Viva Cyte by Livia Stevenin Transforms How Biotech Companies Develop Cell Therapies

Exploring How Award Winning User Experience Design Enables Biotechnology Enterprises to Optimize Complex Research Workflows and Accelerate Therapeutic Innovation

Have you ever wondered what happens when a biotechnology company needs software that can elegantly orchestrate thousands of simultaneous cellular experiments while remaining genuinely pleasant to use? The question itself reveals one of the most fascinating challenges in contemporary interface design: creating digital tools for environments where a single misclick could invalidate weeks of painstaking research. The world of cell therapy development embodies this challenge, a realm of extraordinary scientific complexity meeting the very human need for intuitive, forgiving software interfaces.

Cell therapy represents one of the most promising frontiers in modern medicine, offering potential treatments for conditions ranging from certain cancers to autoimmune disorders. Yet the journey from laboratory discovery to therapeutic application involves workflows so intricate that even seasoned researchers can find themselves wrestling with unwieldy systems that seem designed by engineers who never met a biologist. Biotechnology enterprises face a peculiar dilemma in the cell therapy space. Organizations need software sophisticated enough to handle genuinely complex scientific processes while remaining accessible enough that researchers can focus on innovation rather than wrestling with confusing menus and cryptic error messages.

The challenge of creating intuitive yet powerful research software is precisely what Viva Cyte addresses. Designed by Livia Stevenin and the team at Buildo for biotechnology company Cellply, the Viva Cyte software platform earned the Silver A' Design Award in Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design for 2025. The recognition acknowledges what many in the biotechnology sector have long suspected: that exceptional interface design can fundamentally transform how enterprises approach complex research workflows. The platform demonstrates that when designers invest deeply in understanding specialized domains, the resulting software can help accelerate entire industries.

The Remarkable Challenge of Designing Software for Life Sciences

Biotechnology enterprises operate in an environment where precision matters enormously. A single experiment might involve tracking hundreds of individual cells, monitoring cellular behavior over extended periods, and extracting meaningful insights from staggering quantities of data. The researchers conducting cell therapy work possess extraordinary expertise in cellular biology, immunology, and related sciences. What researchers rarely possess is patience for software that forces them to think like computer scientists rather than biologists.

The tension between scientific expertise and software usability creates a fascinating design challenge that few industries can match. Research software must accommodate workflows that vary significantly between research teams, institutions, and therapeutic applications. The software must present complex data in ways that support scientific decision-making without overwhelming users with unnecessary information. Research platforms must integrate with physical laboratory equipment while maintaining coherent user experiences across multiple touchpoints. And all of the integration requirements must be met while supporting regulatory compliance standards that govern therapeutic development.

Traditional approaches to enterprise software in the life sciences space often prioritize functionality over usability. The assumption seems to be that researchers will tolerate awkward interfaces because the underlying capabilities justify the learning curve. The functionality-first assumption misses something crucial about how scientific progress actually happens. When researchers spend mental energy navigating confusing software interfaces, they have less cognitive capacity available for the creative thinking that drives breakthrough discoveries. Interface friction becomes innovation friction.

The Viva Cyte platform approaches the usability challenge from a fundamentally different perspective. Rather than asking researchers to adapt their thinking to match the software, the design team invested considerable effort in understanding how researchers actually think and work. The human-centered approach produced something genuinely distinctive: enterprise software that feels intuitive from the first interaction while supporting workflows of remarkable sophistication.

Understanding the Dual-Platform Architecture

One of the most interesting aspects of the Viva Cyte design involves the platform's architectural philosophy. Rather than creating a single monolithic application that attempts to address every need, the team developed two integrated software solutions that work together while serving distinct purposes. The Control Software, designated CSW, handles the launching and management of biological tests. The Analytical Software, designated ASW, focuses on extracting meaningful insights from experimental results.

The separation between control and analysis functions might seem counterintuitive at first. Would a unified platform not be simpler? The answer reveals sophisticated thinking about how research workflows actually unfold. Different phases of cell therapy development involve different mental modes. Setting up experiments requires careful configuration and verification. Analyzing results requires exploratory thinking and pattern recognition. The different phases of research benefit from interfaces optimized for their specific requirements rather than compromised by the need to serve multiple purposes simultaneously.

The integration between the Control Software and Analytical Software platforms means that researchers experience a cohesive workflow despite the architectural separation. Data flows seamlessly between systems. Visual languages remain consistent. The transition from experiment setup to results analysis feels natural rather than jarring. The modular approach delivers the best of both worlds: specialized tools optimized for specific tasks within a unified experience that supports end-to-end research workflows.

For biotechnology enterprises, the dual-platform architecture offers significant strategic advantages. The modular approach supports scalability as research operations grow. Teams can adopt different components based on their specific needs. The platform can evolve in response to changing requirements without requiring wholesale replacement. Scalability and flexibility considerations matter enormously for organizations making substantial investments in research infrastructure.

The Foundation of Deep User Research

Perhaps the most instructive aspect of the Viva Cyte development process involves the extraordinary investment in understanding users. The design team did not simply interview researchers about their needs and preferences. The designers embedded themselves in laboratory environments, shadowing biologists as they conducted actual research. The team observed the workarounds researchers had developed to compensate for limitations in existing tools. The designers witnessed the moments of frustration and the moments of flow.

The immersive research methodology produced insights that surveys and interviews alone could never capture. The team discovered, for example, that researchers had developed elaborate color-coding systems for tracking different aspects of their work. Rather than imposing a new visual language, the designers incorporated established color-coding conventions into the software interface. The result: researchers could adopt the new platform without abandoning the mental models they had developed over years of practice.

The research extended beyond individual interactions to encompass entire workflows. The team organized User Journey Mapping workshops that brought together biologists and development teams. The collaborative sessions revealed the complete arc of research activities, from initial hypothesis through experimental design, execution, analysis, and interpretation. Understanding the complete research journey allowed the designers to optimize not just individual screens but the overall experience of conducting cell therapy research.

One particularly valuable outcome of the user research involved the identification of common error patterns. Researchers working with complex laboratory equipment often made mistakes during experiment configuration. Configuration errors could invalidate entire experimental runs, wasting time, resources, and sometimes irreplaceable biological materials. The team designed specific features to address configuration error vulnerabilities, including guided setup walkthrough processes and printable reference maps that researchers could consult during critical procedures.

Achieving Simplicity Within Genuine Complexity

The visual design of Viva Cyte embodies a philosophy that might be summarized as "as simple as possible, but no simpler." Cell therapy research generates enormous quantities of data. Experimental configurations involve numerous parameters that must be specified correctly. Analytical processes require sophisticated statistical and visualization capabilities. The challenge was not to hide complexity but to present complex information in ways that support rather than hinder research activities.

The design team addressed the complexity challenge through careful information architecture. Different levels of detail are available at different points in the workflow. Researchers working through routine procedures see streamlined interfaces that highlight the most important decisions. Researchers investigating unusual results or configuring novel experiments can access detailed controls and comprehensive data displays. The progressive disclosure approach helps complexity appear only when users need access to detailed information.

Color plays a crucial role in the visual language of the platform. The designers developed a systematic approach to color coding that aligns with established conventions in laboratory practice. The decision to incorporate established conventions reflects the broader philosophy of meeting users where they are rather than requiring researchers to adopt unfamiliar systems. A researcher glancing at a screen can immediately understand the status of ongoing experiments based on color cues the researcher already recognizes from laboratory work.

Typography and spacing receive similar attention to detail. Research environments often involve extended periods of concentrated work. Eye strain and cognitive fatigue can compromise both productivity and accuracy. The interface uses typefaces and layouts optimized for legibility during sustained use. White space provides visual breathing room that helps users maintain focus without feeling overwhelmed by information density.

Automation That Enhances Human Capability

The Viva Cyte platform incorporates AI-driven automation throughout its functionality. The automation operates on a principle that deserves wider adoption in enterprise software: machines should handle tasks they perform better than humans, freeing humans to focus on tasks where human judgment adds genuine value.

Consider the challenge of experimental monitoring. Cell therapy research often involves experiments that unfold over extended periods. Researchers cannot continuously observe every experimental condition, yet important events may occur at any moment. The platform provides real-time monitoring capabilities that automatically track experimental progress and alert researchers to developments requiring attention. The real-time monitoring automation does not replace researcher oversight; rather, the monitoring functionality extends human attention across a broader range of activities.

Data analysis presents similar opportunities for productive automation. The Analytical Software component extracts biological insights from experimental results using sophisticated computational methods. Rather than requiring researchers to perform complex statistical procedures manually, the platform handles statistical calculations automatically while presenting results in visually accessible formats. Researchers can focus their expertise on interpreting findings rather than wrestling with computational mechanics.

The automation also addresses one of the most persistent challenges in laboratory research: human error during repetitive procedures. When researchers perform the same configuration steps hundreds of times, mistakes become statistically inevitable. The platform includes validation systems that catch common errors before the errors can cause problems. The validation systems function like a knowledgeable colleague who gently points out potential issues rather than a rigid gatekeeper that prevents legitimate actions.

Strategic Value for Biotechnology Enterprises

The recognition that Viva Cyte received from the A' Design Award reflects something beyond aesthetic achievement. The Silver award in Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design acknowledges that the Viva Cyte platform represents excellence in translating complex requirements into usable, scalable solutions. For biotechnology enterprises evaluating software investments, external validation from respected design competitions provides useful signals about quality and thoughtfulness.

The business implications of excellent research software extend far beyond user satisfaction surveys. Researchers working with intuitive tools complete experimental workflows more efficiently. Organizations with streamlined research processes can pursue more ambitious programs within given resource constraints. Enterprises that can attract and retain talented researchers by providing excellent working environments gain competitive advantages that compound over time.

Regulatory considerations add another dimension to the strategic calculus. Cell therapy development occurs within frameworks of regulatory oversight designed to help protect patient safety. Software that supports consistent, documented procedures simplifies the compliance burden that accompanies therapeutic development. The Viva Cyte design explicitly addresses regulatory compliance requirements, reflecting the team's deep understanding of the regulatory environment in which their users operate.

Scalability represents yet another strategic consideration. Biotechnology enterprises often begin with modest research programs that expand dramatically as promising results emerge. Software platforms that cannot scale with organizational growth become constraints on success. The architectural decisions underlying Viva Cyte support expansion from small teams to large, distributed research operations. Those interested in understanding how scalability principles manifest in practice can explore viva cyte's award-winning interface design to see the specific implementation choices that enable platform scalability.

Implications for Enterprise Software Design

The success of Viva Cyte offers valuable lessons for organizations developing software in specialized domains. The most fundamental lesson involves the irreplaceable value of deep user research. The designers spent over two and a half years on the Viva Cyte project, with substantial portions of that time devoted to understanding users before designing solutions. The research investment produced insights that superficial research methods could never generate.

A second lesson concerns the importance of respecting existing user practices. The decision to incorporate established color-coding conventions rather than imposing new systems reflects genuine humility about the limits of designer knowledge. Users have developed their practices for reasons that may not be immediately apparent. Understanding and accommodating existing practices often produces better outcomes than attempting to reform established workflows.

The dual-platform architecture offers a third lesson about managing complexity. When software must serve multiple distinct purposes, separating those purposes into coordinated but distinct systems can produce better experiences than forcing everything into a single interface. The architectural philosophy requires more sophisticated integration work but rewards users with more focused, capable tools.

Finally, the project demonstrates that excellent design can flourish even in highly regulated, technically demanding environments. The constraints of biotechnology research did not prevent creative, user-centered solutions. Instead, the constraints provided a framework within which thoughtful design could create genuine value. Enterprises operating in similarly demanding contexts can take encouragement from the Viva Cyte example.

Looking Forward

The Viva Cyte platform represents a specific moment in the ongoing evolution of biotechnology software, yet the platform's underlying principles have durable relevance. As cell therapy research advances and new therapeutic possibilities emerge, the tools supporting research will continue to evolve. The design philosophy demonstrated in Viva Cyte provides a foundation for that ongoing development.

Biotechnology enterprises increasingly recognize that software quality affects research outcomes. The recognition creates opportunities for organizations that invest thoughtfully in their digital tools. The competitive advantages of excellent research infrastructure accumulate over time as better tools enable more ambitious programs and attract more talented researchers. Cellply, the biotechnology company that commissioned Viva Cyte, positioned itself to capture these advantages through partnership with skilled designers who understood both the technical requirements and the human dimensions of research software.

The broader design community can learn from projects like Viva Cyte. Specialized domains often receive less attention from designers than consumer applications with their larger user bases. Yet the value created by excellent design in specialized contexts can be enormous. A platform that accelerates cell therapy development contributes to medical advances that benefit society broadly. The connection between design excellence and societal impact deserves more recognition than the connection typically receives.

The A' Design Award recognition helps illuminate the connections between design excellence and societal impact. By celebrating achievement in interface and user experience design, recognition from design competitions draws attention to work that might otherwise remain visible only within specialized communities. Enterprises evaluating their own software investments can look to award-winning projects as benchmarks for what thoughtful design can accomplish.

Closing Reflections

The story of Viva Cyte illustrates something profound about the relationship between design and innovation. Biotechnology enterprises pursuing breakthrough therapies need more than scientific expertise. Organizations need tools that translate scientific expertise into practical progress. When software serves as a barrier to productive work, even brilliant researchers find their efforts constrained. When software serves as an enabler, possibilities expand.

The investment in deep user research, the architectural sophistication of the dual-platform approach, the attention to visual design details, and the thoughtful integration of automation collectively demonstrate what becomes possible when designers approach specialized domains with genuine respect and curiosity. The principles demonstrated in Viva Cyte are not principles that apply only to biotechnology software. The principles offer guidance for anyone developing tools for knowledge workers in complex environments.

Livia Stevenin and the design team at Buildo created something that matters. The Silver A' Design Award recognizes the Viva Cyte achievement while pointing toward possibilities that extend far beyond any single project. Excellent design in specialized domains creates value that ripples outward, enabling work that might otherwise remain unrealized and contributing to progress that benefits everyone.

What might your organization accomplish if your software tools supported your work as effectively as Viva Cyte supports cell therapy research?