For the redesign of the Seattle Public Library application, I strove to create a design that is easy to use for readers. My exploration focuses on the most common tasks completed on the app. I updated the look and feel to appeal to a younger audience which makes up nearly 60% of library app users.
Tools Used: Sketch, InVision, Photoshop, Balsamiq
UI/Visual Design, UX, Mobile App Design, School of Visual Concepts Project
The Process
Mood Board
This mood board pulls together a fresh, modern color palette with engaging photos and a collage motif alluding to the portal to the world that library content creates. Since the library app has a young user base, I wanted to give a fresh, approachable look to the app. Books and other library resources allow patrons to access a world beyond, be it reading a novel, studying a new topic, or taking a class. I wanted to bring some of that wonder and life to the look and feel of the app.
Style Board
My style board kept the fresh, light color palette of my mood board explorations. The colors are unexpected for the Seattle Public Library and give the app a friendly appearance. I chose rounded buttons and icons to reinforce the idea of friendliness and approachability. For my typography, I chose a highly legible sans-serif typeface that reads well at small sizes and loads quickly.
Proto-Personas
In a study of patrons who use library apps and websites, Pew Research found that 58% of users are visiting mobile library apps to search the catalog, 44% are checking out or renewing materials and 31% are reading reviews. I focused my personas’ tasks on those activities while also including events and local library classes, a focus of the Seattle Public Library.
Wireframes
After deciding on my visual direction, I created key screen wireframes. I took the most common task of searching for and checking out a book and sketched out how the user would go about completing the task. In the current app, there are over twenty steps involved in searching for and checking out a book. I sought to simplify this process by combining some steps and prompting the user to make selections before moving on to the next screen.
The Solution
Final Designs
The Seattle Public Library’s mission is “to bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community.” With an updated color palette, easier to navigate catalog, and personalized homepage content, my redesign creates an engaging experience for library patrons and helps the library fulfill their mission. When logged in, book suggestions based on reader’s checkout history is featured along with events at their local branch. Those patrons not logged in are encouraged to visit a local branch to sign up for a library card and connect with their community.
