Initium.AI
NDA Signed
Overview of Product
AI-powered grant-writing co-pilot designed to assist researchers through various stages of the grant-writing process.
Helps with brainstorming, identifying funding sources, drafting proposals, and managing administrative tasks.
Project Summary
Project Client Project
Location Ann Arbor, MI
Duration Jan 2025 - May 2025
Role UX Consultant
Responsibilities Survey, Recruitment, Interviews, Presentation, Comparative analysis, Heuristic Eval.
Research Methods
Survey + Cognitive Interview
Created detailed questionnaires and collected early user insights to guide the research direction.
User Interview
Conducted in-depth conversations to understand user needs, motivations, and pain points.
Pilot Testing
Ran preliminary sessions to validate the research setup and refine methods before full testing.
Comparative Evaluation
Reviewed competitor products to identify UX patterns, strengths, and improvement opportunities.
Heuristic Evaluation
Evaluated the interface against established usability principles to uncover core usability issues.
User Testing
Observed real users performing tasks to identify friction points and validate design assumptions.
Recommendations + Report
Synthesized all findings into a clear set of recommendations and delivered a comprehensive final report to the client.
Reflection
Limited Sample Diversity
Our usability testing was limited by a small, specialized participant pool, mostly PhD students and faculty. Recruiting was challenging, and the sample lacked diversity. Testing with a broader range of users, including novice grant writers, would yield more generalizable insights.
Short-Term Focus
Our study focused on immediate usability and user perceptions, without assessing long-term effects. Longitudinal testing would reveal sustained usability, user trust, and the platform’s impact on actual grant-writing outcomes over time.
Heuristic Coverage
Our evaluation addressed all ten usability heuristics but left some areas underexplored, such as mobile interactions and accessibility. Expanding coverage in these areas would provide a more complete assessment of the user experience.