Waters Corporation

Transforming Complex Scientific Workflows into an Intuitive, Modern Experience

Through iterative testing over two years, we successfully transformed both the user interface and physical shape of liquid chromatography instruments to create an intuitive, user-centric experience.


Project Details

Duration: 2+ years
Methods: Usability testing, field simulation, interviews, eye tracking, iterative prototyping
Scope: End-to-end experience across physical instruments and digital interfaces

Over two years, I led continuous, bi-weekly research to modernize the user experience of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry instruments—spanning both touchscreen UI design and physical hardware interactions.

Through 60+ iterative studies, this work helped transform legacy, complex systems into a more intuitive, “smartphone-like” experience—reducing user errors, improving efficiency, and influencing the design of next-generation instruments used globally.

Problem & Context:

Waters Corporation develops highly complex scientific instruments used by researchers in lab environments worldwide.

However:

  • Legacy systems were not intuitive and required extensive training
  • Workflows were error-prone, leading to costly downtime
  • Interfaces lacked guidance, feedback, and modern usability standards
  • Physical instrument design did not fully account for real-world human interaction

This created a critical opportunity: Reimagine both the digital interface and physical experience to better support scientists in high-stakes environments.


Goals:

  • Design a touchscreen UI that is intuitive with minimal training
  • Reduce user errors and inefficiencies
  • Optimize physical interactions with instruments
  • Minimize instrument footprint without compromising usability
  • Create a cohesive experience between hardware and software


My Role:

  • Led end-to-end research strategy and execution across two major workstreams
  • Conducted and moderated bi-weekly usability studies over 2+ years
  • Synthesized findings rapidly to inform continuous design iteration
  • Collaborated closely with designers, engineers, and subject matter experts
  • Facilitated alignment through ongoing insight sharing and debriefs


SEQ scores for prototypes showed consistent improvement over 2 years, affirming the effectiveness of our research and design modifications.

Research Initiative 1: Iterative UI Testing (Digital Experience)


Approach:

  • Conducted bi-weekly usability tests (60+ studies total)
  • 4–6 participants per session (internal scientists + global customers)
  • Tested interactive prototypes simulating real lab workflows
  • Leveraged eye-tracking to understand attention and cognitive load
  • Maintained rapid feedback loops with design and product teams


Key Insight Themes:

  • Users preferred fewer clicks and streamlined workflows
  • Guided experiences reduced errors—while expert users wanted the ability to skip
  • Visual cues (images, videos) were far more effective than text
  • Users expected interactions to feel modern and familiar (smartphone-like)


Impact:

  • Prototype usability (SEQ scores) consistently improved over 2 years
  • Informed a redesigned UI that:
  • Reduced errors through clearer system feedback
  • Simplified complex workflows
  • Improved learnability for new users


Research Initiative 2: Physical Instrument Prototyping


Approach:

  • Designed and tested low- to high-fidelity physical prototypes
  • Observed scientists performing real-world tasks:
  • Connecting tubing
  • Accessing internal components
  • Navigating the interface in context
  • Conducted research with global participants (US, India, China)
  • Iterated across 3 rounds of increasing fidelity, culminating in a refined prototype


Key Insight Themes:

  • Color-coded components significantly improved troubleshooting speed
  • Users preferred fewer moving parts to reduce failure points
  • Physical complexity directly contributed to user errors and inefficiencies
  • Simplicity and clarity were critical in high-pressure lab environments


Impact:

  • Reduced instrument footprint by 25%, enabling more units per lab
  • Influenced a simplified, more durable hardware design
  • Improved alignment between physical layout and digital workflows