The ideas for the new design were developed and tested through extensive interactions with users, including one to one sessions, testing sessions of design mock ups and web-based questionnaires. Questions investigated preferences between alternative overall layouts (e.g. use of tabs/left hand menu bars) as well as detailed behaviour such as the preference for a consistent name for the protein product of transcript (translation, peptide, protein). The results of these surveys have led to a design which is user driven and was significantly different from the one we had initially planned. We will be maintaining a user panel to help in guiding interface development.
