Looking for Trouble:The Role of User Research in Discovering & Solving Problems

Thomas Crichlow, User Experience Project Manager, Duke University Libraries

Emily Daly, Head of User Experience Department, Duke University Libraries

Adrienne Lai, Emerging Technologies Services Librarian, NCSU Libraries

TRLN Annual Meeting | July 22, 2013

User Experience Department

• Department:o some Public Services

staffo Learning Commonso Web team

• Emphasis on "cross-channel" user experience

User Research Team

• User Research Team – cross-departmental membership

• Aim is to gather feedback from users

• Purpose is to improve services

Image from www.walkingpaper.org

A lightweight approach

• Regular program of usability testing

• Small sample size

• Model: Test, View together, Debrief

Monthly usability testing

• Client-based program

• Worked with clients from six different departments across the Libraries

• Participants in usability tests are compensated for their time

UX Department

• Charged to improve users’ experience of library services and spaces, both physical and virtual

• Part of Collections & User Services

• Encourage others to submit project ideas

WebX Team

Vision & implementation

• Consider & prioritize web projects

• Serve as sounding board for process & designs

• Gather user feedback

• Research future possibilities

Examples

Virtual Browse touch-screen kiosk

Examples – New projects

Examples – New projects

My #HuntLibrary

Examples – New projects

How would you feel if one of your Instagram photos were selected by the library to be kept as a permanent record of what students did in 2013?

I would be so excited. For me, I think it would be better than winning an iPad.

Examples – New spaces

1st Floor

4th Floor

Examples – New spaces

New perspectives

Taking action

Examples

Examples - Web Redesign

• Observed Usability Testing• Search Term Analysis• Online Reverse Card Sort• Online Surveys• Feedback Sessions

Observed Usability Testing

Source: Steve KrugRocket Surgery Made Easy

Search Term Analysis

• Five people analyzed data from the 250 most frequently used search terms.

Online Reverse Card Sort

Online Surveys

• Open Questions about likes/dislikes• A / B / C testing of "Catalog" Terms• Testing of Wireframe designs of web pages

Feedback Sessions

Examples - UX projects

• Carrel and locker use & request process

• Graduate Student Reading Room

• Food-free zones

• Digital signage & wayfinding kiosks

Lessons learned

User research can involve significant up-front work

Challenges & Recommendations

User research can involve significant up-front work

Take the opportunity to invest in infrastructure and build expertise

Challenges & Recommendations

How do you decide what to study?

Challenges & Recommendations

How do you decide what to study?

Beware of scope creep - concentrate on what’s fixable and commit to iterative design

Challenges & Recommendations

How valid are the results of usability testing?

Challenges & Recommendations

How valid are the results of usability testing?

Take the results with a grain of salt and triangulate when possible

Challenges & Recommendations

Challenges & Recommendations

Writing research reports is really time-consuming

Challenges & Recommendations

Writing research reports is really time-consuming

Only produce as much documentation as is necessary

Challenges & Recommendations

How do you get buy-in from staff?

Challenges & Recommendations

How do you get buy-in from staff?

Make it easy for people to participate, emphasize co-ownership & keep senior decision-makers informed

Thanks for listening!

Thomas Crichlow, thomas.crichlow@duke.edu

Emily Daly, emily.daly@duke.edu

Adrienne Lai, aslai@ncsu.edu

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