SFBIO’s Chemist Lab Software

In Silicon Valley, innovation often happens quietly behind laboratory doors most people never see.

Complex experiments. Sensitive hardware. Precision workflows. High-stakes environments where small mistakes can have enormous consequences.

That was the world behind this project.

A group of forward-thinking American chemists at SFBIO approached Xfiner with a highly specialized challenge:

Design laboratory software capable of simplifying and supporting extremely complex chemical workflows while integrating directly with advanced lab hardware.

The software would run on large 24-inch touch displays inside active laboratory environments and needed to feel both technically sophisticated and exceptionally intuitive to use.

The challenge

Scientific software often suffers from a painful tradeoff:

Powerful functionality paired with terrible usability.

In laboratory environments, that creates real operational friction.

Chemists do not want to wrestle with interfaces while conducting precision-sensitive work. They need clarity, speed, reliability, and workflows that feel natural under pressure.

This project became one of the most intricate UX/UI challenges Xfiner had undertaken.

The platform needed to:

• Integrate with laboratory hardware
• Support highly specialized workflows
• Operate smoothly on large touch displays
• Handle complex data interactions
• Reduce operational friction
• Maintain precision-focused usability
• Follow the Microsoft Fluent Design System

The interface could not merely look modern.

It had to perform flawlessly in real laboratory conditions.

Designing for scientific precision

Xfiner approached the project with deep attention to usability under operational pressure.

Every interaction needed to feel clear, predictable, and efficient.

By building the experience around the Microsoft Fluent Design System, the software benefited from familiar usability principles and cleaner interaction logic while maintaining a highly professional visual environment.

This helped create an interface that felt approachable despite the underlying technical complexity.

Turning complex workflows into intuitive systems

Laboratory environments contain layers of complexity invisible to outsiders.

The UX challenge was not simplifying the science itself.

It was simplifying how users interact with that science digitally.

Xfiner worked closely with chemists throughout the project to understand:

• Laboratory procedures
• Hardware interaction patterns
• Workflow bottlenecks
• Critical operational sequences
• User behavior under pressure

Those insights shaped an interface designed to reduce friction while improving speed, clarity, and confidence during day-to-day laboratory work.

Touch-first design in demanding environments

Designing for 24-inch touch displays introduced another layer of complexity.

Interfaces needed to remain usable during active lab work where precision, readability, and interaction spacing become especially important.

The design focused heavily on:

• Clear visual hierarchy
• Touch-friendly interaction zones
• Fast workflow navigation
• High readability
• Reduced cognitive overload
• Efficient task progression

The objective was to help chemists focus more on experiments and less on software mechanics.

Built through collaboration and iteration

Projects like this are never solved through assumptions alone.

The software evolved through continuous collaboration, testing, iteration, and refinement between Xfiner and the chemistry teams operating the system.

Every round of feedback improved the platform’s usability and strengthened alignment between digital workflows and real laboratory processes.

The process demanded patience, precision, and constant learning from everyone involved.

The outcome

The final laboratory software platform significantly improved how chemists interacted with both experimental workflows and connected laboratory hardware.

Complex procedures became easier to manage digitally, operational efficiency improved, and laboratory workflows became more structured and intuitive.

Most importantly, the software succeeded in making highly specialized scientific systems feel more usable without compromising precision or capability.

Design beyond consumer products

This project became an important reminder that UX/UI design is not limited to consumer apps or marketing websites.

Some of the most meaningful design challenges exist inside specialized industries where usability directly affects operational performance, accuracy, and real-world outcomes.

For Xfiner, the collaboration with SFBIO stands as one of the clearest examples of how thoughtful interface design can improve even the most technically demanding professional environments.

Services involved

• UX/UI Design
• Laboratory Software Design
• Operational Interface Design
• Touch Interface Design
• Internal Tools
• Automation

Related links

For related context, see Talk to us, European Design Award Silver, AI-powered internal tools and automation, contact us, ICP-led web design, Xfiner showcase, showcase ux ui design, and Xfiner.