Open qPCR LCD App
The Chai Open qPCR is a portable, powerful thermocycler designed to make Real-Time PCR accessible to anyone. We needed an experience robust enough for rigorous scientific studies but streamlined enough for casual users.
Roles
Product Design, UI/UX, Design System
Team
CEO, Developer, Me
Challenges
The Open qPCR has a wide target audience
The experience needs to be robust and reliable research scientists, but streamlined for casual users.
It’s designed for use in the field and around the world
We needed a cross-platform, browser-based solution that could work well with relatively slow internet access.
It needs to be fully functional without extra equipment
To serve users in the field or without access to a computer, the onboard touchscreen app needs to be as feature-rich as the desktop app.
Process
Establish Use Cases
Our MVP was designed to make the Open qPCR viable in professional lab settings. Later rounds addressed data analysis cases, adding new experiment types, and running simplified, plug-and-play test kits.
Competitive Analysis
We documented the apps of direct competitors to make sure we were competitive on features while providing a cleaner, more modern experience.
Sketching & Wireframing
Quick, low-fidelity iterations helped collaboration with my client as I learned a complex experiment flow and identified opportunities in the design system.
Exploration & Execution
With the key workflows prototyped, it was time to implement a design system that could present a high quantity of data cleanly and work responsively at nearly any browser size.
Documentation & Support
When the final designs were approved, I worked with the CEO and a developer to take the experience live; documenting specs, managing assets, and helping with quality control.
Clean, Browser-Based Experience
Originally designed for iPad, Chai embraced a browser-based experience to increase device compatibility, push updates more often, and better support localization.
We needed a flexible design system that handles cursor or touchscreen interactions and a wide range of browser resolutions.
Built-In LCD App
To make the Open qPCR a standalone lab anywhere in the world, we needed to make the full desktop experience on its built-in touchscreen.
We embraced the relatively low-resolution screen and designed for high-legibility and easy operation in challenging conditions.
Results & Takeaways
Chai products were used in 60+ countries and 19 of the world’s top 20 biomedical research universities.
During the early years of the COVID pandemic, we offered on-site test kits that were used in schools, offices, and warehouses around the world.
I’m very proud the system we designed was used by a preschool administrator with no prior experience to successfully identify a potential outbreak.
