July 2023 - December 2023

Guiding researchers to critical genomic data through homepage redesign

User Research

Design System

Information Architecture

Duration: 9m 21s •Control video resolution and playback speed in the YouTube player.

Team

Team

Product designer: me
Subject matter experts: 3
Developers: 2
Product owner: 1

Product designer: me
Subject matter experts: 3
Developers: 2
Product owner: 1

User Impact

User Impact

5% increase in home page visits (6 months post-launch)
Improved platform trust

Expected Business Impact

Expected Business Impact

Reduced time spent on figuring out next steps
Increased homepage feature engagement and usage

Project Overview

Redesigning the homepage to guide researchers through clear calls to action and navigation

The NCBI Virus homepage is the main gateway for viral genomics data, but years of feature additions created a confusing starting point. Researchers faced too many options without clear direction on what to do next.

As sole designer, I conducted user research to identify navigation and onboarding issues, then redesigned the homepage with clear calls to action, streamlined navigation, and contextual help hints.

Redesigning the homepage to guide researchers through clear calls to action and navigation

As sole designer, I conducted user research to identify navigation and onboarding issues, then redesigned the homepage with clear calls to action, streamlined navigation, and contextual help hints.

Homepage before

Homepage after

Challenge

Cluttered, poorly organized homepage underperformed as entry point

Google directed users to homepage, yet it received 16% fewer visits than Results page. The cluttered interface obscured critical tools, frustrating users and undermining platform trust.

My goal was to transform the homepage into a clear starting point.

Cluttered, poorly organized homepage underperformed as entry point

Google directed users to homepage, yet it received 16% fewer visits than Results page. The cluttered interface obscured critical tools, frustrating users and undermining platform trust.

My goal was to transform the homepage into a clear starting point.

Cluttered, poorly organized homepage underperformed as entry point

Google directed users to homepage, yet it received 16% fewer visits than Results page. The cluttered interface obscured critical tools, frustrating users and undermining platform trust.

My goal was to transform the homepage into a clear starting point.

Cluttered, poorly organized homepage underperformed as entry point

Google directed users to homepage, yet it received 16% fewer visits than Results page. The cluttered interface obscured critical tools, frustrating users and undermining platform trust.

My goal was to transform the homepage into a clear starting point.

There are too many options. How do I get to the virus data quickly?

Molecular Virology Postdoctoral Researcher

User Insights

Data analysis and interviews revealed poor information architecture, limited search functionality, and lack of user guidance

Researchers struggled to access genomic data fast. Analytics and user research (15 interviews, 200+ surveys, years of correspondence) revealed why their journey (Homepage → Search Entry → Results) failed:

Poor Performance:

Homepage got 15x fewer clicks and 16% fewer visits than Results (analytics).

Content prioritization and navigation issues:

Elements weren't placed based on user priority, and unclear layout hid tools like sequence search (analytics).

User Confusion:

Researchers asked repetitive help questions, missing documentation (research).

Search Limitations:

Search lacked taxonomic relationships, giving only name/ID lists (research).

Hidden Dashboard:

Buried dashboard went unnoticed, limiting insights (research).

Homepage usage analytics: from most used (1) to less used (6) features

User feedback: homepage default view

User feedback: homepage main search

Success Metrics

Increase homepage usage, speed up data discovery, improve onboarding

The project focused on three key goals:

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.

Speed Up Data Discovery

Accelerate access to genomic data for urgent viral research, reducing time lost to navigation.

Improve onboarding

Clarify resource capabilities for new users to reduce confusion and support effective tool use.

Homepage prototype demo

Workflow Solutions

Results as entry point versus onboarding-focused homepage

Together with the NCBI Virus team, I explored two solutions to guide researchers more effectively.

Results as Homepage

Direct users to the search interface, prioritizing speed but risking confusion for new users.

Onboarding-Focused Homepage

Add tutorials and clear paths, as research (15 interviews, 232 survey responses) showed new users needed orientation to understand platform tools.

The team chose Option 2 to support both new and returning researchers, also moving the dashboard to a dedicated page for better tool integration. This balanced speed with clarity for urgent viral research.

Option 1: Homepage as results page

The image featured at the top of the about us page #1

Option 2: Homepage as onboarding

The image featured at the top of the about us page #2

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 four solutions.

Prominent Search

I placed the search bar in a prominent position on the page to enable instant data queries, prioritizing speed.

Main search before

Main search after

Taxonomy Details in Search Dropdown

I added virus taxonomic relationship data to meet users' need for deeper taxonomic insights.

Search dropdown before

Search dropdown after

Streamlined Navigation

I reorganized the menu items according to the importance of the tools as ranked by users, making the platform easier to use.

Navigation bar before

Navigation bar after

Streamlined Navigation

I reorganized the menus according to the importance of the tools as ranked by users, making the platform easier to use.

Onboarding Hints

I embedded tutorials and help links to help new users and reduce confusion.

Onboarding Hints

embedded tutorials and help links to help new users and reduce confusion.

Building Consistency

Created a custom design system to ensure visual consistency

The inconsistent visuals were confusing the researchers, so I developed a comprehensive design system for NCBI Virus, creating cohesive and professional interfaces for virology researchers.

Created a custom design system to ensure visual consistency

The inconsistent visuals were confusing the researchers, so I developed a comprehensive design system for NCBI Virus, creating cohesive and professional interfaces for virology researchers.

Typography

Following U.S. Web Design System guidelines, I implemented Merriweather for headers and Source Sans Pro for body text and buttons. This combination ensures optimal readability and clear visual hierarchy across complex data presentations.

Color Palette

I chose blue tones as the primary color scheme to convey trust and reliability. This helps researchers to navigate complex data with reduced cognitive load and improved focus.

Components

I designed standardized UI elements—buttons, forms, navigation—and specialized scientific components including data visualization cards, contextual alerts, tooltips, tables, and advanced filtering systems.

Impact and Insights

Proposed redesigns delivered search visibility despite resource limitations

Impact:

Homepage visits increased 5% within six months, proving that addressing core user needs drives results even with minimal implementation.

Key learnings:

Introduced user research practices to developer-first team resistant to user feedback
Learned to advocate for UX value - convincing a backend-focused team that interface design is just as critical as database functionality
Adapted research methods using Slack polls and competitive analysis when formal processes faced delays

Next Project

Redesigning how researchers navigate a complex data table and export viral genomic information

Designing better experience for researchers to analyze and export viral data