Scifree

The Dynamica tool uses automation to give researchers full control over publishing, reviewing, and reading, while ensuring integrity and transparency. This streamlined approach is called the SciFree process.

Dynamica supports key functions like submitting, peer-reviewing, publishing, sharing, and reading academic content. It relies on three main user roles:

• Author: handles publishing.

• Reviewer: manages peer reviews.

• Reader: consumes and engages with content.

Users can easily switch between one or multiple roles within this flexible framework.

The product owner herself was an active researcher, deeply embedded in the research community, offering invaluable insights into user behaviours and needs. So through different iterations of interviews we dug deep to define user personas for the Roles.

Mapping out the user journeys across different roles led to an affinity diagram that outlines pain points and their opportunities for improvement. Collaborating with the product owner, stakeholders, and the development team, we prioritised foundational features like dashboards fro each userRole: manuscript submission wizard for Authors, Reviewers status control, recommendations by keywords for Readers etc.

Structuring the information architecture always helps to understand how the main features are arranged in a user-centric layout, catering to the needs and functionalities of authors, reviewers, and readers roles. During the next iterations, we actively used visuals as our foundation.

After finalizing user flows and information architecture, we moved to prototypes for key pages and processes. Inspired by their potential, I created a clean, minimal stylescape to promote safety and predictability, avoiding overwhelming colors.

The old lightbulb logo, symbolizing innovation, lacked recognition. To refresh the brand, I designed a new minimalist logo: "SciFree" with an ocean-inspired wave pattern, reflecting Open Access and its possibilities. This pattern extended to branding materials and the design system, creating a cohesive visual identity.

After defining the styles, I moved on to creating prototypes and mock-ups. These initial versions displayed the interface functionality and layout. Through multiple iterations based on user feedback and usability testing, these prototypes evolved into detailed mock-ups.

Researcher-as-user-centric design concept prioritises researchers' needs and behaviours in design processes. It involves understanding their workflows, preferences, and challenges through research and creating detailed personas. The focus was on making tools efficient, improving communication during peer review, ensuring easy access to research content, and continuously refining designs based on feedback.

I’ve learnt to create impactful solutions that simplify tasks and enhance researchers experiences in academia.

Dynamica’s success is seen in faster reviews, clearer communication, and easier access to diverse research. It’s a tool that’s making a real difference in academia.