User-Centric Process of Designing a Molecular & Cellular Query Interface for Biomedical Research

DS 116: Proceedings of the DESIGN2022 17th International Design Conference

Year: 2022
Editor: Mario Štorga, Stanko Škec, Tomislav Martinec, Dorian Marjanović
Author: Tiffany Sun Liaw, Nils Gehlenborg
Series: DESIGN
Institution: Harvard Medical School, United States of America
Section: Organisation, Collaboration and Management
Page(s): 221-230
DOI number: https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.24
ISSN: 2732-527X (Online)

Abstract

There is a growing demand for the adoption of user-centric design processes for the development of computational biology software as usability becomes a major concern. Our team develops interfaces for a human biomolecular data portal with user-centered design, so we present a case study of the design process of a molecular and cellular query to emphasize the importance of user-centric design and reveal the complications that arise in a complex software development environment. The study follows the design process from user requirement gathering to the prototyping of a minimum viable product.

Keywords: life sciences and design, case study, design practice