Seattle Public Library Mobile App Redesign
For this class project, my team and I were tasked with improving the overall usability and visual design of the Seattle Public Library mobile app. The library is a complex system which provides the community with many resources and benefits. Current apps lack the organization needed to accommodate the needs of visitors. Within five weeks, we researched, ideated, prototyped, and tested our way to a design proposal, targeting the resource-searching experience of library visitors.
finding resources is a pain!
research methods
Primary research
Through observation and interviews, my team and I engaged with the physical library space as a method of generating ideas for improving the mobile app, and became interested in trends surrounding the activity of browsing the physical library.
Secondary research
In addition to familiarizing ourselves with the process of navigating a physical library, we dived into the existing SPL library app, as well as look at other city library apps to find what works well and what could be potential pain points to avoid in our future redesign.
sitemapping
research takeaways
Current library app interfaces are outdated and lack a clear informational hierarchy, resulting in friction navigating to different features and resources.
Visitor intent varies for person to person: some come with a specific book in mind, while others are more interested in browsing. In fact, some visitors are more interested in other library offerings such as events.
How might we design a library platform that empowers visitors to quickly and easily find desired resources?
design principles
Accessible
Many different people rely on Seattle Public Library system for information and resources, so our design should ensure features are easy to find and navigate through regardless of ability.
Simple
Navigating the SPL website is overwhelming because the library offers so many resources, so our design should thoughtfully present our users with what is most useful, rather than a dense list of info.
Frictionless
People go to the library often for many different reasons, so our design should enable seamless transition as users interact with various features.
ideation and flow mapping
With a framework in mind, we began sketching ideas for how to meet the identified needs of the Seattle Public Library patrons. And by annotating user flows over low fidelity designs, we could also anticipate various pain points to avoid.
prototyping
user testing
visual language
Final designs
Logical search
Remembering the previous searches and recommending new searches to ease cognitive load and promote a diversity of resources otherwise unnoticed.
recommending books
Providing recommendations based on reading history enables fast and efficient browsing.
Details and shelf map
Remembering the previous searches and recommending new searches to ease cognitive load and promote a diversity of resources otherwise unnoticed.
evaluation and reflection
To help evaluate the success of this design, I engaged with some SPL librarians to gage the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing a multi-branch navigation system into the SPL product. While there was positive reception, I was still encouraged to improve the design further.
Moving forward, I would like to push the prototypes further by exploring:
Advanced orientation guidance through contextual UI, such as nearby street names, color coding, and landmarks.
Showcasing other desired physical resources to increase impact, such as printers, child play spaces, and study rooms.
Further integrate the map to existing features, bringing our existing recommendations into the map to bridge the two experiences into a seamless whole.
Account for movement resources, as librarians often shift their collections around, consider how librarians can edit the maps as shifts occur.
