Accelerating cell science discoveries
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Organization
Berkeley Lights Inc.
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My role
Head of UX
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XFN Team size
10+
Berkeley Lights' powerful biotechnology platform aimed to accelerate cell science experiments. However, according to customer feedback, the user experience of its software suite felt disjointed, hard to use, and dated.
Challenge
Though the issues with the platform's software were glaringly obvious to the Field and Support teams, the Tech teams were more focoused on building to spec than addressing known issues with the UX. Additionally, siloed departments and a general lack of process meant that cross-functional partners such as Product Management and Customer Success had difficulty exerting influence to prioritize the software suite's usability.
If the instrument could be controlled by another software, I would jump ship, and I know that many of our customers would too.
Manager, Field Support at Berkeley Lights
Screenshots of Berkeley Lights' software suite, circa early 2021
Process
The process was heavily driven by multi-modal research. This served two purposes: to identify issues with the software suite and also to provide Tech leadership with data about why these issues were worth addressing.
Strategy
Based on the requirements, we developed a design framework, design principles, processes and KPIs to guide the gargantuan effort to improve the platform's UX.
Design
After getting cross-functional buy-in via concept validation, we rapidly iterated through screens with medium-fidelity wireframes, and created interactive prototypes for more complex flows.
Feedback
We leveraged rapid prototyping and multiple feedback sessions in a week to test and fine-tune the designs based on feedback from stakeholders, internal users, and customers.
Top issue with the Platform's UX according to 3 groups of partipants
Solution
We took a staged approach to updating and improving the UX of the platform, starting with the creation of a design system. Other than establishing a more uniform look and feel across the various applications, a consistent navigation pattern was established and implemented.
The new top bar navigation - established as a part of the brand new design system - applied to different applications
To increase the ease-of-use of getting started, we added a dedicated home screen to every application. It focused on making users' journey across the platform more seamless with a new data access model underneath, which translated into users spending significantly less time looking for .csv files to import and export.
The "start page" home screen as implemented in Assay Analyzer
With an eye on enhancing UX maturity in the long term, we created a multi-year UX roadmap, monthly UX steering committee meetings, revised requirements, creations of prioritized product backlogs, and sponsorship from cross-functional leaders such the Chief Product Office, Director of Customer Success, and VP of Program Management.
Outcome
After having rolled out an alpha release of the software suite in November 2022 across 8 customer accounts, we collected feedback through December into mid-January. We conducted interviews with 12 end-users and 20 internal users; the findings indicated that the UX updates had been well received and improved the perception of the quality of the platform's software and overall trust in the company's products. We also saw a big increase in the platform's NPS score which changed from -10 to 35. For Q1 2023, we have surveys, interviews, and usability testing sessions planned with stakeholders, internal users and customers.
A much smoother experience that feels more intuitive and less cumbersome.
Principal Scientist, Pharmaceutical Customer
Business Value
One of the goals of this effort was to make the platform more approachable and novice-friendly without taking away the power and flexibility desired by our more advanced users. With appropriate usage of design patterns and techniques such as wizards and progressive disclosure, as well as the addition of contextual help and onboarding elements like product and feature tours, the Tech Support team reported a 67% drop in tickets and calls related to confusion on how to use the UI or access certain features.
How I Led
Looking back at the last two years, it's very rewarding to see how the UX offered by Berkeley Lights' platform has improved by leaps and bounds while the design maturity of the company has increased greatly.
The design team saw the addition of 3 new designers, while saying goodbye to 1, all of whom not only do phenomenal work on a day-to-day basis but also evangelize the value of good design within their diverse cross-functional product teams.
Close collaboration with the Program Management team has led to the implementation processes and frameworks - including quick 3-minute usability-focused surveys sent quarterly to 3 - 5 customers from various segments - that continue to support the UX team as we scale and work on even more complex problems.
I continue to forge key relationships with partners across the company - most recently, the Sales team - to not only amplify the critical and impressive work being done by the UX team and sow seeds for user-centered design thinking whenever possible, but to also ensure that UX is involved early in key initiatives and how doing so pays big dividends when it comes to the bottom-line of the business.