Research in drug development: Developing a user-centered web platform for Euretos

Abstract

This graduation report provides an analysis of the strategic positioning of Euretos and the development of a user-centered web platform for life science researchers. The company analysis and market analysis showed that Euretos has an unique positioning compared to its competitors. The Euretos knowledge platform has a large knowledge database which can be used to accelerate the research process and to better understand the complex mechanisms of diseases. The database size and quality which lead to unique knowledge exploration and expansion combined with the relative low price compared to competitors in the same product form category, gives Euretos a strong positioning. The usability of Euretos knowledge platform offered the opportunity to differentiate from the competitors, while also creating the possibility to appeal to a larger group of users. For increased usability, the main points of improvement are increased level of trust from the user in the shown results, more possibilities for collaboration with other researchers and a intuitive, simple, clear, consistent and predictable user interface.
The relation map tool was one of these essential features with the most user interaction. Therefore the relation map tool was chosen to be further developed for this project. The relation map tool offers researchers to visually construct disease mechanisms in a model. By adding phenotypes, diseases, proteins and other concepts as dots on a canvas and creating links between these dots to represent relations supported by papers, a model is constructed to represent specific mechanisms. The small user test study for user validation indicated that the basic needs of the targeted users were fulfilled. The relation map tool was accepted by the participants as a model exploration and model construction tool. Therefore, it can be said that overall the relation map tool is found to be an appropriate solution to perform research, construct models of disease mechanisms and to collaborate with other researchers.