CLIENT OmniAb | ROLE Industrial Design Lead | TIMELINE 2023-2026 | DESIGN CONTEXT Lathrop Product Development
xPloration System : Integrated Laboratory Instrument and Mobile Workstation | OmniAb’s xPloration platform brings together a benchtop instrument, purpose-built mobile workstation, and supporting product ecosystem. Over a multi-year program, I led the industrial design development of the system, translating complex laboratory workflows into a cohesive and approachable user experience.
Shaping the Instrument | Early concepts reduced the visual mass of the large benchtop enclosure through proportion, surface transitions, and component segmentation. The primary access area became the focal point for the evolving form language. Sketch rendering and CAD resolved proportion, surface relationships, and enclosure segmentation around the existing internal architecture, establishing the design for the full-scale prototype.
Expanding into a Mobile Lab | The program expanded into a purpose-built mobile workstation integrating the instrument, operator interface, computing hardware, and storage into a self-contained laboratory system.
Designing Around the Operator | Anthropometric studies informed reach, viewing angles, and operating heights for both standing touchscreen interaction and seated keyboard-and-mouse tasks.
Defining the Workstation Architecture | To evaluate the system before finalizing the workstation architecture, I fabricated a full-scale, adjustable-height cart capable of supporting the approximately 300-pound instrument. The mockup incorporated an adjustable worksurface and handle, a fully articulating monitor arm with keyboard tray, and a large touchscreen to simulate the primary operating positions. I presented the mockup to the client and facilitated a hands-on evaluation with eight participants, gathering feedback on system height, reach, viewing angles, standing touchscreen use, and seated keyboard-and-mouse interaction. The findings informed the final system height, interaction zones, and workstation layout, including the placement of the instrument, computing hardware, UPS, consumables storage, and operator interface.
Refining the Workstation | With the system architecture established, the workstation was refined through sketch development and CAD, resolving the enclosure, storage, operator-interface supports, work surface, and supporting components.
Building the Integrated System | The instrument, purpose-built workstation, computing hardware, storage, and articulating operator interface were brought together as a self-contained mobile laboratory designed to move and operate as one integrated system.
