CASE STUDY

05

Genome sequencing portfolio

Close-up of illumina iScan sequencer and product portfolio
Close-up of illumina iScan sequencer and product portfolio

SHAPING ILLUMINA’S WORLD-CLASS GENOME SEQUENCING PORTFOLIO

Can one bold design set the gold standard for a decade?

One design unified 12+ platforms—driving adoption and brand loyalty in labs worldwide.

The iScan DNA sequencer set a new gold standard, shaping the genomics industry for the decade to come—streamlining workflows, improving lab interaction, and giving Illumina a bold visual identity. That success led to a decade-long collaboration with the CEO to evolve a distinct design language that scaled across the entire sequencing portfolio, establishing illumina as the global leader in genomic sequencing.

The result: Increased throughput, faster adoption, and 90% global market share.

THE IMPACT

10-Year

Exclusive design partnership with Illumina's CEO
Defined a unified visual brand language applied across 12+ platforms and products—sustained 80%+ global market share and category leadership

73%

Reduction in user error
Guided workflows and intuitive interaction design enabled confident use in high-stakes lab environments

100+

Countries with Illumina systems
Intuitive UX and modular design accelerated global adoption of Next Gen Sequencing—democratizing research and clinical access globally

A lineup of various Illumina DNA sequencing machines from 2008 to 2017, showing the evolution of the technology and design language
Illumina's iscan easy disassembly feature needing only one bolt to unscrew to maintain and service
Illumina's iSeq 100 affordable pocket sequencer offers robustness and reliability for a broad range of applications
Several Illumina NovaSeq 6 genome sequencers in lab
Easy and accessible flow cell handling and insertion for Illumina NovaSeq 6 genome sequencer
Looking under the hood of Illumina NovaSeq 6 genome's sequencer with neatly organized and stored buffers and waste containers, used for DNA sequencing or genomic analysis.

MY ROLE

I created and evolved Illumina’s visual brand language and UX—defining the Design DNA of a unified portfolio and leading teams from concept to launch

  • Partnered directly with the CEO for 10 years, aligning R&D, engineering, and marketing around a unified design vision

  • Led original design direction and industrial design—improving lab interaction and transforming complex workflows into intuitive, error-reducing user experiences

  • Created a scalable Experiential Brand Language (XBL)—enabling design and client teams to align quickly and apply it consistently to diverse form factors

  • Led design and engineering teams over a decade—guiding the evolution of hardware, consumables, workflows, and serviceability across Illumina’s sequencing platforms

GOOD DESIGN Award

Good design award for Illumina's iScan DNA sequencer

For Illumina iScan system

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DEEP DIVE:

   Designing the DNA of a global brand

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