Effective Visualization of Tuberculosis Three-Drug Assays: A Design Study

The rise in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis means that new drugs and new drug combinations are needed to address the problems associated with current treatments. Drug screening facilities aim to identify new high quality drug compounds, or novel drug combinations, for treatment of tuberculosis. The experimental drug assay procedure produces multivariate data that is difficult to analyse and onerous to process in order to determine which drug combinations should be pursued for further development. In this design study, we have developed a visualization tool to assist with analysis and processing of this multidimensional data. The tool was developed with an iterative user-centred design process, beginning with a low fidelity paper mock-up through to the deployment of a fully functional, computer-based prototype that expert users judge to be both usable and effective.