Design an interface for a new type of protein research instrument from the ground up with a user-centered design approach.

Operational simplicity is the mandate.

• Met with client representatives and read documentation to learn the proteomics and mass spectrometry subject domain

• Gathered technical and business requirements from project stakeholders

• Interviewed protein researchers in different geographic regions on site and observed their natural workflow

• Analyzed findings, and prepared persona representations of the customers to share research with the client team

• Reviewed existing software in field

• Analysed interview notes for burning needs

• Conducted multiple brainstorming sessions to generate bluesky and evolutionary concepts

• Employed the personas to guide the selection of concepts and to find compromises between bluesky and evolutionary ideas

• Hand sketched concept ideas into interface frameworks

• Presented the paper sketches to customers and clients for feedback

• Selected a direction for proceeding with design

• Prototyped and iterated the interface through increasing fidelity and detail

• Met on a regular basis with different customers to conduct quick design checkpoints and full usability tests

• Met with client subject matter experts to gather technical information about the product to help refine the interface and better align it with the instrument

• Presented the design concepts to client for feedback and discusssion

• Met with software developers from India and database experts to make product tradeoffs. Presented the design documents to client development teams

• Worked with software developers to communicate the design and make implementation tradeoffs

• Consulted with the documentation team as a subject matter expert on the interface

• Presented the personas used in the project as a case study seminar to the Society of Technical Communication and a class at the University of Waterloo

Prepare for and compete in a 10-minute, live, on stage design competition.

The goal is both to educate about the design process and entertain.

Marks are awarded for process, teamwork, user focus, and final design.

During the competition:
• The team reads the problem definition.

• The Architects state assumptions and constraints of the problem.

• The Surveyor and Foreman poll the audience for goals with which to write persona. Brand attributes are also identified.

During the competition:
• The Architects brainstorm individually for a brief period and then come together to share and build on ideas.

During the competition:
• The Surveyor and Foreman give feedback on designs from the perspective of the brand attributes and persona.

• A concept direction is selected and the design is refined.

• The Foreman then adopts the role of the persona and does a design walkthrough facilitated by the Surveyor.

During the competition:
• The design was then finalized and presented to the judges by the Architects.

• Identified the behaviors of traditional and online shopping

• Identified the advantages and constraints of handheld computers and wireless infrastructures

• Used discount usability and design walkthroughs to evaluate the design with classmates

• Conducted usability testing with participants using a PowerPoint simulation to identify issues

• Ran participants through scenarios and measured time to completion and number of errors

• Debriefed the participants with questionairres after the scenarios

• Refined the design based on feedback from testing

• Held multiple brainstorming sessions to generate a number of possible avenues for a solution

• Met with team members on periodically to share ideas and build upon each other's thoughts, sketching on table napkins

• Sketched possible solution on whiteboards and paper

• Met with engineering mentor to brainstorm solutions

• Modeled design in AutoCAD

• Experimented with different ball pickup and drop off sequences for increased reliability

• Postulated what will change and what won’t change in 150 years

• Reviewed long-term emerging technologies

• Brainstormed ideas starting with general categories and narrowing down solution criteria

• Sketched concepts out on paper