Life Sciences research and development involves intricate processes conducted within a framework of extensive data, specialized technology, and regulated procedures. The complexities and risks associated with these tasks often result in iterative, slow, and costly operations. To expedite the innovation of safe and efficient treatments, Life Sciences organizations must overcome these challenges and enhance their pace. The adoption of Design Thinking methodology can revolutionize the approach, streamlining the processes involved in developing new treatments and significantly reducing time-to-market.
By providing user-friendly access to sophisticated analytics tools, such as ChatGPT, the rate of adoption can increase exponentially. For instance, ChatGPT reached 100 million users within just two months, setting a new standard for digital acceptance. While delivering easily accessible analytical services poses challenges, emphasizing accessibility is crucial for unlocking the value embedded in diverse data and processes.
Design Thinking, a problem-solving technique that prioritizes human needs and experiences, lies at the core of this transformative approach. It addresses complex issues by generating user-centric and empathetic solutions, thereby expediting the innovation process. Many Life Sciences entities are turning to Design Thinking to craft comprehensive digital experiences tailored to meet the unique requirements of scientists and researchers engaging with data. Collaborating with users and giving them the final say ensures that solutions seamlessly integrate into their business workflows, surpassing expectations.
This approach facilitates digital transformation, enhancing user experiences in their day-to-day tasks. By adopting a user-led strategy, organizations can discern scientists’ objectives, comprehend existing processes and challenges, and identify the necessary data to support their goals. This enables the design of solutions and intelligent workflows that complement scientists’ analytics-driven activities and decision-making processes harmoniously.
Design Thinking Approach
Operating at the convergence of strategy, creativity, and technology, we assist clients in digitally reinventing their businesses. Through innovative, research-oriented solutions, we have successfully tackled complex challenges by reimagining design practices across various industries, including Life Sciences.
To integrate user-centered design with technical development, we have pioneered the IBM Garage approach. By merging IBM Design Thinking with Science and Research, we have crafted user-centric data and technology transformations that prioritize scientists at the core of every solution.
Although Design Thinking may be unfamiliar to some clients, our expertise enables us to apply this methodology with scientific stakeholders effectively, delivering value faster than expected. Leveraging our profound industry knowledge, we adeptly translate and prioritize clinical requirements and workflows to enhance experiences and optimize scientific outcomes swiftly. Embracing new approaches in a dynamic manner is both empowering and invigorating.
Examples of Design Thinking in Life Sciences:
Genomics Organization
IBM collaborated as a delivery partner to develop an innovative portal supporting cancer diagnosis. By assembling a diverse team with expertise in science, genomics, agile methodologies, design thinking, and AWS cloud, we co-designed and built a cutting-edge system for whole genome sequence analysis. This system enhances clinical user experience, accelerates cancer diagnosis, and establishes a secure, flexible model for the future.
Our approach aligns with three core principles:
- Value-based: Prioritizing solutions linked to user benefits
- User-experience: Implementing technologies for swift clinical diagnosis support
- Secure: Emphasizing data security, governance, and resilience on an open cloud platform
This solution features a user-friendly front-end design consolidating five clinical screens into one, reducing cognitive load and enabling users to focus on clinical decisions efficiently. With APIs facilitating data filtering and aggregation, the platform ensures high performance on an AWS cloud infrastructure.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer shared, “This collaboration exemplifies how blended teams can elegantly and responsively address user needs, benefiting clinical colleagues and enhancing patient care and lab efficiency.”
Leading Foundation Trust
A prominent teaching hospital pioneering genomic medicine in the UK partnered with us to develop a digital genomics management service. Through user-centered design methodologies and close collaboration with clinicians and researchers, the MVP release of this service will expedite treatment for over 5 million individuals. This platform streamlines genomic patient record management and lays the groundwork for data science and machine learning to accelerate multidisciplinary patient reviews, leading to quicker diagnoses.
Clinical Teams
Engaged in projects with a leading Clinical Unit, we integrated design thinking practices to enhance business and user outcomes. By employing service design, we reimagined the future-state employee and clinical trial volunteer experience, streamlining recruitment processes for Phase 1 clinical trials. This initiative resulted in a future-state blueprint and a capability model supported by a value-driven roadmap, guiding the unit’s digital transformation towards an enhanced end-to-end clinical trial volunteer and employee experience.