MPL’s website IA redesign.
BACKGROUND
Maplewood Public Library needed its website redesigned from the ground up, emphasizing easy access to information and welcoming thematic elements. It looked outdated, and it was daunting for their patrons to find what they were looking for and completing their goals. This project intended to discover who the target users were and what they needed from the website.
The goal was to create a navigational structure that helped users accomplish their goals. The main job of an IA is to build bridges between website users and website content. A library website is a high-content and user-driven service. This type of site manages such a large quantity of information that it needs to rely on search for navigability, so users can locate the content they are looking for.
You can find the site here:
https://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/
Caption: Chart explaining the project evolution.
THE CHALLENGE
Our goal was to create a structure that made sense to users and was easy to navigate and understand. We wanted to accomplish ease of navigation, comprehensive labels, enhance the site's usability and discoverability.
BUSINESS NEEDS AND RESEARCH GOALS
Caption: Chart showing the overlap of business needs and research goals.
SCOPE
We performed stakeholder’s interviews, Site Map Tree-testing, and Wireframe First-click testing, as well as completed library literature search, and created the site’s content inventory, to discover who the target users are, what are their goals and needs, and their mental model to develop an Information Architecture plan.
Caption: Three photos while performing remote interviews.
Caption: Maplewood library’s website current site map.
RESEARCH APPROACH
We interviewed two librarians; both have extensive experience in their field. One participant verbally consented to use their responses for this research study; the other sent us an email with the consent signed and dated.
We conducted a literature search to learn more about library websites’ users, formulate our research question, and plan the whole study. It was paramount to provide us with a background for our research and to provide context.
Download the current IA site map HERE
Download the research approach HERE
KEY FINDINGS
After analyzing the results from the stakeholder’s interviews, the tree-testing, the first-click testing, the literature search, and creating the site’s content inventory, we develop the sequent list of key findings.
• Children’s activities are the most popular programs run in the library.
• Older and low-income patrons use the library to find health care information and learn.
• Posted Instructions are essential, whether online or in person.
• A user-friendly online catalog is vital.
• There is a need for library programs such as “Children’s Story-time” and “New technologies.”
• Having a thorough website for the library is capital because of the increasing demand for digital content.
• The primary library patrons are highly educated millennial parents with kids.
• A secondary group of library users is:
• People looking into their ancestry.
• 65+ and low-income in-person library users.
• Many patrons use Libraries as a fast and affordable way to provide legal paperwork.
• The most researched item books, and the most looked for services is the library programs.
PERSONAS - LIBRARY ONLINE PATRONS
Millennials, as primary library users, and researchers, as secondary users are followed by 65+ and low-income patrons. These two last population segments are in-person library users. They could be a perfect target to gain online users, keep libraries open, and increase the budget public libraries have access to.
NEW Proposed IA
Caption: Maplewood library’s website proposed IA site map.
Download the proposed IA site map file HERE
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Caption: Image of wireframes showing the key tasks.
• Keep the site’s organizational structure as it is, a top-down hierarchy.
• Use a top global navigation system, similar to what the site is currently using, and a left side local navigation system.
• Adopt as the site’s primary organization scheme a hybrid between an ambiguous topical scheme and an audience-specific scheme for some menu items.
• Utilize a database pattern for the book, ebook, audio-books, magazines, music, movies, and TV sections.
• Change some problematic labels.
Download the site wireframes and workflows. HERE
STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEWS RESEARCH
Participants - we performed interviews with two librarians from the public library.
Methodology - we conducted the interviews by phone and chat, and we recorded the phone interview.
These interviews gave us the intended insights into what stakeholders think about public libraries’ usage and patrons’ behavior and habits. Also, we collected vital information about the patron’s goals and needs.
Following the interviews, we conducted a literature search to learn more about library websites’ users, formulate our research question, and plan the whole study.
Download the final report. HERE
The librarians showed interest in the advancement of programs that could help the community with technologies, such as “...programs to help people, learn how to use the computer...” and “...any kind of program that could help people who have been left behind technologically speaking...”
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE TESTING
TASK PRIORITIES
In the graphic below, we show the essential tasks we uncovered from our interviews. We organized them by priority based on the library patron’s goals and needs.
Caption: Chart showing the relation between personas and each task’s priority.
SITE MAP TREE-TESTING
We ran a Tree-testing evaluation using the tool Treejack from Optimal Workshop. We performed the test to evaluate our first proposed Maplewood’s website taxonomy (categories and labels).
We recruited 4 participants, and we gave them ten tasks to complete. We based the task on crucial user goals, things that we had dramatically changed on the IA, and problematic areas. The participants were presented with the tasks in random order. We phrase the tasks as questions directed to the participants to find something inside a group. We also used a brief scenario for some tasks.
Download the Tree-testing report. HERE
Caption: Image example of tree-testing.
WIREFRAME FIRST-CLICK TESTING
We ran the first-click testing using the tool Chalkmark from Optimal Workshop. We performed the test to evaluate our second proposed taxonomy and to assess our user’s behavior while trying to accomplish goals.
We recruited 5 participants, and we gave them the same ten tasks to complete that were tested previously. As with the previous test, we based the task on crucial user goals, things that we had dramatically changed on the IA, and problematic areas
Download the first-click testing report. HERE
Caption: Image of Wireframe used for testing.
PROJECT LEARNINGS MAPLEWOOD
Design Iteration
The importance of researching to identify and collect great ideas and feedback. The power of not getting stuck on an idea or solution. Test, interview, discover, amend the design, and start all over again.
Listening
Thanks to this project, I had developed incredible patience for listening and only asking questions to learn or clarify a participant's point. I realized that it is crucial to let the participant explain themselves and only interrupt if their silence is too prolonged or they seem uncomfortable.
Explain the rationale behind a decision
By this, I mean not only explain clearly what the rationale behind a decision is but also anticipate possible doubts and questions.