Illumina instrument redesign

Restructuring a complex product ecosystem to improve clarity, comparison, and scalability.

Project overview

Role

Product Designer, Developer, Delivery

Skillset

Prototyping, Usability Testing

Tools

Figma, Jira, Confluence, AEM

Team

Project Manager, Designer, Strategist, Engineer, Analyst

Product Design

A more scalable foundation

The instrument section of Illumina showcases high-value sequencing systems, but the existing structure made it difficult for users to compare options or determine the best fit for their needs. I worked with cross-functional teams on a redesign to clarify the experience, improve wayfinding, and create a scalable foundation for current and future products.

View Figma prototype

My contribution

I was the product designer for the Instruments section. I designed the UI, defined page templates, and built core components and early tokens that later fed the design system. I partnered with content, development, QA, and stakeholders to align requirements, validate behavior, and ship a quality release.

The challenge

Unifying a fragmented experience to help users find the right product and improve team alignment.

Creating clarity filled with complexity

The instruments section had evolved without a unified strategy, leading to a disjointed user experience. Visitors struggled to find the right product or understand the differences between systems, and internal teams lacked alignment on structure and purpose. The challenge was creating clarity in a space filled with complexity—both technically and organizationally.

  • 01

    Fragmented structure

    Each product page followed its own format, making it difficult for users to compare or navigate confidently.

  • 02

    No entry point for comparison

    The site lacked a centralized way to explore instruments side by side or by use case.

  • 03

    Competing internal goals

    Marketing prioritized storytelling while users wanted clear, actionable answers, causing misalignment in content priorities.

  • 04

    Dense, technical content

    The complexity of the subject matter made it hard to present information in a way that was both comprehensive and accessible.

The approach

Bringing structure and consistency to help users evaluate instruments with confidence.

A framework for clarity

We created a repeatable model that organized instruments consistently, highlighted differentiators, and clarified next steps. The redesign needed to reduce complexity for users while giving internal teams a structure they could maintain over time. To achieve this, we approached the project by focusing on:

  • Templates

    Defined standardized pages for instrument overview, specifications, applications, and supporting content.

  • Comparison model

    Introduced layouts that allowed instruments to be evaluated side by side with ease.

  • Reusable patterns

    Designed flexible patterns for workflows, content modals, promotions, CTAs, products, and forms.

  • Conversion focus

    Made calls to action—order and speak with a specialist—more prominent and accessible.

The solution

Transforming fragmented pages into a unified section that simplified exploration and action.

From fragmentation to focus

The redesigned instruments section launched as a consistent framework of templates and patterns. Instead of disjointed experiences, users could now explore instruments in a structured way, compare options directly, and take the next step with confidence. The redesign delivered:

  • Templates

    Standardized pages gave every instrument a consistent, predictable structure.

  • Comparisons

    Side-by-side layouts reduced friction in evaluating multiple systems.

  • Pathways

    Prominent calls to order or connect with a specialist turned evaluation into conversion.

The results

Clearer navigation, easier evaluation, and stronger pathways to purchase.

Results achieved

The redesign created measurable improvements in how users explored instruments and how teams managed them. By simplifying page structures, introducing comparison, and clarifying calls to action, the section drove better decision-making and alignment across groups.

  • Easier evaluation We made it easier to evaluate instruments by structuring pages around key differentiators and adding side-by-side comparison, reducing guesswork early in research.
  • Clearer next steps We increased readiness to purchase by making “Order” and “Speak with a specialist” prominent and predictable, turning evaluation into action when interest peaked.
  • Consistent experience We improved consistency across instrument pages by standardizing templates and patterns, helping visitors scan faster and teams keep content aligned.
  • Faster updates We sped up maintenance by using reusable patterns for specs, promos, and forms, so teams could add or update instruments without custom layout work.
  • Scalable foundation We prepared the section to scale by establishing a repeatable model and early tokens, easing future additions and feeding the enterprise design system.

Reflection

Consistency across instruments meant clarity for users and efficiency for teams.

Balancing patterns with storytelling

I learned that having a structured family of instruments created consistency that both users and internal teams could benefit from. We also discovered how to manage complex patterns and tell a clear story, even with highly technical content.

Curious where to go from here?

These are short-form case studies designed for quick reading. I’d be happy to walk through this project in more detail over a quick chat.

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