LIBRARY USER RESEARCH

This project’s main focus was to help improve Bradley University’s library appeal and usability for the student body. While working in a group, we all came up with different ideas on how to bring more students into the library. My focus on the project was around improving navigation by creating an interactive tagging system. The tagging system would allow users to quickly find information about different areas in the library, reserve study rooms, and check room availability, all in one place. 

To make this project, I used Figma to help me create an interactive mockup that would be made for digital devices. I applied User Experience fundamentals and principles like, clear hierarchy, intuitive navigation, all while keeping accessibility in mind.I also focused heavily on the interface design, wanting to make sure that the typography was easy to read, that buttons were easy to click, and that the layout was consistent throughout. I closely followed Bradley University’s design guidelines to make sure that the mockup felt like it was Bradley branded.

There were many creative decisions that had to be made, which mostly centered around usability and clarity. I needed to make sure that the tagging system was easy enough to understand so that a wide range of users could use it, including freshman, seniors, and even people who may not be attending Bradley. This meant that I had to balance functionality with visual design, so that the website wasn’t only visually appealing but also functional for users.

The final product was well received by library faculty. It successfully met its intended goal. It helped provide a solution to improve navigation within the library. It offered ideas to faculty that they could potentially implement into the existing library website to make students experience better.