Home
About me
Contacts
Ketcher
About Project
Ketcher is an open-source chemical structure editor used by researchers and pharmaceutical companies. EPAM created it to make scientists work easier, users just can draw a formula from scratch, load it from a file or import it from a picture.
- Used by pharmaceutical companies
- Global research audience: scientists, chemists, engineers
- Open-source chemical editor used in drug R&D, contributed to COVID-19 cure project
(Jul 2021 - Aug 2021)
Problem
The tool had grown organically over time and lacked a clear UX structure, leading to usability issues:
- Complex interface with non-intuitive controls
- Poor discoverability of key functions
- No clear documentation or onboarding
- Inconsistent user experience across browsers and devices
Goal
Redesign the Ketcher interface to:
- Make it easier for scientists to draw, edit, and export chemical structures
- Improve navigation and reduce errors in usage
- Ensure compatibility across modern browsers
- Retain scientific precision while improving accessibility
Domain: Life Sciences
Length: 1 month
Team: 2 Researcher & Design team
Role: Researcher
What I did as UX Researcher
- Conducted interviews with internal chemists and external open-source users
- Analyzed the information and researched key barriers, pain points, and user needs
- Explored pain points through recorded screen sessions and GitHub issue history
- Competitive analysis of structure editors (Marvin, ChemDraw, BKChem)
- Focused on task flows for: creating molecules, editing bonds, and exporting data
Additionally, as a UI Designer, I provided support to the UI design team by assisting with the design of the UI Kit and creating visually appealing presentation designs.
Key insight: Most users only use 10–20% of the available tools — but can’t find them quickly.
Part of a presentation about research
Part of a insights about research
achievements
During the project, I interviewed students, professors, and scientists, leading us to discover Poster's MoonShot project. They have been used Ketcher to develop COVID-19 cure. The MoonShot project aimed to find a cost-effective formula for mass production, making the drug more affordable. The drug was not patented, enabling any pharmaceutical company to utilize and release it globally.
And our team developed a new and user-friendly design to support this important efforts!
results
- Reduction in task time (e.g. drawing and exporting) by ~30% in internal testing
- Positive feedback from contributors: “This makes onboarding so much easier”
- The new UI is now featured as the default demo in EPAM Life Sciences Open Source
Before
Renewed design / After
Home
About me
Contacts
Ketcher
About Project
Ketcher is an open-source chemical structure editor used by researchers and pharmaceutical companies. EPAM created it to make scientists work easier, users just can draw a formula from scratch, load it from a file or import it from a picture.
- Used by pharmaceutical companies
- Global research audience: scientists, chemists, engineers
- Open-source chemical editor used in drug R&D, contributed to COVID-19 cure project
(Jul 2021 - Aug 2021)
Problem
The tool had grown organically over time and lacked a clear UX structure, leading to usability issues:
- Complex interface with non-intuitive controls
- Poor discoverability of key functions
- No clear documentation or onboarding
- Inconsistent user experience across browsers and devices
Goal
Redesign the Ketcher interface to:
- Make it easier for scientists to draw, edit, and export chemical structures
- Improve navigation and reduce errors in usage
- Ensure compatibility across modern browsers
- Retain scientific precision while improving accessibility
Domain: Life Sciences
Length: 1 month
Team: 2 Researcher & Design team
Role: Researcher
What I did as UX Researcher
- Conducted interviews with internal chemists and external open-source users
- Analyzed the information and researched key barriers, pain points, and user needs
- Explored pain points through recorded screen sessions and GitHub issue history
- Competitive analysis of structure editors (Marvin, ChemDraw, BKChem)
- Focused on task flows for: creating molecules, editing bonds, and exporting data
Additionally, as a UI Designer, I provided support to the UI design team by assisting with the design of the UI Kit and creating visually appealing presentation designs.
Key insight: Most users only use 10–20% of the available tools — but can’t find them quickly.
Part of a presentation about research
Part of a insights about research
achievements
During the project, I interviewed students, professors, and scientists, leading us to discover Poster's MoonShot project. They have been used Ketcher to develop COVID-19 cure. The MoonShot project aimed to find a cost-effective formula for mass production, making the drug more affordable. The drug was not patented, enabling any pharmaceutical company to utilize and release it globally.
And our team developed a new and user-friendly design to support this important efforts!
results
- Reduction in task time (e.g. drawing and exporting) by ~30% in internal testing
- Positive feedback from contributors: “This makes onboarding so much easier”
- The new UI is now featured as the default demo in EPAM Life Sciences Open Source
Before
Renewed design / After
Home
About me
Contacts
Ketcher
About Project
Ketcher is an open-source chemical structure editor used by researchers and pharmaceutical companies. EPAM created it to make scientists work easier, users just can draw a formula from scratch, load it from a file or import it from a picture.
- Used by pharmaceutical companies
- Global research audience: scientists, chemists, engineers
- Open-source chemical editor used in drug R&D, contributed to COVID-19 cure project
(Jul 2021 - Aug 2021)
Ketcher Demo
Epam Life Sciences Open Source
Problem
The tool had grown organically over time and lacked a clear UX structure, leading to usability issues:
- Complex interface with non-intuitive controls
- Poor discoverability of key functions
- No clear documentation or onboarding
- Inconsistent user experience across browsers and devices
Goal
Redesign the Ketcher interface to:
- Make it easier for scientists to draw, edit, and export chemical structures
- Improve navigation and reduce errors in usage
- Ensure compatibility across modern browsers
- Retain scientific precision while improving accessibility
Domain: Life Sciences
Length: 1 month
Team: 2 Researcher & Design team
Role: Researcher
What I did as UX Researcher
- Conducted interviews with internal chemists and external open-source users
- Analyzed the information and researched key barriers, pain points, and user needs
- Explored pain points through recorded screen sessions and GitHub issue history
- Competitive analysis of structure editors (Marvin, ChemDraw, BKChem)
- Focused on task flows for: creating molecules, editing bonds, and exporting data
Additionally, as a UI Designer, I provided support to the UI design team by assisting with the design of the UI Kit and creating visually appealing presentation designs.
Key insight: Most users only use 10–20% of the available tools — but can’t find them quickly.
Part of a presentation about research
Part of a insights about research
achievements
During the project, I interviewed students, professors, and scientists, leading us to discover Poster's MoonShot project. They have been used Ketcher to develop COVID-19 cure. The MoonShot project aimed to find a cost-effective formula for mass production, making the drug more affordable. The drug was not patented, enabling any pharmaceutical company to utilize and release it globally.
And our team developed a new and user-friendly design to support this important efforts!
results
- Reduction in task time (e.g. drawing and exporting) by ~30% in internal testing
- Positive feedback from contributors: “This makes onboarding so much easier”
- The new UI is now featured as the default demo in EPAM Life Sciences Open Source
Old design / Before
Renewed design / After