The challenge

Designing for a research-led environment

Research projects often involve specific workflows and information requirements. The challenge was to explore an interface that could support the needs of an internal application while making the experience clear, structured and straightforward to use.

The design needed to consider how information and functionality could be organised within an interface, creating a considered starting point for a tool supporting the wider study.

The design approach

Exploring different directions

I explored multiple design directions for the application, developing two interface versions to investigate different approaches to the layout, visual hierarchy and overall experience.

Alongside the digital designs, I developed sketches to explore ideas and work through the interface concept.

This iterative approach provided an opportunity to examine alternative solutions before settling on a final direction, using visual exploration to shape the proposed experience.

The interface

From initial sketches to digital concepts

Version 1 — Establishing the direction

The first design explored an approach to the app’s interface, establishing a visual foundation for the experience and the organisation of its key elements.

Version 2 — Exploring alternatives

A second design direction explored another approach to the interface, allowing different visual and structural decisions to be considered.

Design sketches — Exploring ideas

Initial sketches formed part of the design exploration, providing a space to develop and evaluate ideas before translating them into digital interfaces.

The outcome

A visual exploration of a research application

The project resulted in two app design concepts and supporting sketches for an internal application connected to the King’s College London pollution study.

Together, these explorations demonstrate an iterative approach to interface design. Moving from early ideas to developed digital concepts and considering different ways to structure a user experience around a specific project context.

The takeaway: Effective interface design starts with exploration. By developing and comparing different design directions, it becomes possible to examine how layout, hierarchy and visual decisions shape the experience of a digital product.