Guiding researchers to critical genomic data through a homepage redesign
MY ROLE
Product designer
TIMELINE
July 2023 - December 2023
TEAM
1 product owner, 2 developers, 3 experts
CHALLENGE
RESULTS
Partial rollout
+ 5%
Homepage visits
Positive researcher feedback
EXPECTED IMPACT
Less time deciding what to do next
Higher homepage engagement
From cluttered entry point to guided start
PROBLEM DISCOVERY
Data analytics showed researchers bypassing the homepage
01
Poor Performance:
Homepage got 15x fewer clicks and 16% fewer visits than Results.
02
Content prioritization and navigation issues:
Elements weren't placed based on user priority, and unclear layout hid tools like sequence search.
Homepage usage analytics: 7 features ranked from most used (1) to least used (7)
USER RESEARCH RESULTS
Researchers needed guidance and better search
Researchers struggled to access genomic data quickly. 15 interviews, 200+ surveys, and years of correspondence revealed why their journey (Homepage → Search Entry → Results) failed. Beyond the analytics, three more problems surfaced:
03
User Confusion:
Researchers asked repetitive help questions, missing documentation.
04
Search Limitations:
Search lacked taxonomic relationships, giving only name/ID lists and the navbar made it hard to find the right tools.
05
Hidden Dashboard:
Buried dashboard went unnoticed, limiting insights .
Key pain points: hidden search, buried tools, and lack of guidance
SUCCESS METRICS
Increase homepage usage, speed up data discovery, improve onboarding
The project focused on three key goals:
01
Increase usage of the homepage and help documentation
Boost visits and help documentation clicks to ensure researchers rely on the platform as a trusted entry point.
02
Speed Up Data Discovery
Accelerate access to genomic data for urgent viral research, reducing time lost to navigation.
03
Improve onboarding
Clarify resource capabilities for new users to reduce confusion and support effective tool use.
WORKFLOW EXPLORATION
Results as entry point versus onboarding-focused homepage
With the NCBI Virus team, I explored two ways to guide researchers:
01
Results as homepage: Direct users straight to search — fast, but confusing for new users.
02
Onboarding-focused homepage: Add tutorials and clear paths, since research showed new users needed orientation.
We chose option 2 to support both new and returning researchers, and moved the dashboard to its own page — balancing speed with clarity for urgent viral research.
Homepage entry flow
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
A prominent search function with taxonomic context, supported by onboarding hints throughout the user journey
I redesigned the homepage to streamline genomic data access and introduced the following solutions:
01
Prominent search
I placed the search bar in a prominent position on the page to enable instant data queries, prioritizing speed.
02
Taxonomy details in search dropdown
I added virus taxonomic relationship data to meet users' need for deeper taxonomic insights.
Explore the key design decisions
BUILDING CONSISTANCY
Created a custom design system to ensure visual consistency
Inconsistent visuals were adding to researchers' confusion, so I built a design system for a cohesive, professional interface.
01
Typography:
Merriweather headers paired with Source Sans Pro for body and buttons — a serif/sans contrast that gives headers editorial authority and warmth, while the high-legibility sans keeps dense tables and metadata readable.
02
Color pallette:
A blue-based palette to convey trust and reliability, applied consistently to reduce visual noise and keep focus on the data.
03
Components:
I built standard UI elements (buttons, forms, navigation) alongside specialized scientific components — data visualization cards, contextual alerts, tooltips, tables, and advanced filtering.
This design system became the foundation for all my NCBI Virus redesigns, including the Results Table and Dashboard redesigns.
Design system overview
LEARNINGS
Advocating for UX on a developer-first team
On a developer-first team that was skeptical of user feedback, I had to make the case for UX itself — convincing a backend-focused group that interface design mattered as much as database functionality.
I introduced user research practices the team hadn't used before, and when formal processes stalled, I adapted with lighter methods like Slack polls and competitive analysis to keep insights flowing.
OTHER WORK
Optimizing a complex genomic data table for data analysis
Designing better experience for researchers to analyze and export viral data