Bookmobile | UI Design, User Research
a service that extends library amenities to communities with socioeconomic and physical barriers.
2020 | Figma, Photoshop, Google Docs
Client Brief
What is the Bookmobile?
The Bookmobile serves as a way to provide library services directly to Baltimore County communities with a focus on assisted living facilities, retirement homes, and community outreach opportunities.
Our team of four collected observation notes, formulated interview questions, and created affinity diagrams to inform and guide our design decisions.
Services
The Bookmobile houses a collection of borrowable materials, including:
New and popular titles
Large type books
Audiobooks
Magazines
DVDs
The Lobby Delivery Service provides residents of participating long-term care facilities with a delivery of library materials on a monthly basis.
Trained Notaries Public can witness the signing of legal documents such as wills, deeds, or powers of attorney during the scheduled stops.
One-on-one personal assistance is offered to download e-books, audiobooks and e-magazines during the scheduled stops.
User Research
Questions:
How is the information about the Bookmobile provided by your particular branch?
Is information (scheduling, location, available resources) about the Bookmobile readily available to library users?
What specific services could be Bookmobile provide that might be unavailable to typical library users?
What events held at the library are the most well received?
What service has been the most difficult for the visitors? What services were the most used?
What are the most common questions or concerns about the Bookmobile?
What would you like to see in the library or in the Bookmobile that would be helpful for the community?
Observations:
How do visitors interact with the library?
They like to take time off for when kids get out of school in the summer, seniors have free time, and good weather.
Mostly single-family households are present in the library with Spanish being the language used other than English.
People walking by using the metro might go to the library to check out events, go to the cafe, and pick up or drop off a rental.
What do visitors like to do in the library?
Stem and Technology Programs, Dungeon & Dragon events, Storytime events, and chess
What are challenges in the library?
Language and socioeconomic barriers impact the library and community.
The technology services like the checkout screens, electronic books, database models, were difficult for several age groups.
The routes planned were only focused on children and assisted living facilities.
The questions about the bookmobile were usually about scheduling.
User Bios
Maya Stewart
23, Barista
Persona: New Immigrant
Interests: Language learning resources, cultural integration, community events
Goals: Improve language skills, learn about the community, access multilingual resources
Challenges: Language barriers, unfamiliarity with local services, need for cultural and educational support
Lionel Colbert
74, Retired
Persona: Senior Citizen
Interests: Large print books, audiobooks, local history, book clubs
Goals: Stay mentally active, socialize with others, enjoy leisurely reading
Challenges: Mobility issues, limited access to physical library locations, need for easily accessible materials
Anne Resnick
32, Community Center Staff
Persona: Community Educator
Interests: Educational resources, classroom books, literacy programs, workshops, digital resources
Goals: Provide students with diverse reading materials, organize free educational events, promote literacy
Challenges: Budget constraints, need for recent and relevant resources, coordination and high turnout for events
Objectives
Implement a system that is easy for users of all ages to navigate through the website.
Create a style that is easy for elders to use and keep a light atmosphere.
Based on the interview questions, prioritize information and resources that are most relevant.
User Flow
The most common flow a user would have using the bookmobile site.
Usability Testing Round 1
Participant 1
College student with design experience
Participant 2
Elder with trouble using computers
Participant 3
College student with no design experience
Summary of feedback:
Navigation Improvements:
Ensure the logo links to the homepage.
Implement breadcrumbs at the top of the page for easier navigation.
Event Information:
Centralize event information for better focus.
Allow events to close when other links are clicked.
Account Page Enhancements:
Make "My Account" text clickable.
Reduce the size of profile details and include more personal information.
Position history lower to avoid visual competition.
Homepage Personalization:
Make the homepage straightforward and personalized.
Ensure book recommendations are easily accessible and not hidden.
Revisions:
Moved recommendations to the main page from the account details.
Included key information on the landing page that viewers might seek.
Designed the site to resemble common library websites for intuitive navigation.
Added graphic elements to distinguish headlines and subheads.
Made the "Account Details" link clickable via both text and profile image.
Ensured sufficient spacing around each book title and subheads.
Usability Testing Round 2
Usability Testing Round 3
Revisions:
Enhanced the "About" section for better visibility.
Placed the footer at the bottom with frequently used information.
Added a book on the homepage to highlight availability in other languages.
Included a review section beneath the book title for user recommendations.
Updated "My Account" to account for users not logged in.
Inserted icons for better comprehension by all users.
Changed "Add to Cart" to "Request".
High Fidelity Prototypes
Goal #1
Goal #2
Mockups
Takeaway
The bookmobile project has helped me understand how to design for the proper demographic and using visual indicators like icons and breadcrumbs. To focus on what the bookmobile needs, our team had to gather information from our interviews and narrow down to the appropriate objectives.