FindmyLibrary mobile application

I had the opportunity to work with the University’s Innovation Hub to build an experience that engages students and helps them more efficiently find the right study spot on campus.

Scope

Mobile application

Duration

3 months

Tools

Figma

Role

Concept, wireframes, prototype

Context

This project was in collaboration with UoftT's Innovation hub. The Innovation Hub is a student-led initiative that partners internally at the University to research strategies for improving the campus experience. Our main goal was to propose an application to simplify the student experience and provide a meaningful, digital solution with four fellow designers.

// Problem

Whether it's studying, relaxing or meeting with friends, the library provides a space for all students to feel inspired and explore new opportunities. However, with the large amount of options available on campus, choosing a spot that meets your needs can be a challenge.

// Process

To better uncover user pain points, our team surveyed 48 representative users and conducted 8 semi-structured interviews. We gathered all the information and synthesized several root problems and potential solutions through affinity mapping and user journeys.

*Snapshot of the brainstorming process.

Research

Our user research showed that students on campus often consider three main factors when deciding on a library study spot. This included noise level, comfort and distance from their current location. They also reported frequently rotating between the same 2-4 libraries on campus, of the 44 available, due to a lack of awareness of their options.

After identifying the main pain points, our team began producing ideas. Ultimately, we prioritized the most impactful and feasible idea, the digital library map in the form of a mobile application.

Design goals

The interactive library map will allow students to:

Find a library that suits their needs as soon as they arrive on campus
View the library’s features and layout before going in
Find a route to their library of choice in the fastest way

Creating user flows

Flow 1: Users are able to find the quickest route to their library of choice from the map overview.

Flow 2: Users are able to view a list of available libraries and specific study spot details.

Initial testing

Our team then conducted a lean evaluation with 5 representative users. From the feedback received, we found that users had trouble with some of the navigation buttons due to ambiguous labelling. In addition, some users also suggested adding an option to filter their searches to more intuitively review their options and decide on a library to visit.

Moving forward, we applied the user feedback and began producing our high fidelity prototype with these main changes.

Solution

Flow 1: Students can filter their search by preferred study spot feature, giving them the ability to personalize their journey from beginning to end with our app.

Flow 2: Students can identify what libraries are nearby in respect to their current location on campus and find the fastest route to get there so they can spend more time studying and less time searching.

Summative testing

To evaluate the medium-fidelity prototype, our team then conducted 4 usability tests with representative users. Overall, users highlighted the application's general ease of use and simplicity. Some also identified the 'Filter by Feature' flow to be imperative in solving the information gap and expressed interest in actually using this feature on a regular basis.

Some areas for improvement included adjusting the sizing of certain elements to improve readability/ scan-ability and to rework the current location icon to better contrast other indicators on the map overview screen.

Lessons learned

Prioritize function over features: Even if a feature is useful, it can still get in the way. Start simple and don't overload users with excess features in initial design stages.
Ensure features are hypothesis-driven and validated by users: Don't assume user needs before gathering the evidence. Instead, transform assumptions into a hypothesis, define the variables, implement and test.
Test the product as frequently as possible: Usability testing is imperative in achieving design progress. Test product updates regularly and always keep in mind- you are not the user.