Allen City Public Library - Website Redesign

Background

This project was completed for "Information Architecture II," a course in Kent State University's Master of Science in User Experience Design program. The assignment was to redesign the library's site structure to make it easier for patrons to find useful information. The project took place over seven weeks.

Project Overview

The City of Allen Public Library’s current website was in need of a redesign. It is difficult to use and patrons are having problems finding the information they need. I examined their current website architecture and developed a plan that would make the site easier for patrons to use. During this project, I provided the client with a detailed proposal, I interviewed library website users, and discussed their goals and what difficulties they encountered. I then developed personas (fictional characters based on research) and determined key tasks that the library‘s patrons most frequently wanted to accomplish. From there, I developed a site map of how the website should be laid out, tested it with real patrons using key tasks based on the research, and made adjustments to the site map based on test feedback.

Research Conducted

• User Research

• Set Tasks with Content, Labeling & Taxonomy

• Assessing Labeling and Taxonomy

Sitemap

I created a sitemap for the redesign of the Allen Public Library. This map takes into consideration all of my key findings and focuses on tasks that are most important to the patrons. The high priority tasks are indicated by a green tab.

Wireframes

I designed and tested the wireframes shown below. Participants completed all tasks at a 90% success rate. Based off of the information gathered during inventory, it was decided that organizing the content based on topic and task; using an ambiguous scheme would create a better user experience.

Conclusion

Allen Public Library’s current website was in need of a redesign. The website was difficult to use and patrons were having a difficult time navigating the site. I’m confident that the user research conducted, a review of the websites inventory, creating a new sitemap, and the new wireframes will present the libraries patrons with a much better user experience.