Taylor Community Library

Information Architecture

Source:

Kent State University - Class Project

My Role:

Independent Information Architect

Timeframe:

7 weeks

Project Introduction

This portfolio piece showcases a comprehensive website redesign project for the Taylor Community Library. The library, serving a diverse community, faced challenges with their outdated and complex website. The goal of the project was to create a user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible digital environment that would meet the needs of the library's patrons and staff.

"We are in dire need of having our website redesigned."

The Challenge

The Taylor Community Library's website was a vast repository of information, but it's outdated design and complex navigation made it difficult for users to find what they needed. Tasks such as accessing the online catalog, finding information about preschool story times, and downloading meeting room application forms were daunting for users. The library recognized the need for a complete overhaul of its website's information architecture to improve accessibility and user experience.

Adding to the complexity of the challenge, the library staff had limited knowledge of website building, design, and editing. Their budget was also tight, which meant that they couldn't always outsource every update, such as different upcoming events. This necessitated a design solution that was not only user-friendly for the library's patrons but also manageable and maintainable by the library staff with their limited technical skills.

The Journey

The project spanned eight weeks and was meticulously planned and executed. The journey began with a project proposal addressing the library's concerns. This was followed by two weeks of field research, including creating a research protocol, conducting interviews with library patrons and staff, and performing a literature search for archival resources. The insights gained from this research informed the creation of user personas and a list of tasks the site should support.

After a brief holiday break, the project resumed with a content analysis to determine what information should be included on the website, the choice of a primary classification scheme for navigation, and the creation of a sitemap. The proposed changes were then tested using online tools, leading to significant improvements in task completion and user navigation success rates. This Gantt Chart provides a visual representation of the project timeline, illustrating the sequence and duration of each task.

User Research

The user research phase was a critical part of the project, providing valuable insights into the needs and behaviors of the library's users. Two in-person, one-on-one interviews were conducted with a librarian and a library visitor. These interviews, coupled with a literature search on library websites and services, informed the creation of user personas and the prioritization of tasks for the website redesign.

(A constraint of this project was to only conduct two interviews.)

One of the personas was a young family, represented by a father and his eight-year-old daughter. The father and daughter enjoyed doing library activities and reading books together, and the father needed to navigate the website on behalf of his daughter. This combined persona may be unconventional; however, based on their goals, they act as one unit. The other persona was an early middle-aged professional who read or listened to 2 or 3 books each month. She considered learning how to quilt and discovered the library offered quilting classes.

High-priority tasks identified from the interviews included finding and signing up for age-appropriate activities, integrating a calendar of activities, searching for books, browsing book recommendations and reviews, accessing digital services, finding library hours, and obtaining a library card.

The user research also revealed areas for improvement in the existing website. Participants found the navigation labels confusing, the calendar of events difficult to read, and the website text-heavy. They also expressed a desire for more social, in-person activities at the library. These insights were instrumental in guiding the design decisions for the website redesign.

Persona depicting a picture of a dad and daughter sitting on the floor reading a book.

A persona depicting a female sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other, reading.

Design & Testing

A spreadsheet containing content from a library website

The design phase of the project began with a thorough content analysis of the existing Taylor Community Library website. The goal was to identify content that could be repurposed, reworked, or potentially deleted. The analysis revealed that most of the high-priority tasks identified during the user research phase were already present on the website, but they needed to be reorganized and made more accessible.

The proposed design changes were based on a hybrid organizational scheme, combining audience-specific, task-oriented, topical, and alphabetical schemes. The main organizational structure relied on a hierarchy model to make it easy for users to find what they were looking for. A global navigation system was designed to help users quickly identify which area of the website they needed to visit.

The design was further refined based on the Treejack results and then tested again using another online tool, Chalkmark. This test focused on the homepage's new navigation and involved five similar tasks to the Treejack test. The results were even better this time, with a 100% success rate on the first click for all tasks.

These positive testing results confirmed that the proposed design changes significantly improved the user experience and navigability of the website, validating the user-centered approach taken in this project.

The Outcome

The culmination of research, user-centered design, and iterative testing led to a transformative redesign of the Taylor Community Library website. The final design boasts a user-friendly interface, intuitive navigation, and a content structure that aligns with the needs and preferences of the library's diverse patron base.

Key improvements include:

Enhanced Navigation: The hybrid organizational scheme, combining audience-specific, task-oriented, topical, and alphabetical schemes, ensures users can effortlessly find what they're looking for. The addition of library hours and contact information to the header and footer addresses a previously identified pain point.
User-Centric Content: The content analysis ensured that high-priority tasks, such as finding library hours, accessing digital services, and obtaining a library card, are prominently featured and easily accessible.
Optimized User Experience: Testing results from tools like Treejack and Chalkmark validated the design decisions, with impressive success rates indicating a significant improvement in user experience.

While this project was hypothetical (but based on a real library's website), the rigorous approach and methodologies employed mirror real-world UX design projects. The redesigned Taylor Community Library website serves as a testament to the power of user-centered design, showcasing how a thoughtful and research-driven approach can transform a digital space into an accessible, engaging, and efficient platform for its users.

In the spirit of transparency and showcasing my growth as a designer, I have chosen to include my original wireframes. This allows you, the visitor, to witness the progression and refinement of my skills through my more recent projects.

The project was undertaken in my second semester, and while the final wireframes may not reflect the highest level of design sophistication, they were created with the intention to meet the unique needs of the library. The focus was on simplicity, ease of navigation, and the ability for the library staff to make updates without requiring extensive technical knowledge or outsourced help.

Taylor Community Library_ Homepage-Wirefram.png

Lessons Learned

This project was a comprehensive exercise in user experience design, encompassing every stage from initial research to final design recommendations. It provided valuable insights into the importance of user-centered design and the role of iterative testing in creating an effective and intuitive digital environment.

One of the key lessons learned was the importance of understanding the user's perspective. The interviews conducted during the user research phase were instrumental in identifying the needs and preferences of the library's patrons. These insights informed the creation of user personas and the prioritization of tasks for the website redesign. It was a reminder that the user's voice is paramount in UX design, and their needs and wants should always be at the forefront of design decisions.

Another significant takeaway was the value of iterative testing. The Treejack and Chalkmark tests played a crucial role in refining the design and ensuring its effectiveness. These tests validated the design decisions and confirmed that the proposed changes significantly improved the user experience and navigability of the website. This underscored the importance of not just designing based on user research, but also validating those designs through user testing.

A further lesson was the realization that wireframes or website layouts don't have to be intricate or complex to be effective. Simplicity and clarity often lead to a more user-friendly design. This project emphasized that a focus on ease of navigation and the ability for staff to make updates without requiring extensive technical knowledge can result in a design that is both user-friendly and manageable.

In conclusion, this project, undertaken early in my academic journey, was a valuable and transformative learning experience. It underscored the importance of user-centered design, iterative testing, and simplicity in design. Initially, the scope and complexity of the project were intimidating, a formidable challenge in my emerging UX design career. However, it served as a powerful reminder that UX design is about harmonizing the needs of the users with the capabilities of the business. Looking back, I am grateful for the experience. It not only shaped my understanding of UX design but also instilled in me the confidence and resilience to tackle complex design challenges. This project was a stepping stone, a pivotal moment in my growth as a UX designer.