CUNY Graduate Center Library Website Redesign
The CUNY Graduate Center (GC) Library was in the process of revamping its digital presence before beginning this project. In order to do this in a way that centered the user’s experience, a careful examination of user behaviors, desires, knowledge, and expectations was required. My design team, which we called Team Buttons, set out to research the library’s target users in all of these aspects in order to provide the GC Library with the best possible high-fidelity prototypes to help guide the library’s website design process for desktop and mobile interfaces.
My team consisted of three other Pratt students in the class and we utilized four different areas of research and analysis to guide our prototype design. We were able to illustrate major areas of improvement based on our findings and delivered personas, a sitemap, a competitive analysis, and low and high fidelity prototypes for mobile and desktop use.
Methods
In our efforts to create the best possible high-fidelity prototypes, we carried out the following research methods, while utilizing key principles of information architecture and interaction design:
User Interviews, Observations, & Questionnaires
Card Sorting & Tree Testing
Competitive Analysis
Low-Fidelity Prototype User Testing
With the above research and the data analysis of our findings, we were able to create the following deliverable milestones, along with accompanying research briefs to guide our own designing of high-fidelity prototypes (the final deliverable):
Personas
Site Map
Competitive Analysis Review
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Tools
Lucidchart: Online design program utilized for the sitemap.
Sketch: Design program used for low and high fidelity prototypes.
InVision: Program used to host and provide interactivity to our low and high fidelity prototypes.
Optimal Workshop: Online service used for card sorting and tree tests.
Google Drive (Slides and Sheets): Utilized for persona, competitive analysis, and additional table creation.
Prototype Task Flows
Desktop Task Scope: Request the checked-out book called “Lean UX” from Interlibrary Loan.
1) Click anywhere on the text field on the OneSearch bar and click on the magnifying glass icon to the right of it.
2) Click on the second search result on the text that reads “Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams.”
3) Click on the “Request through ILL” button.
4) Click on any empty text field and then click the “Submit” button to complete the task.
Mobile Task Scope: Register for “Zotero on Your Laptop: The Basics” event.
1) Scroll down on the mobile homepage and click on the “Zotero on Your Laptop: The
Basics” event advertisement.
2) Click on the “Register” button.
3) Click on any text field to populate Name and E-mail information and then click on the “Submit” button.
4) This task is now complete if you see a green “Registered” notice.
Mobile prototype is currently unavailable.
Note: Prototypes here will be unavailable after December 2024 due to the shutdown of InVision services.