Revolutionizing Customer Experience through Discovery and Design at NCBI

Overview

During my tenure as the VP of Strategic Design at agencyQ, I spearheaded a transformative project in partnership with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine within NIH. Our goal was to enhance customer experience (CX) by streamlining information access for scientists, doctors, and researchers. This project required a comprehensive approach that integrated human-centered design, design thinking, Lean principles, and agile development.

Client Background

NCBI, an NIH entity, aimed to improve CX for their users seeking critical scientific and medical information. The challenge lay in transforming their digital strategy and enhancing user satisfaction across a vast range of users.

Challenges and Objectives

1. Outdated CX Processes: Outdated processes and limited bandwidth negatively impacted user satisfaction and data submissions to NCBI's PubMed, the largest library of medical research.

2. Effective Marketing Strategy: The Medical Genetics Group (MGG) within NCBI sought to develop a cohesive marketing strategy for events and user engagement, reaching their target audiences more effectively.

Discovery and Design Approach

Through a multifaceted approach, our case study showcases how we tackled the challenges presented by NCBI's diverse user base. We initiated intensive discovery sessions and user research to gain deep insights into their unique pain points and needs. This knowledge laid the foundation for our persona development and journey maps, guiding our design decisions towards user-centric solutions.

To ensure a seamless design process, we leveraged design sprints and rapid prototyping, allowing us to iteratively develop and validate design concepts. Simultaneously, a comprehensive content strategy was devised to streamline data submission processes and enhance the overall user experience.

Our meticulous approach extended to UX/UI design and front-end development, resulting in an intuitive, user-friendly submissions portal. Lastly, in collaboration with MGG, we crafted a comprehensive marketing strategy that spanned digital, print, and video resources, ensuring effective user engagement throughout the project.

Solution and Impact

For the Submissions Portal, agencyQ's UX exercises led to the creation of intuitive workflows that drastically improved user experience, leading to higher submission success rates. The portal's redesign and rebuild centered around user needs and pain points, resulting in a more efficient process.

Working with MGG, we reimagined their marketing strategy, leveraging existing resources, and creating informative collateral pieces. This strategy enhanced engagement and event attendance.

Results and Achievements

1. Qualitative Improvements: The submissions portal redesign improved user experience, reducing the burden on NCBI's helpdesk and facilitating higher submission success rates.

2. Enhanced Marketing: The cohesive marketing strategy created for MGG led to more effective engagement and outreach, aligning with their objectives.

3. Long-Term Impact: The rigorous sprint reviews and feedback processes implemented by agencyQ ensured that progress consistently aligned with NCBI's objectives and NIH's mission.

Conclusion

As the VP of Strategic Design at agencyQ, I successfully led the transformative project at NCBI, resulting in enhanced CX and improved data submission processes. The collaborative approach merged discovery and design methodologies, contributing to NCBI's overarching mission to improve accessibility and satisfaction for users seeking critical scientific and medical information.