Case study

Structured Research Writing

Re-architecting scientific writing as a structured workspace

at SciSpace (formerly Typeset) ↗

Choose your depth

The problem, my contribution, outcomes, and strongest screens.

My role

Product design · Product architecture · Scientific workflows

Product focus

A structured manuscript workspace connecting writing, metadata, references, formatting, and review.

The Short Version

I explored and specified a broader editor system for scientific manuscripts, one that kept the paper itself as the main workspace while bringing structure, contributor metadata, references, journal formatting, rich content, and review into one consistent side-sheet model.

The Mess

Writing the paper is only one part of submission. Researchers also have to manage journal-specific sections, authors and affiliations, references, citations, cover details, formatting rules, structured content blocks, and collaborative review, all without those tasks taking over the writing itself.

My Part in This

Reorganised the editor around a stable writing canvas and contextual sheets for manuscript operations.
Unified outline, authors, affiliations, cover details, references, and citation management into a coherent information architecture.
Designed asynchronous reference importing with progress, partial success, and actionable failure states.

What Got Better

Established a consistent side-sheet model for deep manuscript operations without displacing the paper.
Connected journal structure, metadata, references, formatting, content, and review in one editor architecture.

Impact

What Actually Moved

For the Business

Established a scalable editor architecture for manuscript structure, metadata, references, formatting, and review.

For the Humans

Researchers can complete more of the submission workflow without leaving the writing surface or losing context.

For the Spreadsheet

Expands platform depth and institutional value by consolidating more of the research publishing journey in one product.

Highlights evidence

4 essential screens from the final experience.

Evidence 01

Kept a guided manuscript outline beside the writing canvas

Evidence 02

Structured complex author, affiliation, and corresponding-author metadata

Evidence 03

Connected the reference library to citation context in the paper

Evidence 04

Preserved completed work when reference import only partially succeeded