Labpal
SaaS platform to manage and plan scientific experiments to aid research
Project details
The UX Process
Define
Understand what will be created, who it will be targeted at & what problem it will be solving.
Research
Look into the topic in more detail, compare and brainstorm initial ideas.
Ideate
Define solutions that could solve the main problem and provide value to the user.
Design
Map out user flows, Information ar and wireframes to piece together solution. High fidelity prototypes are then created.
Prototype
Preform testing with prototypes to validate ideas and gain initial feedback to implement before development.
Implement
After final sign off product will be built. This will be done in stages to ensure continuous feedback loop.
Project Overview
LabPal is a website that allows for efficient planning and managing of scientific experiments to aid research and maximise output. Users will be able to create experiments using their specific requirements and build a workspace that is unique to them to record their results, aid research projects and plan future work. The entire lab can be managed through the use of a stock system that will keep track of what products are being used.
Problem Statement
Due to the vast amount of information sources that a lab user will have to manage on a day to day basis, it can become difficult to organise these. By digitalising the lab environment so that all information is in one place, this will ensure that all resources are in one place making it easier to complete projects. As many labs work together from various locations throughout the world, this will also allow for easier collaboration between different users as they can share and add to projects.
Project Goal
The expected result of LabPal is to create a platform that will plan, monitor and organise scientific experiments to aid researchers and their development projects. This will improve efficiency by ensuring projects are streamlined and planned in advance so that the necessary materials are available.
Branding
To ensure the website has a professional and realistic feel it is important to create a brand that is effective and relatable to the purpose of Labpal.
Labpal was eventually chosen as users will recognise “lab” and associate it with Laboratory as it is science related. The “pal” relates to the traditional lab partner that most people will have had during school or further in their career if they are in that industry.This gives the impression that users will work alongside the website just as a lab partner would.
The coloursheme chosen is simplistic yet effective. It has hints of blue giving a calming quality and green which has renewal properties. It represents communication and clarity of thought, two things that labpal sets out to improve within its features.
Information Architecture
Process of organising content + flow based on what you know about users and what they expect to see
The purpose of defining the IA of the platform is to determine how information will be presented to users in a clear and logical way.
User flow
A visual representation of the IA defined above.
A major aspect of this site is the user flow and the various user profiles and privileges each one has. This has to be well thought out to ensure that users can logically go through the site to where they need to go, so user needs are anticipated.
Design
From sketching wireframes, converting from low to high fedelity designs.
Interactive mockups allowed a more detailed view of the website to be achieved. Features allowed text buttons to be linked to different artboards using a “path” method that gave the illusion of real buttons on a website. This allowed testing to occur which was extremely beneficial as user insight was given into the overall look and feel of the site as well as proposed features and so feedback was given on each of these.
Implementation
Once the design and features have been decided it is important to consider the technologies that will be required to create Labpal. In an ever evolving world of technologies it can prove difficult to decide on specific technologies to develop the application as many have benefits but also risks. Laravel was used to build and deploy the site.
Integration with widgets, such as charts, is another benefit of using this framework. The pre installed features in Laravel make it extremely beneficial as they will improve the usability and overall experience for the user whilst not taking too much time to create. Laravel uses a template framework called Blade which makes it extremely convenient to set up different pages. A layout file is made that contains that basic layout that will be used in each page and by using an @include function on whatever page it is being used on this will display that layout. Laravel utilises Model View Controller which separates code into its various categories which ensures organisation
Logic Diagram
A logic design was created to visualise a complex function used within Labpal.
A user will view their list of tasks and when they choose to create a new task they are presented with a modal box displaying various inputs. They must fill in the necessary information and when submit is pressed a check will be carried out to the stock database to check that if the quantity they have requested is available.
This is displayed using an “alt” section that shows if statements or options. If the level they have asked for is more than the level in stock then they will be shown an error “not enough stock” otherwise, the task will be returned successfully.
Database
This is the design for the different tables that will be included in the database for Labpal.
They are all connected using various elements, such as foreign keys, that create a flow from table to table. MySQL was used to create the databases. This allowed functions such as SLECT, UPDATE, DELETE once the database was linked to the Laravel site.
Key Takeaways
Work completed to date has provided an excellent foundation for Labpal which can be implemented into the workplace to provide useful service to lab users. Continued development and enhancement of features will improve the usability and effectiveness in a practical environment. It is a hope that Labpal will become widely used in laboratories as a digitalised tool in the workplace.
