Help! SCL Website UX Study, Fall 2017

skyline view from Neilson Library at Smith college

Abstract

Late May, 2017, brought a number of major changes to the user experience at Smith College Libraries. Staff and collections moved out of the largest location, Neilson Library, to prepare for large-scale building redesign.  A new website was launched to coincide with changes in service locations and models, including reducing  the number of service desks to one in new the main library location. In fall semester, 2017, the Libraries’ Web Team prioritized UX study of access to help as presented on the website. Continue reading “Help! SCL Website UX Study, Fall 2017”

What happens when you contact the FCUX

The Five College User Experience Committee welcomes contact from each of the library committees, as well as individual staff members, regarding UX projects with a Five College impact or addressing cross-campus issues.

Contact the FCUX chair or any member of the group as soon as a need for UX work is anticipated.

Timing and scope for collaboration depends on the workload of the FCUX and the timeline of the requesting committee.  The UX committee normally meets monthly and communicates regularly between meetings.  The FCUX will determine priorities and set an agenda that strives to balance realistic expectations about what can be accomplished with the needs and ideas of our users and colleagues.

Point persons from FCUX and the other committee will be designated to keep communication rolling.

Joint meetings for selected members or full committees are recommended.

Scope and Purpose of the proposed FCUX work should be framed with shared Five College needs in mind, addressing issues related to users across our libraries.

Commitment is essential. The requesting committee should clearly articulate their desired outcomes and what they intend to do with the insights gained from UX work, and how this will be accomplished.

Identification of the problem(s), purpose and needs is a joint process, guided by FCUX prompts to:

Define the issue or problem
Gather relevant background information and historical data
Understand and articulate the question(s) and need for UX study
Set goals for the study
Consider techniques and methods

Possible roles for the FCUX include:

  • Identification of relevant materials and related studies to assist a committee in preparing a UX project
  • Consultation on aspects of a particular issue and UX study, including recommendation of methods and project management
  • Collaborative design work with a committee for a cross-campus UX study
  • Referral with recommendations to appropriate library staff at one or more of the five libraries, concerning campus-specific UX issues
  • Exploration of a problem to discover issues and define questions for cross-campus UX study
  • Education, training, and sharing of UX information with a broader Five College audience
  • Leading or taking responsibility for conducting a study of broad relevance to the Five College libraries, related to priority needs anticipated by multiple Five College library committees