To comply with a non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted all the confidential information from this project. The details mentioned in this post are my own and do not reflect the views of any company.
“While this pipette is appreciated by users for its comfort and basic pipetting features, the vast majority of those using it don’t take advantage of its connectivity-related functionality.
It’s unclear why this is, considering that this is a differentiator and a major selling feature.” – Product lead
Tested with two main groups:
Finding
Some participants had difficulties in identifying whether the Utility application is running on the computer.
Recommendation
Evaluate including a modal window that shows the pipette connectivity information. This can make the application more visible.
Finding
Most participants assumed that the linking code would be:
1. in the box or manual;
2. a feature under settings on the pipette’s interface;
3. written on the physical pipette; or
4. a product code within the pipette’s interface.
Recommendations
Make the linking code more accessible and visible. Include instructions to find the linking code in the pop-up window asking for it.
Finding
The error “Could not connect to XYZ Cloud” did not provide any diagnostic information to help the participants recover from the error.
Recommendations
Provide a reason why the connection is not working and guide the user with the next steps. Refer to the specific section in the Quick Guide or online help section.
Task 2: Downloading a standard protocol
Finding
Users checked their pipette after downloading protocol in the cloud application. They expected to find a message in the pipette stating that the protocol was downloaded.
Recommendations
Indicate with a message that protocol was downloaded to the cloud. Ask the user if they would like to download the protocol to Pipette.
Finding
Users had issues with the drag and drop feature functionality. They utilized multiple product help methods (quick guide, on-screen help, & application help).
Recommendations
Display a message that tells users to first click on E1-ClipTip Pipette and select the program. If possible, drag and drop should automatically move the protocol into the pipette’s programs.
Task 3: Creating a custom protocol
Finding
From the available program types, users, even professionals, were unsure which program type was appropriate.
Recommendation
Provide additional information such as definition and use case for each program type.
Majority of professional participants valued cloud-connected devices, but some expressed concerns over the security and confidentiality of data.
“I think it would be really interesting to have cloud-connected lab devices. All electronics are moving into the cloud, smart devices at home…”
“I think there are obvious data privacy issues, especially if you are dealing with sensitive samples. Working in the industry, there is probably a lot of data that you would not want to store on the cloud, as you would not want to get scooped on this data, especially for high priority projects.”
After first hearing about the connectivity features, professional participants were enthusiastic about it. If not enthusiastic, participants were curious about it.
“I guess if there were protocols established and if I could upload a protocol and change volumes, that would be convenient. I never considered it.”
After testing, participants were still enthusiastic about the capability, and many professionals participants were able to articulate clearly how it would improve their work.
“Certain protocols are very, very specific, so having it electronically programmed would be really helpful as a quality indicator and to save a lot of time.”