mindtune
Tune Your Mind And The Rest Will Follow
EVOGENE
Empower work processes through simplicity
MY ROLE
UX designer designing the whole platform
PROJECT
Redesign work process mapping system for laboratory workers
BACKGROUND
Evogene is a leading computational biology company focused on revolutionizing product discovery and development in multiple life-science-based industries.
Evogene's platform is used by the lab workers in managing the day-to-day work processes, orientation within the process, guidance and accessibility to the relevant tools at every step of the way.
OUR GOAL
Redesign a platform that maps out the workflows and the tools required to perform the tasks of laboratory workers.
The system has 2 main roles:
• Display a flow chart of the work processes to guide the researchers and laboratory workers in their everyday work.
• Improve accessibility to the (external) lab tools so that the researcher can use the appropriate tool easily
THE CHALLENGE
Different levels of seniority and proficiency in the workflow
If our goal is to direct and make work processes and tools accessible to users, how can we design an experience that is suitable for a junior lab worker who needs 100% process guidance and a veteran worker who just needs better access to the tools in the system?
Because the organization's ability to produce custom dashboards is limited, the main screen will need to be built from the features that match the 2 personas.
Complex tool (app) search options
The only way for the user to reach the tools he needs in his work is through Evogene's platform. Often users don't know the name of the tool and the search keywords can vary from a related word or a tool related to another tool etc.
The purpose of the system is to produce intuitive accessibility so that the user can get to the tool he needs quickly. Therefore, we have created complex search screens and filtering options that will allow the user to reach the tool he needs, even in indirect ways.
RESEARCH
COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
Evogene specializes in various fields: microbes, small molecules and genetic elements.
Each of these fields has different audiences and competitors.
During the competitors' research, we scanned various platforms and their structures and learned from them about the common tasks and work processes of our users.
From the competitors' research, we could also understand the experiential standard accepted in these industries, the limits of information display and the standard of concentration of details and the UI in these systems
THE OUTCOME
As a redesign project, we examined the structure of the existing system and the journey that the user has to go through to reach his destination
We re-divided the system into three areas: workflows, applications (tools) and main dashboard.
THE HOME DASHBOARD
The dashboard consists of promoted most comment features , or that the features that the organization is interested in promoting.
The purpose of the dashboard is to create easy access and shorten the user's journey in the system.
HOME DASHBOARD BREAKDOWN
The initial search field that will be used primarily for tool search
Workflow and tools at every stage of the process. Each dashboard will display up to 3 workflows relevant to the same department / subsidiary. Clicking on a tool will open a right sidebar with an explanation of the tool and the option to start using
Dynamic graph area. This component is intended for general statistics about the department or subsidiary to enrich the user with knowledge about tools and the system
Promotion area. Statistics and graphs to promote features or facts about Avogene and its system. System empowerment is an important business interest in Avogene life stage.
WORKFLOWS
The purpose of the workflow screen is to guide the user in the work process and make the tool he needs at that moment accessible.
Workflows can split and branch depending on the tool used in the previous steps. When hovering over the tool/step, an explanatory tooltip will appear. Clicking will open a right sidebar with an expanded explanation and a start button.
APPS/TOOLS
In the applications (tools) screen the user can search or browse tools regardless of a particular workflow. The tools are divided into the most used (recommended) and the groups that Avogene has created for each department or subsidiary.
By clicking on a tool a drop-down complement will show General explanation about the tool and the workflows in which the tool is located, with the exact location within those workflows.
Advanced search area
The search field is accessible from any screen in the system. Upon typing a search word the system will offer autocomplete with a clickable category of the results offered. By clicking on the category (eg tool) the user will enter the advanced search screen.
APPS/TOOLS
The advance search results screen will offer the user all the categories related to his search keyword. The user keyword will appear first in each category followed by related results in relevant descending order.
This way the user can browse a large database of search results, sorted by categories and browse more items from each group that may be relevant to his search word.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Evogene realized that the main need of their users is to manage complex work processes and to navigate within a huge pool of tools. despite the limitations of not being able to customize the system for each user and the fact that there is a significant difference between beginners and veteran users.
To balance the needs of the personas we have invested in the workflows for the users who need workflow guidance and at the same time, we have invested in advanced search options for users who just need better accessibility of tools from the repository.
eventually, we were able to design a simple system that reflects functional flexibility and produces order in the complex and large world of research laboratory work.
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