An active user base is vital for maintaining scientific software as it provides critical feedback for future development. User feedback can be easily stifled by poor user interfaces that expect a specific perspective in domain expertise. The Materials Project (MP) employs several techniques to continue to create effective data and tool dissemination strategies from interactive usability testing to yearly hands-on workshops. A three-month usability testing program has allowed us to continue to improve our outreach and build MP into a more effective teaching tool. Our workshop highlights development areas to ensure the material science community can continue to leverage our tools in their own research. Finally, this engagement paradigm creates a lively support network for sustained growth. Central to this is our version of Benevolent Dictators: individuals who have taken significant ownership of an infrastructural project and often come from our pool of Eager Beavers. Being able to translate from these two pools of users has been critical to the success of Materials Project and is one effective paradigm for creating sustainable scientific software.

Benevolent Dictator vs Eager Beaver: How expertise limits our perspective on user experience

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.