Human-Centered Science Support: Redesigning the ThermoFisher CSC Experience
Crafting a Unified, Scalable, and Intelligent Service Ecosystem
Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Customer Service Center (CSC) initiative consolidated multiple support systems into a unified digital platform, enabling customers to manage devices, request support, and access knowledge from one seamless interface.
The redesign aimed to reduce friction across the customer journey while improving self-service efficiency and operational scalability. By simplifying interactions and centralizing resources, the experience empowered users to resolve issues faster, with fewer support requests and greater satisfaction.
Design a Unified Dashboard
Create a centralized platform that consolidates every customer interaction — from device management and support tracking to service history and knowledge resources. The dashboard was designed to reduce cognitive load, streamline workflows, and give users instant visibility into the information that matters most.
Enhance Self-Service Capabilities
Empower users to solve issues independently through expanded self-service tools. Customers can now link devices, submit and track support tickets, and access contextual knowledge — all without escalating to human support. This reduced dependency on CSR channels while improving speed and satisfaction.
Improve Findability and Discoverability
Redefine the information architecture to ensure that specialized users — such as lab managers and scientists — can quickly locate content and tools relevant to their workflows. The revised taxonomy and navigation structure prioritize clarity, context, and user goals across a complex product landscape.
Develop a Scalable Design System
Establish a flexible design framework capable of growing with Thermo Fisher’s evolving digital ecosystem. The modular system enables rapid feature expansion, seamless integration of future technologies, and consistent visual and interaction standards across all product touchpoints.
Designing Unified, Scalable, Intelligent Experiences
The UX workshops for the Thermo Fisher CSC project were integral in driving collaboration, fostering creativity, and aligning the design team with business goals. These workshops were designed using a human-centered approach, with the aim of gathering diverse perspectives and generating innovative solutions that would address user needs and business objectives.
Personas and User Journey Maps
The CSC CX design approach has been informed by learnings derived from interviews with stakeholders and subject matter experts.The Customer Personas and User Journeys currently in development will further inform the strategy and design of the CSC Prototype as it continues to crystalize.
Concept Maps
Within our Concept Mapping exercise, the CX Team observed, organized, and established interconnected relationships between existing platforms, functionality, and targeted MVP Customer Service Center features.
Creative Matrix
"How might we..." statement starters were created based on key themes from several internal stakeholder interviews and utilized to generate features that might be useful to customers within a brand-new post-sale service dashboard view.
Visualizing Value and Opportunities
With our understanding in place, I began formulating the approach for the CSC Dashboard UI. This exercise helped visualize the various content types that would be most valuable to the customer and allowed us to identify key system dependencies and opportunities. I focused on incorporating customer-centric enhancements into the existing Thermo Fisher design and interaction patterns, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience across the platform.
Wireframing
I created low-fidelity wireframes to outline the structure and key elements of the CSC dashboard. These wireframes helped visualize the layout, gather feedback, and ensure the design aligned with user needs and business goals before moving to detailed design.
Rapid-prototyping
I developed interactive prototypes to test the functionality and usability of the design. Using tools like InVision, I refined the prototypes based on user feedback, ensuring the final design was intuitive and met user expectations.
Results
Impactful Outcomes and Lasting Improvements
The Thermo Fisher CSC project led to significant improvements in user experience and business efficiency. After my involvement ended, Thermo Fisher's research confirmed gains in user satisfaction, reduced service requests, and seamless platform integration. The scalable design positioned the company for future growth, aligning with both user needs and business goals for a more efficient and engaging customer service platform.t
27%
Increase in User Satisfaction
20%
Reduction in Customer Service Requests
Seamless Platform Integration
Thermo Fisher's post-project research revealed that enhanced self-service capabilities and intuitive navigation significantly boosted user approval.
Scalable Design Framework
The flexible design allowed Thermo Fisher to easily expand features, supporting future growth and innovation as the company’s needs evolved.
Takeaways
Essential Insights and Learnings
The CSC project highlighted the value of integrating user insights, teamwork, and adaptability into the design process. By focusing on these elements, we successfully created a solution that aligned with both user expectations and business objectives, setting the stage for future growth.
Prioritize User-Centered Design
Deep user research and empathy mapping were essential in addressing real user pain points, leading to a design that genuinely resonates with the end users and enhances their experience.
Effective Cross-Functional Collaboration
Close collaboration between design, development, and business teams ensured that all perspectives were integrated, resulting in a more cohesive and well-rounded solution.
Value of Iterative Prototyping
Regular user testing and feedback loops were crucial in refining the design, allowing for quick adjustments and ensuring the final product met user expectations.
Design for Scalability
By building a flexible design framework, the solution was not only able to meet current needs but was also positioned for easy adaptation and expansion as future demands arose.
