Process

We began with a thorough user journey mapping exercise to understand the complexities of the lab environment and build alignment across stakeholders. This involved mapping out the various user roles, from lab technicians to administrators, and documenting how, where, and when they interacted with the system.

We explored how lab data is captured, what needs to be displayed at each point, and why, particularly when data might trigger a warning or require user action. We also looked at where the data was accessed, whether at a workstation in the lab or remotely from an office, and how different device types and physical environments affected usability. It was also important to consider the emotional state of users in high-pressure moments, to ensure the interface remained calm, clear, and intuitive.

With this understanding, we developed low-fidelity wireframes and reviewed the proposed flows with lab technicians and team managers. Their feedback helped refine the experience before moving into high-fidelity designs.

Because the subject matter was highly specialised, I also created a custom icon set to support clarity and reinforce meaning alongside the core icon library. This helped ensure that even users wearing gloves or protective eyewear could quickly recognise actions and states at a glance.

Key insights

Through our research and user interviews, several important design considerations emerged:

• Multiple user roles with different needs: Lab technicians, administrators, and office staff all interacted with the system in different ways, requiring tailored permissions and workflows.
  
  

• Shift changes introduce continuity challenges: The interface needed to clearly communicate process status so that incoming users could quickly pick up where others left off without confusion or delay.
  
  

• Access control matters: Certain actions, such as system updates or overrides, needed to be restricted to authorised users only, requiring careful permission mapping.
  
  

• Safety gear impacts usability: Wearing gloves and protective eyewear meant that all interactions had to work with limited dexterity and visibility influencing scroll behaviour, button size, and touch target spacing.

•••••

Creative team: Evident Group
Project manager: Alex Light
Design director: Thomas Gamblin
User interviews + UX design + UI design:
Dan Benney & Leo Jauncey