The challenge they faced:
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard's genomics platform needed to work for three very different user groups: researchers, data owners, and software developers. Their funding depended on proving the platform could actually serve all these users effectively—not an easy task when each group had completely different needs.
Our approach:
We researched each user group—researchers, data owners, and developers—and uncovered a critical gap: wet lab scientists who wanted to run analysis but couldn't build computational workflows themselves. Designing for this overlooked segment, not just power users, became central to proving the platform could achieve broad adoption.
The business impact:
- Built a platform that actually worked for researchers, data owners, and developers
- Set up the foundation for genomics research to expand worldwide
- Secured millions in funding because investors saw how they could benefit from an experience that benefited all of the personas
