We kicked off the project with comprehensive user research, including stakeholder interviews, user surveys, and competitive analysis. This helped us understand the evolving needs of the research community (now expanded to include hospital facilities) and identify pain points, as well as industry trends in medical research platforms.

While user research indicated some overlap in needs between universities and hospitals, leadership ultimately directed the development of separate platforms for each audience segment. We respected this decision and created sitemaps, user flows, wireframes, information architecture, and mockups for the new platform.

To improve brand and functional consistency, a new design system with a focus on accessibility was built in tandem with the development of the new sites.

We streamlined database management workflows to optimize data import for backend search functionalities. We also modernized development workflows with tools like Git for version control, Jira and Confluence for project management and documentation, Azure for cloud services, CI/CD pipelines for faster deployments, and agile methodologies for better collaboration.

• New search cards with relevant medical research metrics and new data visualizations. Updated search filters and an intuitive interface specifically designed for medical journals.
• Integrated data on predatory journals and practices
• Upgraded search interface built with Vue and TailwindCSS for a faster and more dynamic user experience.
• Streamlined user management and login systems that included single sign-on, IP authentication, and third party access.
• Journal management fixes to ensure clean and accurate data matching for reliable search results.
• Redesigned marketing sites, branding, and copywriting tailored to the specific needs and focus of each medical research audience.
• Development of blogs, newsletters, and email campaigns tailored to medical research news and product updates.
• Design of conference booth materials, print materials, and merchandise specifically showcasing the new product line.

While the project was a success, it also presented valuable learning opportunities.

• Leadership underestimated project complexity, leading to reprioritization and adjustments along the way to hit deadlines and avoid scope creep. Some functionality was temporarily removed until it could later be reintroduced.
• My advocacy for design systems (and some miscommunication) led to its rushed implementation along side too many other projects. A phased rollout, as I originally proposed, could have potentially minimized rework in the long run.
• Early user engagement with the blog content fell short of initial expectations and was later merged back into main channels.
• While separate platforms catered to specific audience needs, some potential customers expressed confusion regarding product offerings and similar metrics. Maintaining consistency across separate platforms (websites and branding) also required ongoing effort which led us to propose a more unified approach later.