The rational behind the argument that a 'do-it-yourself' mentality lacks logic

In the realm of academia, an individual's experience with experiments was primarily limited to lab practicals, where success was often measured by the production of large, colorless crystals. However, this traditional approach to experimentation took a dramatic turn when the graduate embarked on training at the Department of Energy (DOE) at the Centre for Rapid Online Analysis of Reactions (Roar) at Imperial College. This unique programme presented a rare opportunity for students to delve into these concepts before joining the industry.

The individual's career in the chemical industry commenced as a development chemist, where success was defined by improving the product from the previous day. Yet, the individual felt that the scientific method lacked strategy. This perspective shifted when the individual was exposed to a new way of thinking: using data to 'mine' insights about the behaviours driving a system and build a model of how inputs affect outcomes. This enlightenment came from a seminar by statistics professor Dick de Veaux.

The individual's job, initially making toner for laser printing, was too complex and messy to be understood from theory alone. To navigate this complexity, the individual learned about Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments (DOE) as a methodology for planning projects to deliver data that would help meet development objectives. This new approach transformed the individual's job from making things to generating understanding.

The individual's projects became more efficient and predictable with the new approach. A significant achievement was doubling the productivity of a bottleneck manufacturing step without the need for expensive new plant infrastructure. Pilar Gómez Jiménez, a principal scientist at Johnson Matthey, discussed how introducing a smarter approach to experimentation helped deliver a 50% reduction in R&D costs for the business.

The individual's passion for DOE led to a full-time focus on helping colleagues. As colleagues started to pay attention to the new approach, the individual spent their days carrying out 'preps' to figure out how to combine various ingredients to produce uniformly sized toner particles. The individual realised that the product of their experiments was not just the substance in the flasks, but the knowledge needed to consistently manufacture products that meet customer demands.

As many chemists are currently in the early stages of this digital transformation, the individual expects guidance and encouragement will be needed to adapt to the digital future of chemistry. To assist in this transition, sign up for the online workshop, "Your guide to solving complex problems by mastering Design of Experiments".

Note: An earlier version of this article contained a misattributed quote, which has since been removed.

Simplified DOE exercises could be introduced for undergraduates or even high school science classes, paving the way for a new generation of chemists to embrace this transformative approach to experimentation.