Played a key role in developing a unified SaaS platform for Cayuse, focused on streamlining research management for scientists and universities. The work spanned multiple products across the research lifecycle—from grant proposals to lab execution—aimed at improving usability and aligning new acquisitions to brand standards.
Introduction
Cayuse sought to streamline how scientists and research institutions manage complex data across the research lifecycle. Alongside improving usability, the company was integrating newly acquired products that required alignment with brand and UX.
Problem
Focus was on unifying the Cayuse product ecosystem through a consistent, user-centered design strategy. Work spanned from early discovery to final interface delivery, ensuring all touchpoints aligned with business objectives and user expectations.
- Customer Advisory Boards: Direct input from researchers shaped strategic direction. Advisory board sessions surfaced key needs and pain points, informing design priorities and feature development.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close coordination with UX, product, and engineering teams supported a cohesive experience across multiple applications, balancing usability with technical feasibility.
- Design System Development: Cayuse's existing design system was expanded to support legacy products and newly integrated acquisitions. This ensured scalability, brand consistency, and faster production cycles across teams.
- Technology Integration: We worked closely with engineering teams to scope requirements and select technology components, reducing redundancy and speeding up development.
- Prototyping and Testing: Interactive wireframes and prototypes allowed teams to validate functionality and flow early, minimizing risk and aligning expectations.
- Workshops and Alignment Sessions: Cross-departmental design workshops facilitated rapid iteration, shared ownership, and alignment around user and business goals.
- Interface Designs: Final design work translated strategic insights into polished, intuitive interfaces supporting research workflows and organizational requirements.
Process
Through focused collaboration, several different products at Cayuse saw much-needed improvement. Working with customers, designers, and stakeholders, we improved design systems and maintained the highest brand standards. The end result were products that improved collaboration, and simplified work across the entire research lifecycle.
Result
By collaborating closely with customers, designers, and stakeholders, we delivered key product improvements at Cayuse.
- Improved Science Outcomes: The SaaS suite designed for Cayuse profoundly impacts the scientific community and leading academic institutions, providing scientists and universities with powerful tools to streamline their data management.
- Unified Branding: A significant challenge at Cayuse involved ensuring that existing and newly acquired applications represented a unified ecosystem.