Algene Olygos is the brainchild of myself and one of the founding members of Algene, Mathias (Matt). Matt noticed that he and his colleagues had multiple issues with the tools they have to use to do their work.

Algene, as the name implies, is a company concerned with using PCRs (polymerase chain reactions) to manipulate the genes of plants, such as algae, to create resources for human consumption. Part of the gene manipulating process includes using primers to analyze the genetic makeup of the DNA in question. The exact sequence is determined through various online resources that all essentially do the same thing: take an input of genetic sequences and sample conditions, and output a primer sequence that the scientist should use to complete their work in the real world. These tools are so-called "Multiple Primer Analyzers," "Oligonucleotide Properties Calculators," or, more simply, "PCR Calculators."

The problem with the currently accepted system of PCR Calculators is that the user experiences invariably have confusing UI, fractured resources, and corporate greed. Matt claimed that the websites felt old and clunky, and what was there on certain websites was set up in a way that was less optimal for the scientists but more optimal for the big genetics company that wants smaller labs to buy their proprietary PCR sequences.

Matt also noted that even as an undergrad, he had to use these PCR Calculators to complete his work and wished that the tools he had to use had features that would make it easier to complete and understand his classwork.

From these observations, our goal was clear: we wanted to design a new PCR calculator with the express purpose of being optimal for the work done by professional scientists while also providing tools that could help undergrads doing genetics lab work for the first time understand what they're working on. We also wanted to integrate the final product with Algene's main brand, while standing as its own brand at the same time (Think Microsoft and Xbox or Google and Youtube). We decided on the name Olygos.io for our version of the PCR Calculator.

Is it worth Pursuing?

Based on our research and responses we got from potential users' survey data, we felt confident about pursuing the creation of a new PCR/oligo calculator product. It's clear that within this relatively niche market of users, there's a growing sentiment of dissatisfaction, or at least self-awareness, towards the status quo of currently used products.

It was also surprising to learn that most users would NOT find a mobile version of this product particularly useful, since the context of this type of work is in the proximity of a work computer. Nonetheless, it was something that we're interested in experimenting with, but it was good to know that we did not have to waste any development time on mobile, which is rare these days.

The Foundational Study

I split the research process of this project into two phases: product research on the best features of existing PCR calculators and a quantitive/qualitative survey of a poll of Rutger's University genetics students.

During the product research phase, to give me a better idea of what features should be kept, improved upon, or designed for our final project, I asked the company to provide examples of the current PCR websites they were using.

We ended up examining several different websites, picking and choosing key features that we could keep and improve upon in our product. We also analyzed the flaws and pitfalls of each of the existing products.

A precise collection of the products we compared and assessments of each can be found below.

Key Findings

Based on our research and responses we got from potential users, we felt even more confident about pursuing the creation of a new PCR/oligo calculator product. It's clear that within this relatively niche market of users, there's a growing sentiment of dissatisfaction, or at least self-awareness, towards the status quo of currently used products.

It was also surprising to learn that most users would NOT find a mobile version of this product useful, since the context of this type of work is in the proximity of a work computer. Nonetheless, it was something that we're interested in experimenting with, but it was good to know that we did not have to waste any development time on mobile, which is rare these days

Concept Validation

We conducted user research in the most direct manner possible: collecting direct feedback and opinions of the potential users of the product. We sent two surveys to a group of people who fit a set of personas. That list consisted of scientists, Rutgers alumni, and friends of the Algene team. The first survey received eight responses, while the second got 13! We also gave participants the option to fill an open ended response on their opinions of oligo calculations, which was greatly appreciated and highly useful.The first survey was brief with only four questions, while the second was slightly more comprehensive with eight questions. Both surveys contained questions spit into four categories for data collection purposes.

Lo-Fi Layouts

After product research, it was time to move on to development. I designed a few mockups of the final product's user flow, and discussed with the team which design they felt would be more suitable to their brand moving forward. Since the company is very new and very small, I was given a lot of agency for the final design than would have at a more established business.

Using the data provided, I designed three low-fidelity wireframes that would reflect the user flow of the final product. After passing the designs to the team at Algene, I explained the concepts and asked them which design they felt would best achieve their goals. Of the three team members who had a say, all three of them agreed upon using the 3rd concept wireframe, although it will be subject to change of course.

User Flow

We decided upon three use cases of Olygos that we needed to cater the product to:
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1. To make it easy for users to input and do PCR calculations
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2. To provide educational resources for students in college biology classes
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3. To direct users to and promote brand awareness of the main Algene site

From there, I designed an ideal user flow to better help the team visualize and understand to product we were working on. User flows are essential for uncovering new areas of opportunity and further designing solutions to achieve the project goals.

Persona

We decided upon three use cases of Olygos that we needed to cater the product to:
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To make it easy for users to input and do PCR calculations
To provide educational resources for students in college biology classes
To direct users to and promote brand awareness of the main Algene site.

From there, I designed an ideal user flow to better help the team visualize and understand to product we were working on. User flows are essential for uncovering new areas of opportunity and further designing solutions to achieve the project goals.

Beta Layout & User Testing

Algene as a startup has yet to launch fully, but the Olygos project is fully functional and nearly developed. In the interest of consistency, the calculator won't be hosted until Algene's main website is developed too. We are also currently in talks for partnerships with public and private lab groups and would prefer to host the website after those talks are settled. In the meantime, enjoy these beta screenshots of how the product will look.

Assesment

We've yet to do a major test on the usability, but based on limited anecdotal evidence (the opinions of the 3 Algene Geneticists who helped me develop this project), the usability of this project is promising -- far better than any competitors on the market. We're also the only PCR/Oligo calculator with a responsive mobile version of the application, although that version still needs a bit more polish before product launch. The three members have been using the product to complete their work, and have so far reported no issues, and they far prefer using the product to other competitors. Of course, their bias from plenty of angles within this small sample size, but this still both promising and exciting towards the future of this product.
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In the future, before the product fully launches, we will be sure to do at least one usability with a more significant, less bias, number of users to fully validate our project. Fortunately, as of right now, all the members of the company are highly satisfied, so I've done my job of satisfying the client. Stay updated with this page to see how we faired satisfying the actual users.

What's Next?

This project should be out of beta and available for public use before the end of 2021. There have been some minor complications at the Algene company that I am not at liberty to discuss. Stay tuned to this article to see how this story ends!

But for now, this has been my favorite project I've worked on so far. So much so that I've made it the top post on my portfolio section. Before I fell in love with design and psychology, I had a passion for biology and chemistry. This project has been my opportunity to merge both these worlds, and I am grateful to the people at Algene for giving me this opportunity.

Again, this project is only 95% percent completed, but I still have plans for how to best put the finishing touches on it before launch. Experimenting with more styles in an "A/B Testing" format would be ideal, but I don't think we have the time or resources to do that with me being the sole freelance designer on the team.

Still, more usability testing, research, and analytics would uncover additional pain points and lead us to make better design decisions. Before launch, I would like to do one more survey based on users we've already surveyed and ask their open-ended opinions of the product so far. 90% of our users surveyed said they were interested in the project, and 100% said they were willing to try it. We've yet to take advantage of those statistics, and we would be remiss not to do so before the product launch.

This project taught me a lot about working directly with users and with small, start-up-sized teams. The lessons I learned here are ones that I'm sure I'll take with me for the rest of my design career.