client to help establish a visual identity for the product that centred around our clients brand but also their vision to be at the forefront of biotech. We did a few activities including showing them different visual styles and trends to get their reactions so we could start steering the visual design in that direction.

Result

We managed to win over stakeholders and pull in external investment, which means we're now gearing up to fully flesh out the product. It's an exciting next step, focusing on fine-tuning through user input and teamwork with developers.

Here’s what the client said about my role: "Dominic exhibited immense enthusiasm and remarkable capability in comprehending complex problems that extended beyond his usual realm. He actively embraced the challenges presented and took ownership, pushing the boundaries of design beyond our initial suggestions."

Thanks for reading!

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