REM
The data acquisition and AI platform allows consulting scientists to conduct comprehensive, real-time research and market and technology analyses for their clients.
MY ROLE
As a product designer, I did user research, conceptual and visual designs, and user testing in close collaboration with the project managers and stakeholders.
OUTCOMES
84% faster research 👉 REM’s AI-powered search and filtering reduced data gathering time by 84%, streamlining research across publications, patents, and funding sources.
75% growth in user adoption 👉 REM’s intuitive design and automation of tasks like trend analysis led to a 75% increase in adoption by consulting teams.
40% increase in client retention 👉 Faster, more accurate insights from REM boosted client retention by 40%, resulting in actionable recommendations.
37% cost savings 👉 Innovation Scientists saved 37% in operational costs by consolidating multiple research tools into REM, eliminating the need for multiple subscriptions.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Robotic Ecosystem Meta-Synthesis (REM) is an advanced SaaS platform designed by Innovation Scientists to revolutionize the way technology companies conduct research, market analysis, and technology assessments. Leveraging AI, REM provides real-time, comprehensive insights, allowing companies to evaluate cutting-edge R&D and make informed decisions that drive innovation.
Staying ahead of market trends and emerging technologies is crucial for tech companies looking to build or expand their businesses. The REM empowers consultants to uncover dynamic, data-driven insights that inform investment and procurement strategies, helping companies align with their strategic business goals and accelerate growth.
Based in Houston, Texas, Innovation Scientists is a consulting firm dedicated to helping technology companies scale through innovative data solutions and strategic guidance.
PROBLEM SPACE
Time consuming, expensive, and unreliable process of topic landscaping and market analysis
Innovation Scientists struggled with researching and mapping emerging trends, technologies, and market opportunities to help their clients build their business. Constantly migrating among different platforms made it slow, expensive, often unreliable, and harder to provide clear and timely consulting to their clients.
Goal
👉🏾 Develop a SaaS platform to make researching and mapping emerging trends, technologies, and market opportunities faster and more affordable and reliable for consulting scientists.
01 DISCOVER
Research Methods
To ideate a solid solution, I conducted stakeholder interviews, observational studies, and audits of industry-leading platforms. It helped me gain comprehensive insights into user’s needs and optimize design decisions.
Interviews
I interviewed 10 consulting scientists to find insights into their topic landscaping and market analysis workflows. I also conducted various stakeholder interviews to align business goals and visions.
Observational Studies
I observed 10 consulting scientists in real environments to identify inefficiencies in their data gathering and analysis processes.
Audit
I audited 3 industry-leading platforms, Dimension, Researchrabbit and PapersApp to assess user flows, identify gaps, and analyze usage patterns for improved design decisions.
Research Outcomes
After completing the research, I analyzed the data and created three personas, a competetive benchmark, and an empathy map.
Personas
Based on three rounds of research, I developed three personas representing varying experience levels among consulting scientists and ensured that their goals, motivations, needs, and pain points remained central throughout the design process.
Competitive Benchmark
Additionally, I developed a competitive benchmark by analyzing similar platforms such as Dimensions, ResearchRabbit, and Papers. This process allowed me to compare their features, identify strengths and weaknesses, and draw inspiration for improvements in my design.
Empathy Map
I also designed an empathy map to better understand and visualize the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the personas developed for this project.
02 DEFINE
Defining the User's Needs
I worked with the product managers and used the research fundings to frame several user stories defining the platform's core features. Bellow are selected users stories.
As a consulting scientist, I need to
03 IDEATE
User Flow Workshop
Next, I conducted a workshop with the project management to map out the entire product’s user flows, ensuring a transparent and seamless experience aligned with the user’s needs.
Sketching Workshop
After that, I facilitated another workshop to generate different product design concepts. I sketched different ideas and picked one of them because it offered the most intuitive access to all research and marketing tools, ensuring a streamlined user experience. This option was also favored for its clear navigation, user-friendly layout, and ability to seamlessly integrate essential features.
04 LOW FIDELITY DESIGN
Low Fidelity Wireframes
After developing a solid sketch, I designed low-fidelity wireframes to represent the screens and created a prototype for the first user test.
06 USER TEST-1
Initial Usability Test
Before moving to high-fidelity design, I created a clickable prototype and tested it with 6 consulting scientists to ensure its solid core functionality and user flows. The test showed some key pain points with the publication, keywords, and SME pages, providing crucial insights for refinement.
Clickable Links for Data Exploration and Publication Count Visibility
Flow - Publication page
Most users wanted to click on elements like SMEs, Affiliations, and Patents to explore further data. As a result, I added clickable links to these areas, allowing users to directly navigate and easily access more detailed information.
In addition, some users did not immediately realize how many publications were found, mistaking it for just one or two search results. To address this, I added a precise publication count at the top.
Improving Data Display Without Overloading Users
Flow - Keywords page
Some users found the data on the Keywords page overwhelming. To solve this problem, I reduced the number of bars and added a toggle button, allowing users to customize how many bars they can view.
Clarifying SME Selection
Flow - SME page
Users needed clarification about which experts were more important to click on. To resolve this, I adjusted the circle sizes: larger circles now indicate SMEs with more citations, publications, and funding, making it easier for users to identify key experts and decide where to start.
07 HIGH FIDELITY DESIGN
Mapping the Big Picture via Mood Board
Before transitioning to high-fidelity prototypes, I created and presented a mood board as a source of inspiration for the REM user interface. It features a dark mode to look professional and has a modern, sleek aesthetic that enhances user focus and clarity.
Testing the Mood Board
To evaluate the effectiveness of the mood board, I designed several high-fidelity prototypes and selected one of them for its emphasis on content clarity and the readability of text in dark mode. Bellow is a selection of the UI iterations:
UI Style Guide and Components
After selecting the best iteration, I tested it for accessibility and developed REM’s UI style guide and components. The dark mode interface, purple for the primary color and turquoise blue as the secondary color, creates an elegant, techy look that enhances users’ focus during data analysis. I also created 3D vector illustrations to add depth and visual interest to REM’s brand.
High Fidelity Design
After creating a visual system and conducting accessibility tests, I designed all the screens and developed the prototype to best represent the final product.
06 USER TEST- 2
Second Round of User Testing
In the second round, all 6 participants completed their tasks. However, some users preferred receiving data in a table format in addition to graphs. So, I provided two options, tables and graphs, by added a toggle button on each page.
Solution
Examples of the Features Designed by me
Publications
The Publications page allows users search and sort through various publications, helping them quickly locate the most relevant research. By clicking on highlighted keywords, users can explore additional information, such as related subject matter experts (SME), affiliations, and patents.
Keywords
The Keywords page allows users to see the most frequently used terms for a specific topic and identify key themes quickly. Clicking on a keyword displays the second set of to help refine or expand the research focus.
SME (Subject Matter Experts)
On the SME page, users can look for active experts in a particular research field with whom they could collaborate. They can also find about professional collaborations among these experts and read detailed profiles to better understand their areas of expertise.
Affiliations
On the affiliations page, users can search a subject and find organizations that work with that subject which can help users identify key affiliated institutions.
All pages have a commenting feature to encourage real-time collaboration between users.
Patents
The Patents page enables users to explore patents related to their research subject and track innovations and intellectual property developments. This information helps users stay up-to-date on cutting-edge advancements.
Companies
The Companies page allows users identify key industry players working on the target subject. Users can also access detailed information about other companies to understand their expertise and contributions and later on connect with potential partners.
Funds
The Funds page provides users with the information about governmental and private funding resources relevant to their subject, helping them find potential research or project funding opportunities. Users can sort funding resources by year, agency, or region, making the search for the most suitable opportunities easier.
Prototype
This prototype demonstrates key product interactions, and to ensure efficiency, only a selection of flows has been recorded here.
Takeaways
Designing complex REM taught me valuable lessons and helped me grow as a designer, especially through hands-on experience and collaborative workshops. Bellow are the three key takeaways:
Balancing User Needs with Technical Constraints: I learned to balance user-centered design with technical limitations by closely collaborating with developers. I also engaged stakeholders during the workshops to ensure that user goals are effectively met while maintaining feasibility.
Relying on Iterative Testing: Through creating complex projects, I embraced iterative testing, from wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes. Running usability tests and workshops helped me uncover usability issues early and continuously refine the design to meet user expectations.
Simplifying Complex Information: I learned how to simplify complex workflows and information. By gathering user feedback, I focused on clearly organizing data and created intuitive designs to ensure users easily navigate intricate systems.