Want to travel back in time? Try using some of the systems still employed in scholarly publishing. Complex interfaces and opaque workflows are the norm. It’s a stark contrast to the intuitive experiences we expect from other everyday platforms, be it your banking app or social media feed.
This isn’t just frustrating for authors, reviewers, and admins. It’s actively getting in the way of high-quality research outputs.
Thankfully, a new wave of digital designers is challenging the status quo. And we’ve brought some of them together for this webinar.
Here’s what they’ll be sharing:
- The modern design principles behind their work.
- How great UX boosts brand reputation and attracts repeat authors.
- Case studies of digital products built with usability top of mind.
Webinar summary
All the speakers brought their own approaches and outlooks, but there was quality they all shared: empathy for users. Scholarly publishing hasn’t embraced user experience at the same pace as other industries, and it’s vital to put ourselves in the user’s shoes (be they authors, reviewers, admins, or other stakeholders) in order to truly embrace digital-first publishing models.
Yen from ChronosHub served as moderator and kicked things off by introducing the topic. She addressed a misconception that’s still surprisingly common within the industry; that design just acts as window dressing. Nothing could be further from the truth. As Yen shared, study after study has shown that design plays a strategic role in improving user journeys and operational efficiencies.
She introduced ChronosHub’s five design principles:
- Understanding user and customer needs
- Applying familiar digital logic
- Enhancing interface affordance
- Maintaining coherence
- Expressing brand identity
These principles simplify user interactions without compromising the inherent intricacies of scholarly publishing workflows.
Next up was Marjorie from ChronosHub. She described our design methodology, which combines Design Thinking and Lean UX. She illustrated this with the redesign of a notoriously confusing process: the author billing flow. At the heart of this redesign was using standard checkout conventions, which we all recognize from ecommerce experiences elsewhere on the web (order summary on the right, field for voucher codes, etc.).
Arun from Kriyadocs zoomed out to present a framework that distinguishes UX (anticipation, anxiety, assurance) from UI (actions, anatomy, appearance). He also stressed the value of external input into designs; at Kriyadocs, they employ both stakeholder interviews and user advisory boards.
Lastly, Autumne from American Chemical Society (ACS) presented a specific case study. Her team identified a big paint point for authors, the creation of README files. To guide them through the process, ACS introduced a markdown inline editor with placeholder text.
The webinar concluded with an audience Q&A, including questions about consistency vs. flexibility and the value of quick, minor improvements over more lengthy design projects.
Speakers
Moderator
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November 18, 2025
