DESIGN THINKING for Visualizing Acid-Base Chemistry - Documenting a user-centered approach for designing and developing an ADA compliant online tool for visualizing acid-base chemistry

This project created an online tool, that we call “The pkAnalyzer”. It enables the exploration of acid-conjugate base distributions in an easy to use Web interface. This project is also an example of the disciplines of Arts and Design into the STEM sciences, i.e. STEM to STEAM, and University Libraries commitment to faculty, students, and staff throughout the Virginia Tech system, in the areas of data visualization and design services to aid in the research process and communication of results.

Beyond the functionality of the tool, this project involved the planning and designing a custom, modifiable, and attractive user interface (UI) and visualization that are "user-friendly", and incorporate the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and falls with the Federal Governement’s Section 508 guidelines pertaining to creating and maintaining information and communications technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities relating to vision.

Using a "Design Thinking" approach, all aspects of the design of this tool – User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX), Interaction Design (IxD), Graphic – were taken into account, and developed to enhance the user's experience using the tool, and undertanding of a complex chemical concept that is widely used in the basic and applied sciences and engineering.