BioLink Depot logo with a green hexagon containing a stylized lowercase 'b' and 'd', and the text 'BIO LINK DEPOT' next to it.

Research Process

My Process

My curiosity to find more about Biolink Depot, takes me to learn with my team the main frictions in the website.

We conducted:

  • Heuristic focus in main steps to make a donation.

  • Competition Analisis to learn from other business best practice.

  • Field Study to learn about the logistic of pick up and getting valuable insights.

  • survey to measure usage and find more user needs

Heuristic study

Our team decided to conduct a Heuristic Evaluation to discover the present frictions:

  •   Biolink steps for donation are no clear: must wanted items, what not to donated.

  •   Flows and navigation: flows are confusing leading users to leave the page early

  •   Biolink visuals and content: stretch out images and blur content.

A website audit of the BioLink Site titled 'BioLink Site Audit' created by Jeffen Mok. The site is about donating science supplies to schools, with a green header that says 'Bio-Link Depot' and 'Donating Science Supplies to Schools.' The main content includes images of people volunteering, a mission statement, sections with cluttered logos, a navigation bar at the top with no contrast, and a layout with comments on reworking the design, improving contrast, and organization of content.
Screenshot of a multi-section webpage titled 'BioLink Site Audit'. The page includes sections on Testimonials, FAQ for Donors, Open House Ground Rules, Chemical Exchange Network, How Educators Use the Depot, and Volunteer in NorCal. There are headings in green, text blocks, a video thumbnail, and annotations in pink commenting on the page design, hierarchy, and layout issues.
Annotated screenshot of a website audit for BioLink Depot including notes on website layout, design issues, and suggested improvements. The screenshot shows a green website header with a search bar, breadcrumb navigation, donation information, and mailing address, with handwritten notes in pink, blue, and purple giving feedback on the site's design and hierarchy.
A webpage displaying a site audit report for BioLink. It includes images of staff members, a menu with sections like Acknowledgments and About Us, and an area for news stories and videos. Notes indicate the importance of the 'about and find us' section, with suggestions for navigation improvements and alternative video links.

Competition Analisys

Our research indicates that Bio-Link Depot is the only non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to donating lab supplies specifically to educators and students. This creates a unique opportunity to explore other organizations with related missions.

Comparison chart of MedShare and Biolink websites showing logos, color palettes, landing pages, and donation pages, with descriptions of their design and functionality.

Field Study

Field Study Overview

•Objective: To understand the logistics of donation pickups and user interactions.

•Experience: I joined the Biolink crew for a donor pickup, observing the entire process and engaging with donors and drivers.

Findings

  1. Donors struggled to select appropriate items for pickup.

  2. Many donations included broken or outdated supplies.

  3. Drivers faced inefficiencies, such as wasted trips due to oversized or unnecessary items. steps are different between pick ups and drive instructions.

A young man with short hair, glasses, and a beard holding two empty glass laboratory flasks inside a workshop or laboratory. He is wearing a white T-shirt with a name tag that reads 'Elias' and has a smile on his face.
Man smiling at camera while holding a box of colorful balloons and orange paper decorations in a warehouse or storage room.
A man loading a large box into the back of a black hatchback car parked outside a building.

Survey

I decided to conduct a survey to measure usage and find more user needs

Findings

  • Donations were more likely in desktop mode

  • Users used a desktop to order tickets for upcoming open houses.

  • The website was not used for looking for specific lab supplies.

  • People wanted to test the equipment and reserve it before the open house

  • Users found it difficult to understand Biolink’s procedure for picking up items from donors and what items will be available at the open house.

Survey results report for Biolink Depot showing data on open house events, website usage, and social media preferences with charts and comments.

Design Process

Hand-drawn website wireframes for a donation platform, illustrating pages for giving, receiving, volunteering, and learning more, with annotations and layout sketches.

Low fidelity wire frames

Medium fidelity wire frames

A four-panel web page layout for a nonprofit organization shows donation steps and information about lab equipment donations, a receive section with open house details, an Oakland/Foothill event page with schedule and registration, and a community event page with photos, impact statistics, testimonials, and sponsor acknowledgments.

Branding

Flowchart of logo branding process for Bio Link Depot, including logos, color palette, and volunteer information.
A laptop screen displaying a website for Bio-Link Depot with two scientists in lab coats working with test tubes and lab supplies.