CASE STUDY: PRODUCT DESIGN
Design Thinking • User Personas • Wireframes • User Flow
Project Overview
Add “curate” function within online legacy platform.
Client & Product
Publishing company for academic reference works and periodicals for educational and public libraries. Online platform provides service to databases containing digital reference resources.
Hypothesis
If we implement a feature to customize resource visibility, administrators can easily adjust resource access permissions. We can expect to see an increase in alignment with district, state, and federal regulations, alongside user satisfaction and efficiency. District directors and head librarians will be empowered to tailor resource access to their specific needs quickly and intuitively.
Personas
Sam Coleman • Age 27 • Head Librarian
Organized, adaptable, and passionate about serving his community through the resources and services offered by the city library. Sam rides the bus to work and wears his favorite GOT t-shirt every Friday.
Devices
Technology
Goal
As a head librarian, Sam’s goal is to enhance the accessibility and relevance of library resources and services for patrons of all backgrounds and interests. He aims to streamline library operations, leverage innovative technologies, and foster community engagement to create a welcoming and inclusive space where patrons can explore, learn, and connect with each other.
Frustrations
Sam feels overwhelmed. He finds it difficult to balance competing priorities of his passion for serving the community with the administrative demands of his role.
Natalie Gonzáles • Age 43 • School District Director
After eighteen years as a middle school english teacher and head girls basketball coach Natalie’s passion for education and strong leadership skills propelled her into a district leadership role. She continously strives to create inclusive, supportive school environments with a commitment to equity and inclusion in their efforts to promote educational excellence and support the diverse needs of students, families, and staff. Natalie loves her golden retriever Chester and looks forward to hosting Sunday brunch potlucks for friends and family.
Devices
Technology
Goal
Natalie Gonzales’s primary goal as a School District Director is to foster a culture of academic excellence, equity, and inclusion across all schools within her district. Drawing on her extensive experience as an educator and coach, Natalie seeks to implement innovative strategies and initiatives that address the diverse needs of students, families, and staff members while aligning with state regulations.
Frustrations
Despite Natalie’s relentless dedication to creating inclusive and supportive school environments while navigating stringent state regulations crucial for maintaining funding, she finds herself continually challenged by systemic barriers and limited resources that hinder her efforts to promote equity and excellence across her district. The demands of her leadership role sometimes leave Natalie feeling stretched thin, struggling to balance her professional responsibilities with her personal commitments and passions outside of work, such as hosting Sunday brunch potlucks for her loved ones.
User Flow
Admin users now have the power to customize resources throughout this digital library database using the "curate" feature. Turning the feature "on" and "off" allows resources to be "included" or "excluded" from patron view. The wireframes below are visual examples of the feature implemented throughout the admin user's view.
Wireframes
Conclusion
In conclusion, the implementation of the “Curate” feature within the library resource database has proven to be a valuable asset for both Sam and Natalie. By empowering administrators to customize resource visibility, the feature addresses local, state and federal regulations within their respective institutions while also supporting broader goals of promoting efficiency and user satisfaction.
Moving forward, continued optimization and expansion of the feature will be essential to further support the diverse needs of users and ensure the ongoing success of the platform in meeting the demands of shifting priorities and regulations.