Signage by Design: A Design-Thinking Approach to Library User Experience

Signage by Design-A Design-Thinking Approach to Library User Experience

@edwardluca

Agenda-

ProblemLiterature ReviewProcessOutcomesFuture Directions

But.

Literature Review• Touchpoints are “any interaction the user has with library

service” (Hahn & Zitron, 2011, p. 28)

• Library signage as “living documents” (Polger & Stempler, 2014, p. 67)

• The role of the librarian is to connect people to information – meaning that signage falls well within the scope of library work

• Library Anxiety, a “fear of appearing ‘stupid’ and revealing ignorance by asking questions (Coker, 1993, p. 27)

• All library communication should be usable, useful and clear – avoid jargon, use personal and friendly language, and reduce unnecessary language

• It’s something you’re probably doing already – “librarians are in the business of graphic design, even if they have not been formally trained in design” (Wakimoto, 2015, p. 172)

EmpathyConduct observations, library sweeps, shadow users, talk to them, interview them (but please don’t do a survey)

DefineSignage audit: name, type, location, text, usefulness, update/remove, branding

IdeateTest ideas, and most importantly, gather feedback from your users (not just staff)

PrototypeBegin with low-cost temporary signs, experiment and gather feedback

TestConduct in parallel to prototyping, make sure it works before creating a more permanent version

Ta-da!

Types of Signage• Directional/Wayfinding• Identification• Instructional• Regulatory• Instructional• Informational

(Schmidt & Etches, 2014)

Directional

Identification

IdentificationRegulatory

Instructional

Informational

I want to propose a new category:

fun & delightful

From this:

To this:

• I had the opportunity to collaborate with an LIS academic at UTS, Bhuva Narayan, to turn this work into a journal article, available at: weaveux.org

• Thank you to Thomas Fethers and Chris Gaul for their original vision for the UTS Library brand

• And to Joanna Grygierczyk and Emily Gregory for building on their work in fun and beautiful ways

• And to Mal Booth, our University Librarian, who has always seen the importance of design in libraries

Thanks.@edwardluca