Efficient Navigation Strategies
As we began our research, the concept of the "State machine method" dominated discussions on how to achieve our objectives. We embarked on an extensive exploration, studying approaches used by others in similar situations. Initially, my colleague and I found ourselves puzzled about our role as UX/UI designers in this context. However, after engaging in numerous discussions with various stakeholders such as Quality Assurance testers, product managers, and software testers, we gained clarity on the real challenges at hand.
Following our presentations, we initiated a new project aimed at redesigning the software to enhance user-friendliness. This marked my first venture into a project involving hardware integration, which posed unique difficulties due to the unpredictable nature of the machine's behavior. Despite the challenges, the journey proved enlightening, providing me with invaluable insights. Now, I'm actively crafting new screens infused with innovative ideas to drive the project forward.
Background:
I am working as a UX/UI designer at Cellink which is a leader in the bioprinting industry. They produce advanced bioprinters used for creating complex biological structures. The accompanying software is crucial for the precise operation of these bioprinters. However, users often face challenges in understanding which actions are permissible during various stages of the bioprinting process, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
Problem statement:
Users of Cellink’s bioprinting software encounter difficulties in identifying permissible actions and avoiding redundant steps during critical bioprinting operations. This lack of clarity results in:
Redundant Actions: Users frequently perform unnecessary or repetitive actions, which wastes time and reduces the overall efficiency of the bioprinting process.
Errors: Users may inadvertently initiate actions that conflict with ongoing operations, causing errors that can compromise the bioprinting results and lead to material waste.
User Frustration: The current interface does not provide clear visual guidance or structured information on permissible actions, leading to a frustrating user experience.
Objectives:
The primary goal is to enhance the usability of Cellink’s bioprinting software by minimizing redundant actions and improving the clarity of permissible interactions.
Example: At Cellink, we have a bioprinter named LUMENX, when a user is updating the software from about page. Other options in printer utilities are not disabled. If a user moves to any other option, the progress bar disappears. This problem was tied with developers, they were not able to avoid the situation.
Target group:
Our target group were scientists, Quality asssurance testers and software testers.
Feedback:
According to the interviews that we held some of the feedback questions that we got were:
“While using the printing protocols if I go to previous step, I lose critical information and I have to start all over again.”
“Why am I not able to use printer utilities options which are a part of main protocol.”
Key Issues Identified:
Redundant Actions: Users frequently perform repetitive steps due to unclear feedback from the software, resulting in inefficiencies.
Errors: Users often initiate actions that conflict with ongoing processes, leading to errors and wasted materials.
Interaction Clarity: The current software lacks clear indicators for permissible actions during different stages, causing confusion and reliance on trial and error.
Hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1: Adding red and green lines to indicate restricted and permissible actions in the bioprinting software will significantly reduce the number of redundant actions performed by users.
Hypothesis 2: Providing users with an Access Control List (ACL) matrix that outlines permissible actions during different stages of the bioprinting process will decrease the error rate associated with conflicting actions.
Method:
Our findings led us to propose a dynamic visual representation using red and green lines within the user flows.
Red lines signify restricted interactions during critical operations, ensuring users cannot initiate actions that may conflict with ongoing processes. Conversely, green lines indicate permissible interactions, providing users with a clear path for task execution.
We introduced an Access Control List (ACL) matrix to streamline comprehension for both developers and non-technical users. The ACL matrix serves as a centralized reference, guiding users on which operations are restricted or allowed during specific system states. This innovative matrix not only enhances communication among team members but also empowers end-users to make informed decisions based on the operational context.
User flows:
To figure out what wasn't working right, we went through the entire software step by step. We made flows showing how users currently move through it, and we made extra flows to show how we think it should work better.
Wireframes:
Using the flows, we made wireframes according to the green and red lines and ACL matrix.
We proposed that after analyzing where a user can navigate, the developers were supposed to disable the other buttons or components. So user will have restricted access on the page.
